Here is what I obtained from our village website. They only provided "tips". I have included my comments to some items. More detail would have been helpful: Tips on Home Remodeling Getting Started The Village of xxxx allows homeowners to act as contractor for their own home remodeling projects. It must be noted, however, that a permit is required for all projects in which an addition or alteration will be done at the property. (comments: I can understand additions, difficult to define "alteration" e.g. cabinets replacement, carpet replacement with hardwood flooring, or replacing existing vanity and tub, or replacing existing fluorescent light with regular light.. etcare these "alteration"? or alteration of the structure of the home?.. this is a grey area dont understand this.. this can be interpreted different ways unless there is a definite definition for this) Additionally, projects that require the alteration of the roofline of the existing structure must have drawings sealed by a (STATE) licensed architect or structural engineer. Lastly, check the covenants for your subdivision before proceeding with any work; individual subdivision covenants may have special requirements and restrictions. Obtaining a Permit Although many people consider obtaining a permit to be a burden, it does have a critical role in any construction project. Having a permit entitles each homeowner: · Provides inspectors to answer questions. · Offers some security from contractor fraud. (some security? What does this mean? With permit contractor fraud did happen. With "zero" security from the village) · Allows inspectors an opportunity to verify that the contractor is working in a professional manner.(does this mean that the inspectors verify the quality of work and also the behavior of the contractors? Define what does it mean by "verify that the contractor is working in a professional manner" again.. this can be interpreted differently by inspectors according to their likeness unless there is a definite definition) Tips on Hiring a Contractor · Insist on a written contract. Obtain a written contract and make sure you understand the terms. Include a time frame for the completion of the project, but do not rush. Include terms of a payment plan and agree as to who will handle additional unforeseen expenses. · Make secure payments. It is not unusual for a contractor to require some money up front before construction starts. Make certain, however, that payments do not get ahead of work that has been completed. Never pay the full cost of the job up front. If a contractor insists on full payment up front, look for a different person. · Conduct interviews with potential contractors. Remember the contractor is working for you. Be certain that you are comfortable working with this person. Additionally, talk with friends and neighbors: people who have had experiences with contractors (good or bad) are always willing to share their knowledge. · Check with the Better Business Bureau. Checking with the Better Business Bureau will give you an opportunity to assess a potential contractors work history. · Verify the handling of inspections. Come to an agreement as to who will handle the permit and inspection process. If the contractor is scheduling the inspections, ask for copies of the results and keep them with the permit. · Make sure the contractor has insurance. Without insurance you may be liable if a worker is hurt in your home. The Village of XX does have an ordinance requiring all contractors working within the village to be licensed and bonded. · Ask for at least 3 references. Make sure that the sources had work done that was similar to your proposed project. · Get at least 3 bids. Check material pricing with that of your local building supply store to see if the price quoted is fair. · Establish a reasonable timeframe. If the contractor states the project will take 8 weeks, do not insist on 6 weeks; doing so might affect the quality of work. Revised

I hope this thread's not too old to add to. I did some investigating today. I've only seen soapstone a few times but have read every thread on here. I visited Designer Surfaces and Grantops in Frederick today. Very interesting! Designer Surfaces had Green Mountain Original on display and gave me a quick quote based on a very rough drawing. I was told they had very little stock but were expecting more very soon. At Grantops, I was shown a few slabs outside that were very green, and flakey /crumbly. It seemed quartz-like to me, with white crystals mixed in? (I am not a geologist!) I was assured that is was soapstone, but it looked extremely different than the display and sample I saw at Designer Surfaces. It was marked (I think) "Savon Pierre" on the side. A google search shows that this may be Canadian, and good for carving? Very strange! I made a quick stop at Home Depot tonight as my son wanted some duct tape. I walked thru the kitchen area and noticed that they are selling this exact same soapstone (same name too). I asked the store associate ( a very, very young man) about it and he told me it was real soapstone, but you couldn't put it in a kitchen because it was extremely porous. He said it was great for bathroom vanities. Bizarre, don't you think? I also called Carapace last week and they said they only had "the green kind that nobody wants". Maybe he too was referring to this "Savon Pierre"?

