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Hi everyone. any help would be greatly appreciated.
We just moved in to a cape in Merrick and we are looking to add a dormer to the back of the house.
(not a full second floor but a bump out to square off the room and give some extra room)
Dormer would be approx 7' wide by 8' deep.
What do I need to get this done.
-Obviously a permit (cause you can barely take a step out of your door without needing a permit for something in this town)
-Does the person doing the work need to be licensed in NY? I have family in other states that are licensed contractors. Also am I allowed to do the work myself?
-Do the drawing that need to be submitted need to be done by an architect? and does that architect nned to be licensed in NY - Again I have family outside of new york who are architects.
-We are also very handy so we would just need the shell. We can do the demo and finishes on the inside.
I guess what Im asking is what can I do my self and what do need licensed people in ny for?
Some of the quotes we have gotten are outlandish or maybe I just don't understand what goes into this. its a small box with about a grand in materials so why the 20-30k pricetag?
The high costs are mostly due to the cost of labor in this market and the massive cost of insurance that contractors have to carry due to the ridiculous plaintiff-friendly Labor Law. Materials cost more as well for similar reasons.
You will need a permit to add living space. A contractor needs to be licensed. To get the permit, you will need to submit plans to the DOB prepared by someone with a license in NY. The actual labor you can do yourself.
This is certainly much more than a grand in materials for rafter reinforcements, framing, plywood, siding, house wrap, underlayment, shingles, flashing, drywall, windows, molding, etc., etc. I also suspect that you will need to put electrical into that new opening. With most projects like this, the cost is not proportionate to the size, so if you are going down this route you might think about doing a larger dormer that really impacts your space.
Thanks nyc-sport. the materials i was only talking about the framing and sheeting. Quotes i was getting was for framing and sheeting only 10-15 grand. still doesnt include the 3 grand i was quoted for drawing up the plans.
@interlude. Thanks I know I have to get a permit. I just have a bad tatse in my mouth after getting a co for an addition the previous owners had done. the "inspector" if that's what you call him, came in and did nothing but glance at the plans, look around the room and say "ok"
I asked well arent you going to check that what is in the plans was actually done? he said no that the architects stamp was good enough.
I thought that was highly suspect.
if that's the case why go through any of this at all?
Sorry Im a first time home owner and they don't make this info readily available.
Thanks nyc-sport. the materials i was only talking about the framing and sheeting. Quotes i was getting was for framing and sheeting only 10-15 grand. still doesnt include the 3 grand i was quoted for drawing up the plans.
@interlude. Thanks I know I have to get a permit. I just have a bad tatse in my mouth after getting a co for an addition the previous owners had done. the "inspector" if that's what you call him, came in and did nothing but glance at the plans, look around the room and say "ok"
I asked well arent you going to check that what is in the plans was actually done? he said no that the architects stamp was good enough.
I thought that was highly suspect.
if that's the case why go through any of this at all?
Sorry Im a first time home owner and they don't make this info readily available.
You want an inspector walking around and inspecting every little thing? Most owners would be ecstatic when an inspector just goes through the motions and leaves.
I use to give long comments on these type of threads but it has become painful.. All I can tell you is that every contractor can't be wrong. If all the prices are coming in higher than you expected... Well... You expected wrong.
Yes the architect needs to be licensed in NYS? Why would there be state licensing if it didn't matter? What type of question is that...
You can list yourself as the general contractor. Talk to your architect about the permit process and forms he will help set you up as G.C.
Also doing demo yourself typically does not save much at all. What seems like a lot of work to you, takes minutes to a professional. If you value your time, it may not be worth it. Gutting a room is easy work to a professional. That doesn't save much. If you want to save money you would have to be removing the roofing and doing dormer prep by cutting rafters. Chances are, you aren't doing that...
Hire an architect. Get a set of plans done. Give the plans to 3-4 builders. Then you can compare apples to apples. Then make an educated decision based on the contractor's reputation and price. This is the 100% best way to do this and not waste your time or contractors time.
Thanks for all your advice.
@DesignBuild516. It's not like Ive been getting the same ball park pricing from every contractor they are all vastly different. Ranging from 12- 32 grand (for a shell) Im sorry but that seems outrageous for what we are asking for (32 grand for a shell that is).
@Loribel38 We understand that we will have higher propety taxes but we need a second bathroom upstairs as My Mother is moving to help take care of the baby and 1- 1 bathroom isnt going to cut it. and 2 - it would be nice for her to not have to walk up and down the stairs when she wants to use it.
@chuckyisinli - no normally I wouldnt want an inspector roaming around my house. But but the extention was built by the previous homeowner with no permit so I wanted to make sure it was built properly. (we have since found out that it was after removing the wood 70's paneling on the walls and putting up sheetrock. he actually did a good job).
I just know in conn this job would have cost me 10-15 grand all in.
Again thank you to everyone. If anyone has any recommendations for people they have used we would appreciate it.
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