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We're going to put our house on the market in the spring and are starting to get quotes for needed repairs. One of the quotes is for siding boards that need to be replaced. We were a bit surprised at how high the quote is. I'll disclose the amount of siding boards that the contractor deemed to be in need of replacement in a later post but for now, I'm posting a photo of the side of our house and am curious as to what opinions I get on here. Needless to say, I don't think the estimate is accurate. So here's the photo. How many would you think need to be replaced; none of them, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, or all of them? Thanks in advance.
hard pass - give us the # of boards claimed and the estimate. Take a picture taken from a more severe angle and from closer up at edges and corner, to show possible damage.
And understand that 1 person's quote is just that.
hard to count and care - appear to be 41 total courses of siding?
hard pass - give us the # of boards claimed and the estimate. Take a picture taken from a more severe angle and from closer up at edges and corner, to show possible damage.
And understand that 1 person's quote is just that.
hard to count and care - appear to be 41 total courses of siding?
That was the photo the contractor took so I'd have to take more photos myself. The photo is of the right side of our house so the contractor claims every board needs to be replaced.
Here's the entire quote for the carpentry repairs. It seems high to me.
Carpentry Repairs - $7,500
Front of the house
Replace 60 siding boards
Repair trim at dormer (windows trim and corner boards)
Right side of the house
Replace siding at entire wall (top to bottom)
Left side of the house
Replace 10 siding boards
Back of the house
Replace 20 siding boards
Replace 2 brick mold trim at windows and window sills
Repair fascia and shingle mold by the roof
Job steps:
-Re-inspect areas where repair or replacement of wood/material is needed. REPAIR means that a small
piece will be exchanged. REPLACEMENT means that the entire piece will be replaced.
-The material that contractor will use for this job includes: Primed Yellow Pine, Hardie-Planke, MiraTEC, PVC,
wood.
-If contractor finds more areas where repair or replacement of wood/material is needed, then contractor will provide
estimate for those additional areas for customer approval.
-Remove all job-related debris, tools, and materials and leave the area in clean condition.
>It was not a great siding job when originally installed, and a few iffy repairs haven't done it any good.
>When a contractor starts removing siding, it is very easy for adjacent boards that are not in the quote to be damaged, and not due to carelessness. Just from trying to get nails out of a board to remove the board below it. You have a lot of soft siding that is not showing bad swelling, etc.
IMO, he is wise to cover himself by just quoting the entire side.
>If you replace a portion of the right side, piecing fibercement into areas of hardboard/Masonite, the siding that is not replaced will stand out like a sore thumb.
So, the job specs are probably realistic.
BUT....
I don't see any mention of Tyvek installation. Any sizeable fibercement installation, like your right side, should definitely have Tyvek or similar under the new siding.
I just watched a couple of guys tear down Masonite and replace with fibercement on a home I drive by every day. They did it piece-by-piece so they could cover the end of the home as they went. No Tyvek.
Bad job, that.
I also don't see mention of painting the house.
Ouch.
With that estimate I'd also suggest you get an estimate to replace all of the siding. It might actually be less expensive because it's easier to remove everything and then put the new stuff on compared to taking pieces off here and there. It will also prevent a two color siding effect from mixing the old and the new.
I'll disclose the amount of siding boards that the contractor deemed to be in need ...
The specific number of boards is almost immaterial.
The equipment (tools, scaffolds, ladders, etc) and skilled staff being mobilized and later cleaned up is most of it.
That core cost is the same whether two boards go up or twenty; maybe even fifty.
Then you get into what % of that whole face of the building gets done.
Doing 40% piece by piece can cost more than doing the whole at once.
I agree that after looking at the closeup image of the wall as a whole, there are so many bad boards, you'd really be foolish to pick and choose a few to save when you'd be better served by a complete, matching, well installed replacement of the whole wall of siding.... and while it's open, improving any damaged insulation, and installing something like Tyvek.
Secondly, interrogate the contractors about their quotes. If you are wondering why this contractor said he needed to replace all the boards, ask him. Have him show you why.
For carpentry, the quote is way low. If you were expecting a lower quote, welcome to the 21st century. We ran all skilled craftsmen out of the business in 2008, and if you can even find someone to do the work, count yourself lucky.
That said, why are you replacing anything? Pressure wash it and paint it. Nobody will know the difference, and you're going to have to paint anyway.
For carpentry, the quote is way low. If you were expecting a lower quote, welcome to the 21st century. We ran all skilled craftsmen out of the business in 2008, and if you can even find someone to do the work, count yourself lucky.
That said, why are you replacing anything? Pressure wash it and paint it. Nobody will know the difference, and you're going to have to paint anyway.
Unfortunately, people will certainly know the difference.
The poster is in my market, and people will know.
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