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The guy I got the quote from is a licensed/insured 'handyman' type. He started his own business, but he's small and gets his work through referrals. Interestingly, when I did searches on this very forum about masonite replacement, folks were quoting figures like $20K - $25K to do entire replacements, as what were expected numbers for a 2,200 sq ft - 2,400 sq ft home, and this was in 2007! (Mike J., you were one of those who suggested a $20K - $25K cost in 2008).
Funny how this year the quote I got is considered high.
I'd sure like to be able to do the entire house in one fell swoop, but I'm not going to do the whole thing if the price is $20K. I just don't want to take that kind of hit if I don't have to.
I have another guy coming in about 30 min or so...another licensed/insured person who does his own thing (and thus is not part of a big siding company).
NONE of my contacts thus far have been from the traditional big companies. So this tells you that the 'little guys' are charging big bucks...or at least are trying to.
My neighbor down the street said they were told the cost would be about $20K as well to do a full replacement of masonite with hardie. I don't know who they talked to as it wasn't an official bid, but that's what they were told by someone in the biz.
The guy I got the quote from is a licensed/insured 'handyman' type. He started his own business, but he's small and gets his work through referrals. Interestingly, when I did searches on this very forum about masonite replacement, folks were quoting figures like $20K - $25K to do entire replacements, as what were expected numbers for a 2,200 sq ft - 2,400 sq ft home, and this was in 2007! (Mike J., you were one of those who suggested a $20K - $25K cost in 2008).
Funny how this year the quote I got is considered high.
I'd sure like to be able to do the entire house in one fell swoop, but I'm not going to do the whole thing if the price is $20K. I just don't want to take that kind of hit if I don't have to.
I have another guy coming in about 30 min or so...another licensed/insured person who does his own thing (and thus is not part of a big siding company).
NONE of my contacts thus far have been from the traditional big companies. So this tells you that the 'little guys' are charging big bucks...or at least are trying to.
My neighbor down the street said they were told the cost would be about $20K as well to do a full replacement of masonite with hardie. I don't know who they talked to as it wasn't an official bid, but that's what they were told by someone in the biz.
It might be the case you do have to pay more then. But I know what the materials will cost, so the rest is labor and or markup.
If you are a general contractor you can have a sub, frame a 1900 sq ft 2 story home for about $25,000. This does not include the windows, doors, siding, but rather just the raw framing package with roof sheathing. So how in God's name do the get that much for putting siding on a home is beyond my comprehension. But it is, what it is, I suppose. I do know the total cost for materials, is well under $5000 for a house your size.
If you search the forum, you can others getting their homes done for $10,000-$12,000. And their materials have to cost the same as here. So it must just be a local thing. Everyone if getting "X" amount of money.
Since you say there are others (and perhaps others in the Triangle area) who have gotten whole house replacement with hardie, I'd like anyone who has been charged less than, say, $16K for total replacement of masonite in the last year for an approximately 1,900 - 2,000 sq ft home to please tell us. And please share with me who you used to get that price.
I really am curious if the bid I've gotten,and those I've read about on this forum and heard about in person by others, are the average, or if we're all just getting screwed over?
Okay all you Triangle homeowners...please tell me your full hardiplank replacement story and the approx price you paid to have all the masonite taken off and replaced with hardieplank (not vinyl).
Anyone comparing prices on masonite replacement should be comparing apples to apples.
OP has posted some specifications in the original post.
They should be comparable specs.
The photo shows a 1900-2000SF home with two gable ends, a front porch, and a bay window at the front. The comparables on which the quotes are based should offer similar details.
Any partial or full replacement with hardieplank should include housewrap, since it is required with hardieplank. The question on partial replacement is how to properly install the housewrap.
To install housewrap properly, one should strip off the entire side, and wrap it around the corners, overlapping it with the next piece a few inches and taping the seams (http://www2.dupont.com/Tyvek_Construction/en_US/assets/downloads/InstallGuideWRB_K16282.pdf - broken link).
Anything less is a corner cut.
If proper installation is neither a stipulation nor financially feasible, skip the housewrap and seam work. I have seen whole homes done piece by piece with Hardieplank replacing masonite, with no housewrap, so it can be done wrong and look good for a while.
My post from 2008 was based on certain specifications, guesses at that, some of which are not comparable to the original specifications in this thread.
2400sf, with brick front, two car attached garage, more extensive soffit and fascia.
BTW, what is a "licensed handyman?"
Privilege license? Most don't have it.
That has no bearing on skill or talent and if they have one and are selling that as making them a "licensed handyman," well, there is likely more sizzle than steak.
I think there is no particular licensing for handymen.
Regardless, handyman or contractor label is semantics and hardly a consideration.
Every handyman is a contractor.
If a person agrees to do work for you, with stipulations made verbally or in writing, they are a contractor.
The handyman label connotes that he will tackle more odd jobs hands on.
Since you say there are others (and perhaps others in the Triangle area) who have gotten whole house replacement with hardie, I'd like anyone who has been charged less than, say, $16K for total replacement of masonite in the last year for an approximately 1,900 - 2,000 sq ft home to please tell us. And please share with me who you used to get that price.
I really am curious if the bid I've gotten,and those I've read about on this forum and heard about in person by others, are the average, or if we're all just getting screwed over?
Okay all you Triangle homeowners...please tell me your full hardiplank replacement story and the approx price you paid to have all the masonite taken off and replaced with hardieplank (not vinyl).
It'd be nice to see what other people have paid for similar jobs - but how many people opt for the expense of a full Hardiplank install, especially on smaller less expensive homes? There have been three houses done over in my immediate neighborhood in the past six months, and all went with vinyl. I can tell the difference between a good siding install and a bad one - and two of the three are mediocre at best. The most recent one used some sort of matte finish siding and it came out really nice. If I get my house done, I'll approach that neighbor for a referral. But yeah, this is all vinyl siding and not what you are looking for.