Joseph Corlett: I find it sad to say but many of the tech kids make a whole lot more than that and lots even have incentive stock options that can be worth tens of millions. I would say in general that it is impossible to live in the Bay Area "comfortably" (from Marin to San Francisco, east to Contra Costa and Alameda, and south to San Mateo and Santa Clara counties). Any further than that is really pushing a commute - and home prices reflect that. Also it seems that the building in the north and south bay has pretty much come to a standstill, also San Francisco, and I am not sure of the east bay (too much traffic for me to go there any time). My definition of "comfortable" would be $150K family household income minimum, more like $250K. When I moved here it was a lot less, but the Bay Area had not grown like it is now and turned into a tech nightmare. The people of lesser income all have to commute a great distance, etc. - and this is a serious problem. If there are any Bay area GC's here - please chime in as to how your employees can afford to live here? Not easily I assume - especially in the last 10 years. Why would they want to? So we have all these people who get jobs in all these tech companies and they cannot find a place to live. Most houses under $1M go into bidding wars, and probably $2M in the south bay. Many of these houses are sold needing work - and they all will need work eventually. When you are in multiple bid situations, there is very little pressure to fix things up to sell. The Realtors even tell you that. I am in Marin and have not seen much new construction in 10-15 years. That means all the houses are growing older - more broken- yet harder to buy. When we recently sold our "old" house in Marin - many of the offers came from people with very long commutes who were trying to shorten them (like presently living in Santa Rosa and commuting to San Mateo). You could tell from the offers that they had reasonable incomes and cash to work with but even that was not enough if they wanted to have kids (lots of Millennials). Most houses were sold with work to be done. The average age of a house in Marin must be from the 80's and the south bay from the 60's. Who is around to do this work. I have hear of people (kids of friends of ours) - waiting a year or more to get any work done. And they really needed it. Contractors to fix and remodel these homes are not easy to find. Good GC's are even harder to find. The contracting world becomes so blurred that you cannot tell the good from the bad. Places like "Homeadvisor.com" and Angies List" commonly suggest people (GC's and trade license) that are not really licensed. The Realtors tend to throw their "regular go to" people at you so you will be more eager to buy a house with a potential roof problem, etc. Many Realtor referrals are nightmares. Basically, unless a property is seriously overpriced or has many bad problems - people will grab them up. Even now it is likely a 2 month wait to get an experienced painter to do work. So the unlicensed people come in, generally are accidents waiting to happen, and people will hire them - not even asking to see a license, etc. The CSLB cannot enforce this - and are likely underfunded. California has too many laws on the books and it spreads state money pretty thin given our income tax rate is one of the highest in the country.

Thanks @Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design ! Kitchen: we actually want the kitchen centrally located to have a line of sight throughout all the rooms. We're not an 'open concept' family and want some seperation since we have a big family and we're intending on growing it further. With so many people sometimes you just need some more private space. But we're trying to keep things open with larger doorways. Trying to find a good medium. We are incorporating an eat-in area just parallel to the island, like you mentioned. Zone: It's a mudroom/pantry area. And the chair in that space is actually our thought at having a flex room for the littles. Something separate from the living space. A place toddlers can play while bigger kids do homework else where. Office: I know it seems an odd location but we need a small office that can be locked for business reasons. We're hoping the ample french doors lighting the kitchen and the end of the living room would provide enough light. But that's a very good factor to consider. I do love natural light. Where would you suggest putting a very small office space that can be locked? Desk: Good point. Upstairs: my husband doesn't think the nursery needs its own private bath. I'm on the fence. I'm considering making one ensuite bath a hall accessible one so it makes it easier. Thanks for all that great feedback!