Anyone do a garage conversion? (Sarasota: house, buyers, general contractor)

[Volgirl65]

We bought our house at the end of July in Sarasota, a 2/1 and had plans to convert the garage into a small bedroom and bath. I got some plumbing estimates today and I was SHOCKED. I guess it is going to cost a lot more than I had anticipated...but just curious if anyone has contact information/referral for a general contractor, plumber, electrician, A/C guy, etc. The first guy that came out said he wouldn't worry about permitting anything. Well, he is now obviously off the list!
If you have any referrals, please message me with their information.
Thanks!
Amy

[beninfl]

Do you have to have a permit to do an interior upgrade? I didnt think you had to?

[photoman_6]

you definitely need to pull a permit. first of all, you should have a contractor tht's licensed in the county. no license no permits.
then you're going to be doing eletrical work and plumbing work which definitely needs to have licensed contractors and permits.
plumbing can get expensive cause probably would have to go overhead in through the attic(either that or bust out all the plumbing.)

[Carver567]

Originally Posted by photoman_6

you definitely need to pull a permit. first of all, you should have a contractor tht's licensed in the county. no license no permits.
then you're going to be doing eletrical work and plumbing work which definitely needs to have licensed contractors and permits.
plumbing can get expensive cause probably would have to go overhead in through the attic(either that or bust out all the plumbing.)

A licensed, reputable plumbing contractor should be tops on your list. If you are adding a toilet and sink, most likely floor will have to be cut up to add underground piping to tie into the existing waste plumbing. A vent is needed for both the toilet and sink that can run in the attic space along with the water. If you have access to the original blueprints that would make the plumber's job a lot easier.

Good luck.

[d4g4m]

You may want to give a lot of thought to converting a garage to a bedroom, not unless you will be living in the house for the rest of your life. Not many buyers will consider a house with a converted garage because not only do they want a garage but they will purchase a house with the needed and desired amount of bedrooms. Not only do you need the required permits but plans must be submitted to the building dept. If the garage doesn't have a side door, you will be required to install one as all bedrooms must have a means of exterior egress [door or window] You should also check or know if the main sewer line to street is on the same side as the garage for connection. Converting to a 'man cave' [no plumbing, windows, door] is not as restrictive.

[Volgirl65]

Yeah, it's way more than what we thought it might cost. The house is ok in size but we jumped and bought a house a little too small. I really need an office space because I work from home but my son decided to move with us when we came. So he now lives in what would have been my office.
I told my husband though....maybe we should reconsider since he is 17 and shouldn't be here too much longer.

[gettinoutofjersey]

If you are on septic more than likely the septic size will have to be increased

[coastal chic]

I would suggest holding off if you can. For resale value, a garage is a must-have for many buyers.

[kab0906]

Originally Posted by coastal chic

I would suggest holding off if you can. For resale value, a garage is a must-have for many buyers.

I would tend to agree with this. Looking for a home, if I needed the greater square footage on living space I would go for a larger home with a garage, rather than a larger home without a garage. A garage is more useful than just putting a car or two in it.

Having said that, if you still want to go through with it I'm glad to see you know that you'll need permits for structure, electrical and plumbing. Run away from that contractor!

[Rushmore]

Originally Posted by Volgirl65

Yeah, it's way more than what we thought it might cost. The house is ok in size but we jumped and bought a house a little too small. I really need an office space because I work from home but my son decided to move with us when we came. So he now lives in what would have been my office.
I told my husband though....maybe we should reconsider since he is 17 and shouldn't be here too much longer.

Oh good lord don't convert the garage in this case. You will probably make resale much harder, incur prohibitive costs, etc.

Here's an idea: Clean up the garage to spotless, buy a good sized portable AC unit, run extension cords, and let him live in it without a full conversion. It's not forever, and it is more than good enough for most normal people.

Yikes.