It will be interesting to see if anyone who reads/posts here has done a full Hardiplank replacement!
I was responding to CarolinaCowboy's recommendation that I talk to a skilled installer, one who is licensed & insured. And those who I have talked to happen to fall into the category he was trying to describe. I didn't mean to imply that anyone I spoke to was marketing themselves with such a title...I was using it as a descriptive phrase.
Mike, what kind of quote would you expect on the type and size of project my house represents (assuming full house replacement of masonite, wrapped per mfg specifications, etc, etc). What would be a reasonable quote (in your mind)?
It'd be nice to see what other people have paid for similar jobs - but how many people opt for the expense of a full Hardiplank install, especially on smaller less expensive homes?
Well the house 3 doors down from me was redone using hardieplank, but that work was done before I purchased my house and the owners have since sold and moved. And now the current owners just sold the house, after being in it for 2 years! It looks beautiful, but I have no idea what the cost was.
Another neighbor had their house redone in vinyl about 2 years ago. The neighbor next to them and I were talking this morning and they said the people paid 'almost' as much as the quote I got for the hardiplank. And the neighbor is looking to have their whole house done as they said they have significant areas of rot (21+ yr old house).
So I know people out there are getting it done, although there must be more full vinyl installs since you have to do the whole magilla at one time.
I was responding to CarolinaCowboy's recommendation that I talk to a skilled installer, one who is licensed & insured. And those who I have talked to happen to fall into the category he was trying to describe. I didn't mean to imply that anyone I spoke to was marketing themselves with such a title...I was using it as a descriptive phrase.
Mike, what kind of quote would you expect on the type and size of project my house represents (assuming full house replacement of masonite, wrapped per mfg specifications, etc, etc). What would be a reasonable quote (in your mind)?
I don't think the quote you got is unreasonable. Just on the upper end of the range I would expect.
I like the inclusion of painting, particularly with high end paint and caulking. That makes it more palatable.
I understand the "licensed handyman" thing.
It just pops up every now and again, and the truth is there is no handyman licensing other than privilege license, which is only a tax mechanism.
Then there is the insurance issue.
One reason quotes may vary is the existence, or lack thereof, of workers comp and business liability insurance.
Workers comp is expensive once you get into scaffolds and ladders. You will have a father/son crew tell you they are exempt from a workers comp requirement, since they don't have more than 4 people(or whatever the limit is).
That does not protect YOU. You are not "exempt" if Pop falls off the ladder and breaks a leg and is laid up for 4 months. You may well be "liable" for $1000's in healthcare costs. Your homeowners' insurance will not cover it.
This is one of the easiest places to save a buck, rolling the dice that no one will be hurt. Most people make out OK, but I am a little risk adverse.
Getting insurance certificates from the contractor is no proof of insurance.
The best assurance you have coverage is to have the contractor's insurance provider fax you current certificates naming you as "Co-Insured." You would then expect to be notified if the coverage was discontinued. So many guys buy insurance to get a certificate to hand out, the insurance companies started taking huge cancellation fees, over 50% of the premium, even if cancelled in the first week.
I was responding to CarolinaCowboy's recommendation that I talk to a skilled installer, one who is licensed & insured. And those who I have talked to happen to fall into the category he was trying to describe. I didn't mean to imply that anyone I spoke to was marketing themselves with such a title...I was using it as a descriptive phrase.
Well that is exactly what I was referencing it as also, a descriptive phrase. After all, this is what many, if not most of these guys call their own selves! So they are contractors too, yes, but often referred to as a handyman. This in much the same way a REALTOR refers to themselves as an AGENT. Or their clinets might call them an AGENT, when in fact their are still a realtor. Well, one might ask, what exactly is an AGENT, or perhaps a licensed agent, or an agent versus a full fledged broker. You get the idea!
A handyman, who does siding, is probably a person who is yes, a contractor, (if operating legally) and can accomplish more then one skilled project. However, they might also not have a full page ad in the yellow pages and a huge warehouse that they operate out of. they might be a father and son team, who drives from their home to yours to do your project. I think this how MOST OF US think of someone who is a handyman.
Well that is exactly what I was referencing it as also, a descriptive phrase. After all, this is what many, if not most of these guys call their own selves! So they are contractors too, yes, but often referred to as a handyman. This in much the same way a REALTOR refers to themselves as an AGENT. Or their clinets might call them an AGENT, when in fact their are still a realtor. Well, one might ask, what exactly is an AGENT, or perhaps a licensed agent, or an agent versus a full fledged broker. You get the idea!
A handyman, who does siding, is probably a person who is yes, a contractor, (if operating legally) and can accomplish more then one skilled project. However, they might also not have a full page ad in the yellow pages and a huge warehouse that they operate out of. they might be a father and son team, who drives from their home to yours to do your project. I think this how MOST OF US think of someone who is a handyman.
Handyman has only colloquial and subjective definition, and is a nickname for some general contractors.
There is no licensing in North Carolina for general contractors or handymen other than privilege tax license until they desire to tackle jobs with dollar amounts over $30,000. North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors
Exception is if they practice trades that require licensing, such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.
So, if you ever meet a "licensed handyman" who claims not to be a general contractor, ask him what his license says.
It will say "BS."
I have been a general contractor, doing handy work, and well know the territory.
The "agent/Realtor" thing is a red herring. There are very specific legal definitions of "real estate agent" in NC.
Realtor(r) is very easy to clearly define.
The relationship between the two terms is clear.
A Realtor will have proper pocket cards to convey the right to use both terms.
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