Advice on cost to finish attic

[J. Trent Hicks]

The short and direct answer on pricing is: set a budget, pick a number, and then be willing to add/subtract to meet that budget number.

Obviously, every situation is different and there is no "rule of thumb" pricing on attics, basements, decks, or screen porches, etc. Every customer is unique and has individual wishes and expectations. Some prefer a basic shell and others demand that the finish and trim match the remainder of their home.

Some important considerations to investigate:

1- Is the existing HVAC system, ductwork, and thermostat adequate to serve the additional area? Rarely do builders properly size the tonnage unless THEY are completing the unfinished space because it adds to their original cost; but, since the area cannot be counted as heated square footage, they (and sometimes lenders) may not be receptive to including upgrades.

For many customers we add a "through the wall" heat pump similar to motel units that require an additional electrical circuit and space in the panel box.

2- Is the existing wiring and more importantly the service electrical panel adequate for the additional circuit(s) that may be required?

3- Will there be a bathroom in the finished attic area? If you want to add a bath, there are savings if there are supply and waste lines already in place.

4- Would you like six ceiling can lights? ten? twelve? one ceiling fan? two? Home theatre wiring, CATV, CAT5, etc, etc.?

5- Properly insulating this large roof area requires expertise and experience to increase the R value in a small space to make the room comfortable year round.

Everything depends upon time. The level of difficulty to access plumbing, HVAC, and electrical service determine the time required. Framing is framing. Hanging, finishing, and painting drywall can be performed by any competent contractor.

If you hire an experienced contractor with some design experience they should be able to create an efficient, comfortable, and affordable area for your enjoyment.

So, what should it cost for home improvements? It's all up to you. Whether your budget is $50 per SF or $150 per SF, you can determine the cost by what you specify in the scope of work.

[peterdnight]

Could not agree more with j Trent hicks above; but I would add that you need multiple bids from multiple competent contractors bidding on very detailed plans to think u r getting apples to apples bids. Busy contractors will often bid out work at +50% and will work weekends (and so should charge more).

Even then - you are highly dependent on honesty & integrity of the contractors because there are 100 ways to cut time/expense in non-visible ways.

I recently re-did my own porch based on dissatisfaction with multiple bids. Since I build my own furniture - already had t saw, chop saw, ... On site. Not an option for every one- but the fact that I had 6/6 "poor" bids means that either there are a lot of incompetent contractors in the area or I am too picky. I was easily willing to pay $50/hour for skilled labour, but in every case felt the bids were way out of line after I priced the materials.

I wonder if any contractors would work for materials + per hour costs?
-Peter

[peterdnight]

Found this recent posting in the house forum.
The second posting by coldjenson essentially asserts there is no such thing as a "honest" contractor due to the dysfunctional nature of the residential renovation/additions market. I come pretty close to agreeing with the assertion that because 9/10 of the bids must be unrealistic to even be considered by 9/10 of the people considering the system, 100% of the bids are unrealistic from the outset. This is caused in part (maybe mostly) by home owners with unrealistic expectations as to how far their $$$ actually goes.

How often do contractors' estimates go over or under original estimate?

[emilybh]

I guess I've been pretty lucky! I've hired contractors in an other state who I've paid both hourly (and I bought materials) or who gave me written quotes with terms and conditions and 90% of the time everything turned out as promised. I've generally been able to be there most of the time to supervise or even help so it was difficult for them to pad hours. There was one nightmarish experience I had with a plumber who tore apart my bathroom and threw the old fixtures in my front yard and left them there for weeks. His grunt workers came and started to drywall a tub shower surround that was going to be tiled (instead of using the waterproof green board they should have used). I complained, fired them; threatened the owner that I would call the licensing board and register a complaint (which quickly got him on the ball and cleaning up the mess in the front yard). I hired someone else to finish and hired a tiling contractor. I've found that if you stay on top of things, the job gets done for the price you expected to pay. You can save a LOT of money doing some of it yourself. Except for rooms with cathedral ceilings, I would never hire a painting contractor to do an interior. There's where you can save money (presuming you have some experience painting and know how to prep and paint). You can also save a lot by getting the materials yourself. Contractors will just mark up anything they get for your job so you end up paying a premium for the materials. I also always get lots of quotes and referrals for the contractors I contact.

When you are paying by the job you want to get everything in writing or if the contractors are too small time, YOU write up what you agreed to as if it was a quote from them and get them to sign it.