House renovation costs?!

[Electrician4you]

Originally Posted by bekinditseasy

We just bought a fixer upper. I've had 3 professionals through that said an average kitchen remodel is $138K, a bathroom addition is $98K and enclosing a carport is $110K. The explanation was that Northern California was just very expensive for renovations. These prices sound nuts to me but we've now had three people through who all said about the same thing.
I'm wondering now if it's better to just have everything pieced together. Just get an electrician in for the electrical. Get a plumber in for the bathroom plumbing. Get a kitchen installer in for the kitchen. Etc. to see if that would keep cost down.
Does anyone have any insight or any good tradesman they would recommend?

What exactly were they using on the job? That's absurd pricing. Unless you got some crazy costs in materials like Madagascar teak cabinets and god knows what those prices are laughable
What you had was three professional gouges. Unless the fixer upper is a tear it down and build another complete house is the only way to get that kind of pricing. Post some pics of this 330,000 dollar job. Because you can build a whole house for that money.

Here is what you do

Get designs/plans of your scope of work (basically get plans of what you want/plan to do)

Research your materials and get part numbers, samples etc. design everything from outside in. Think of it as building a 3D puzzle. Get your plans and material list.

Go to your city hall and get permits pulled for whatever you're doing plumbing electrical hvac. If you're inky doing a cabinet change flooring etc no structural or additional plumbing HVAC and electrical then permits aren't needed. Most of the time permits are pulled because nobody dies a kitchen remodel without upgrading/relocating electrical and plumbing.
Once you got your permits, you simply start calling electrical, plumbing and HVAC cabinetry drywall and flooring contractors and get them to give you bids for whatever work you expect done. Have a meeting with those specific trades one at a time. Don't mix trades in the meetings. This way when you go through the scope of work theire all on the same page as far as the bid. Feel free to hire someone to consult on the project. I used to consult with homeowners and be the buffer between them and the contractors.
Don't feel that you can't call the others back and ask them to resubmit a bid because you got a lower bid from the other guys.

[Ultrarunner]

A lot of my friends are in the trades...

What I am hearing is they have plenty of work and short on labor.

The approach is to bid high and if you get the job fine.

I'm in the SF Bay Area in this is the reality but it could all change.

A few years back I was getting calls from companies that did work for me in the past saying they were up for anything... just wanted to keep the core guys employed for when the market turned.

Also... minimum wage, insurance, I-9 all factor into the cost.

Some of my best subs actually travel from Stockton, Tracy and greater Sacramento area.

A few weeks ago I needed to replace a Commercial Package Unit... my local good was just slammed with work but told me a direct replacement from Carrier was available.

I called a friend out of Sacramento and he put me in touch with his guy... worked great and saved about 15%... also had lined up the crane, etc... it really does make things easier the simpler you can make it when it comes to know exactly what you want and provide clear instruction.

Too often it is feast of famine in the construction biz...

[TheCityTheBridge]

Originally Posted by bekinditseasy

We just bought a fixer upper. I've had 3 professionals through that said an average kitchen remodel is $138K, a bathroom addition is $98K and enclosing a carport is $110K. The explanation was that Northern California was just very expensive for renovations. These prices sound nuts to me but we've now had three people through who all said about the same thing.
I'm wondering now if it's better to just have everything pieced together. Just get an electrician in for the electrical. Get a plumber in for the bathroom plumbing. Get a kitchen installer in for the kitchen. Etc. to see if that would keep cost down.
Does anyone have any insight or any good tradesman they would recommend?

Those first two numbers are high (the bathroom is egregiously high, unless you are planning on a palatial custom bathroom on a steeply sloped lot. There is a little variation in different parts of the Bay Area. But you should be able to add a low-end bathroom on a flat lot for $20-40k. A kitchen remodel will depend on your tastes & the need for structural work, but $60-100k ought to do it (it wouldn't be hard to go higher, but discipline should keep you there).

Enclosing a car port could vary dramatically depending on the needs. Is there an existing concrete pad, or will you need to pour one/a foundation? Depending which city you are in, permitting could be . . . rough. What is the condition of the existing structure?

Are you planning to live here or is this a flip? If you will live there (or rent it out), then you should also make sure to have a reputable inspector check out the foundation & you should retrofit if needed/the existing foundation is in a condition that will allow for it. If your foundation will not allow for retrofitting, then an expensive foundation replacement should probably be in your future.

[doclub]

I'm currently bidding out to contractors for a complete gut job renovation in Oakland of a new kitchen, 3 bathrooms, and new laundry closet. Also includes new plumbing and electrical throughout. Contractor bid I've gotten is around $230,000-250,000. This does not include kitchen cabinets, tiles, countertops, bathroom fixtures/vanities, etc. I estimate these costs will be about $110k-150k. The architect says this bid from a contractor is significantly lower than she would expect to see from other contractors she has worked with, for whatever that's worth. It's only one data point but hope that helps.

[Ultrarunner]

One of my co-workers faced similar... the more he thought about it the more it made sense to find what he wanted and sell his home of 12 years.

I know of homes that have had several expensive remodels over 30 or so years...

On a smaller scale... I bought from the original owner of my 1922 Craftsman in Oakland... the couple never had children and the home was all 1922.... the widow had let a lot go due to health and being all alone and late in years.

All of my friends were looking forward to the big demo party with dumpsters waiting to be filled...

Being on a budget I went room by room, cleaned, restored, refinished and painted... the out of pocket was almost nothing... but it did take the the better part of a year working when I had time.

The original matchstick hardwood came out perfect... the trim and built-ins look stunning, the bathroom with original tub, toilet, sink, tile, etc and the kitchen with high legged stove and original tile all were a trip back in time...

Lovingly redid the hardware and put in new sash cords in the double hung windows...

When it came time to sell... my 1922 home set a new price for the neighborhood and some of my neighbors were surprised... especially the one next door that had spent a small fortune 22 years ago and last year for new kitchen, baths, windows, pergo floors... etc.

Don't get me wrong... I have done a fair share of down to the studs remodels with no regrets... but this home just had too much potential to waste everything.