We are nearing completion on a one story addition (family room, guest suite) and near full house remodel. We had a rough bid early in the game from a contractor that in the end was right in the ballpark of what we have spent (not with him of course!). My strongest advice to you is to work with a good architect and have full, complete and detailed plans drawn up. You can then get accurate bids and construction will go smoothly. I realized quickly that starting with the contractor was the wrong order of things as every one said up front, do you have plans drawn up yet. Short story, don't wing something this big, you have no idea how detailed and complicated the process can get and you don't want any ambiguity in the middle of construction.

Thank you for your advice. That's one thing that I did not take into consideration. The design aspects. We don't have any plans drawn up yet. What do you think about the contractors that have a design team? I will definitely change the order of this process and start with a designer/architect. I appreciate the info.....you may have saved me from a disaster!!!

I think it's best to have an independent architect who also monitors the construction. He or she can be your best friend if you have disagreements with your contractor, which you will. Ask around for recommendations for an architect first; the GC comes later in the game.

$300k sounds high for what you proposed, but depending on the details (level of finish, grade of fixtures, etc.) could be about right. Once you have good drawings you can get several bids and compare and contrast. Pay close attention to what the GC proposes, such as the type of sheathing used, building wrap, roofing materials, construction methods, etc. The cheapest bid is usually not the best, and your architect can help determine what is the best overall bid.

The devil is in the details.

I tried to find a design/build firm early on and was unable to find anyone I liked or trusted. The people I met with were divided between i) high-end design build with a team of architects/designers/GCs. Way too expensive and all leaned toward new construction and modern design, not appropriate for a few hundred K remodel. ii) GC's that had a designer and/or architect friend or colleague who they fed work and bundled their fees together. In this case we were stuck with their guy early in the game and the cost was comparable to hiring and independent architect.

We actually hired our GC on strong recommendation from our architect and their good working relationship worked mostly to our advantage. They were able to quickly work through small structural issues that arose without our even knowing about it. It could have been a real pain otherwise.

Before talking with an architect or Design/Build firm you need to sit down and do some thinking about what you want, and your budget. The budget is critical, and should be a number that is somewhat less than the maximum you can swing. Remodel projects ALWAYS go over budget, so be careful.

Next, think about the things you want to achieve. You've said family room and master suite, 1,000 sq. ft. -- but what else? These can be fairly general, but you need to give the architect something to work with. Some examples might be: Do you want built-in bookshelves or entertainment centers? Do you want a quiet nook somewhere for reading or studying? Fireplaces? Views to the garden? A seamless addition that looks like it was always there, or do you want to depart from the style of the rest of the house? What type of master bath? Those sorts of things. Then think about things or features that you definitely don't want. Make a list of all of them and have them in hand when you meet with a prospective architect.

You can also go through some design magazines and mark or tear out photos of things (like plumbing and light fixtures, hardware, etc.) you like or would want, and things you don't like. Showing your architect examples of your likes and dislikes will aid him or her in specifying details. The more you can specify yourself, though, the less time your architect will have to spend on this time consuming process -- so get on the internet and download the spec sheets for the things you've chosen like plumbing and electrical fixtures.

Architects typically bill by the hour, so anything you can do to speed the design process along will save you money.

Selecting an architect can be a daunting task. You definitely want one that you feel at ease with. Designing a home or an addition is a partnership between the architect and the homeowner, but ultimately, you're going to live there, so it has to feel right to you. You'll be far more likely to get something that really pleases you if the architect you work with is simpatico with you and your lifestyle.

If you have friends who have worked with an architect, ask if they would recommend him or her, and get a name. You can also consult the membership listing for your local chapter of the AIA. Many of the architects listed will have a website with photos -- which might help you in finding an architect who designs projects similar to what you have in mind.

Once you have detailed plans, then it's time to talk with contractors. Your architect will probably be able to assit you in lining up prospective contractors to bid or estimate your project.

Good luck. With the right people, building or remodeling a house can be a very enjoyable endeavor.

