Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Long Island
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 04-12-2015, 02:12 PM
 
Location: Inis Fada
16,966 posts, read 34,636,857 times
Reputation: 7722

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by LIHR View Post
You're correct lots of contractors will circumvent the permit process and place the homeowners and others at risk. But it's the homeowners responsibility to ensure their job is properly permitted. It's their property and it will only come back to bite them at time of sale, fire, injury etc.. So I will not give the homeowner a pass because of an unscrupulous contractor looking to circumvent the permit process in order to lower costs to entice the homeowner to hire them. It's a two-way street.
With all due respect, unless the contractor is serving as expeditor in order to obtain permits for the work on the subject property, the contractor has no right to obtain permits. (Could you imagine the shady goings-on that could occur if any Joe Shmo could open permits? It's easy enough to get all the info needed online for most Suffolk properties.) Conversely, I am not about hand out my insurance certificates to someone who needs to open a permit but hasn't yet signed a contract with me. Would you want your information on a permit where the homeowners hired an unlicensed Johnny-Fly-by-Night?

Whether a project requires a permit or not is something the homeowner should learn early in the planning process, and make the necessary provisions if need be. I have done this for clients in the past, but have charged a fee. A number of architects will obtain permits for the clients as well.

One question we ask at the beginning of the estimate process is whether the homeowner has started the permit application process, in the event they are subject to environmental, historic, and/or health department regulations. I've seen people hung up for months in Suffolk because their cesspool wasn't rated for the number of bedrooms they were adding.

We also ask what their time frame is. Sometimes it is unrealistic given the location of the property. Historic district or HDTZ in Brookhaven can add a lot of time -- the board meets once a month. I had one client with an environmental issue revolving around the high tide mark and a setback which took months for a matter of inches.

Last thing we're going to do is start work on a project which requires but does not have a permit.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-12-2015, 04:22 PM
 
Location: Long Island, NY
186 posts, read 243,012 times
Reputation: 287
Ohbeehave, I think you interpreted what I said differently from what I intended. Maybe I wasn't clear.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 07:10 PM
 
300 posts, read 549,499 times
Reputation: 160
Quote:
Originally Posted by loveithateit View Post
Bonded/Licensed Contractors in LI must be making too much money. I've received 3 referrals, found 1 guy through web search and 1 guy from Angie's List.

1 didn't bother to show up for a site visit, even though he picked the date and time.
1 showed up, and can't be found anymore
And the others can't find the time to write up a quote (time elapsed is between 1-2 weeks since they received the plans).

The extension job isn't small, should easily be over 100K (probably a lot more considering some of the prices being thrown around at C-D). Architect drawn plans, just waiting for a structural engineers 'stamp of approval' on how the foundation ties in.

Say what you want about the immigrant contractors. Whether the hispanic or asian variety. But at least they respond fast with pricing and ready to work. Too bad most of them just aren't licensed properly to work in Long Island.
So there was a lot of talk about the price of construction on here but I was wondering if you don't mind sharing your cost for plans?

I'm assuming your architect isn't licensed since he has to get an engineer to stamp drawings? If i am interpreting your statement correct...

An architect may want to use a structural engineer as a consultant for some crazy structural work or maybe something like helical piles but typically an engineer is not involved in day to day residential construction unless the architect is not licensed.

Anyways, I'm always interested to see what people pay for plans. It is one of the single most important investments of the project.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 08:11 PM
 
755 posts, read 1,075,880 times
Reputation: 748
if you're not licensed, can you call yourself an architect? Stamp may be the wrong word. Maybe he was going for the phrase stamp of approval? But it was in my contract that he included 2 hour fee to a structural engineer to confirm the foundation tie in was correct.

Cost was under 6k, including the permit application.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 08:51 PM
 
Location: Long Island, NY
186 posts, read 243,012 times
Reputation: 287
I have a set of plans on my desk that cost the client $4000 for a small single story addition.

Tying into an existing foundation is fairly simple, usually a step down with rebar anchored into existing. But who knows, maybe there's more to it than that or the architect wants to justify charging more by bringing in his engineer buddy.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 09:36 PM
 
300 posts, read 549,499 times
Reputation: 160
Quote:
Originally Posted by loveithateit View Post
if you're not licensed, can you call yourself an architect? Stamp may be the wrong word. Maybe he was going for the phrase stamp of approval? But it was in my contract that he included 2 hour fee to a structural engineer to confirm the foundation tie in was correct.

Cost was under 6k, including the permit application.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIHR View Post
I have a set of plans on my desk that cost the client $4000 for a small single story addition.

Tying into an existing foundation is fairly simple, usually a step down with rebar anchored into existing. But who knows, maybe there's more to it than that or the architect wants to justify charging more by bringing in his engineer buddy.
LIHR, you are correct. Shouldn't be more to it than that.. Should be typical step down footing with 2:1 Max Slope. Unless loveithateit lives near the water or flood zone.

Only thing that may be different is if the architect is specifying a tie down for the corners. Don't really need an engineer for that tough. Just a Simpson Strong Tie book..

Anyways, that fee isn't crazy if it includes town fees. Did architect file too? If that include town fees and he filed that it is a fair price for a 1 story extension.

I don't do much residential drawing any more but I recently did a 18'x22' kitchen extension with cathedral ceilings (structural ridge) and a 15'x15' deck for $4,000. Town fee was $800. And client paid $200 for me to file. Total cost $5,000.

$6,000 all in isn't crazy though. Still in the correct price range.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 10:52 PM
 
755 posts, read 1,075,880 times
Reputation: 748
I don't live in a flood zone. Cost does not include town fees. Permit has not actually been filed yet as I'm still looking for a contractor. I don't know what step down footing means nor max slope.

Looking at design's example above, my design should be a little more complicated. I'm not sure sure how much of the details i want to post publicly. But if you're really interested, I don't mind sending a DM.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2015, 11:22 PM
 
Location: Inis Fada
16,966 posts, read 34,636,857 times
Reputation: 7722
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIHR View Post
Ohbeehave, I think you interpreted what I said differently from what I intended. Maybe I wasn't clear.
I was expanding off your first sentence.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LIHR
You're correct lots of contractors will circumvent the permit process and place the homeowners and others at risk.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-13-2015, 06:20 AM
 
Location: Long Island, NY
186 posts, read 243,012 times
Reputation: 287
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhBeeHave View Post
I was expanding off your first sentence.

Very good, I should have been more clear meaning the unprincipled contractor persuading the client to circumvent the permit process. Bottom line they are all part of the party and all will suffer if shut down
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-13-2015, 06:48 AM
 
300 posts, read 549,499 times
Reputation: 160
Quote:
Originally Posted by loveithateit View Post
I don't live in a flood zone. Cost does not include town fees. Permit has not actually been filed yet as I'm still looking for a contractor. I don't know what step down footing means nor max slope.

Looking at design's example above, my design should be a little more complicated. I'm not sure sure how much of the details i want to post publicly. But if you're really interested, I don't mind sending a DM.
It's okay, no need for a DM..

FYI, you don't need to select your contractor to file for permits. Just need your final drawings. You should actually file as soon as possible considering some towns like TOH take 7-10 weeks for approval. Smaller villages or townships are quicker like Huntington where it usually takes 5-8 weeks.

Your fee of $6,000 isn't crazy. Maybe your intricate design added to the cost. If you like the architect and he provides good service then it's fine. Besides, he also takes ownership and liability which is worth a lot in today's lawsuit happy world.

Best of luck
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:



Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New York > Long Island
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:47 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top