James

Hi sandiegonative,

It's a small world! We're in Mira Mesa too. Over by Sandburg elementary. We've started looking at a remodel too.
So far our architect (a friend who is doing us a favor) has checked with one GC just to get a general feel for the cost of the project. He and we were shocked at the $250 per sqft cost. We were thinking it would be about $175-200. We are going to check with some other GCs soon.

Good luck!

Remodeling in CA is more expensive then many other parts of the world - earthquake codes and high labor costs. I think $250 sound great (as a N CA person)

Since you're remodeling in California, be sure that the remodel is non-carcinogenic. :)

Remodeling has been known to cause cancer in California...

Michael

I'd recommend that you find an architect who has recent experience in YOUR county. Remodeling in the county of San Francisco, for instance, requires your architect or contractor to be familiar with the neighborhood design review boards, a total nightmare for the uninitiated.

I've also seen many people get into trouble using young architects who have great design skills, enthusiasm and lower prices, but aren't really grounded in the intricacies of building codes and expense-saving ideas. I'm not saying that all younger architects are bad, just that you want someone who possesses not only vision and imagination, but the experience to tell you where things may go wrong.

Good luck! Believe it or not, this is the fun part. Remodeling is a true manic-depressive experience for the temporarily insane....(grin)

We are in SoCal near LA at the beach. We are in the home stretch of a remodel that was so total we have had to move out for months. Get recommendations before you hire an architect, they can be charming but arrogant and not practical. We knew what we wanted and were glad we didn't let the architect get extra money supervising. He made mistakes in the plans and probably would have blamed them on somebody else.
Our building department had a list of recommended architectxs and we picked one from there. Be really sure you understand how much he will charge for the plans and how available he is if there are problems during construction.
Spend time carefully deciding what you want--and decide early on where go wood floors, windows, plumbing;electrical outlets; thats not stuff you necessarily should leave to the architect. Only 30% of plans they design actually get built so they don't always knock themselves out with the details.
When the place is being built, don't be shy. If something looks crappy--speak up right away. If there is no supervisor on the job; workers will often do things the easy way and not the correct way. Its your house. Don't assume that an architect knows the best way to hang a door for instance. Few architects have hands on building experience. A good building contractor though should be somebody who is on the job every day and knows how to do the different jobs, and can correct the workmen or answer questions. Good luck, we think it was worth it. My husband was the GC and he did a wonderful job. We even had workers in today (mem. day)doing some indoor tiling in the laundry room.

I live in Del Mar and have recently finished a 300 sq. foot addition that gutted and expanded the existing master bathroom, raised the ceilings in the master bedroom, added an additional seven feet to two bedrooms, and built a new full guest bath. The original bid came in at $87,000, but I ugraded a number of things along the way (at cost), so we went a bit over budget (isn't that always the case?).

I went with a design/build contractor (although many of the details of the design were rehashed here with forum friends and through ideas I had gotten through designers and other contractor's ideas).

I've heard that having an architect significantly increases the budget, as architects tend to design for the aesthetics rather than the practical, whereas contractors are in a better position to know the most cost effective ways of attacking the problem (and if you get one with good design sense, as mine had), you're set.

arielitas_mom,
Do you mind sharing who you went with for design/build?
Did you happen to talk with Lars Construction?

Thanks.

No - I went with a single contractor who has a small crew (anywhere from 1 to 3 guys -- all family members -- that have been working with him for decades). They do the framing, roofing, plumbing, etc. He subcontracts out the electricity and the tile work, granite, etc. He's tough to get a hold of until he's ready to take on your project (once he starts a project, he is totally there for you). These days, he's been working quite a bit up in San Marcos. I doubt he'll want to travel too far. I had literally been after him for two years until he was ready to take on my project (he had done the remodel/addition for the PO's of my house, so I knew he was good - and definitely worth waiting for).

I also got bids from Charco and Marokkal - both were stratospheric. There was onother design/build, but I forgot who they were -- they were also pretty high. I never contacted Lars, though.

There was, however, one other design/build single contractor who came highly recommended who also gave me a competitive bid. I don't have his number with me, but if you shoot me an email, I can give you his name and contact info (as well as my contractor's).

I had also spoken with Janks Construction, and they seemed quite good as well, but I don't know anyone that used them.