If you are going to be your own general contractor...
just_janni
7 years ago
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Be Your Own Contractor?
Comments (4)We have done this in four houses and it turned out fine. We are lucky to have a carpenter who knows alot about the other work, but prefers not to be the GC, but is around to help troubleshoot. You sound like a good candidate. The main issue you might run into is finding subs that will take you seriously because you're not in the business. You just have to be upfront, ask lots of questions and let them know there is plenty of work down the road if this one works out. I would start with a small project to get your feet wet, keep files, get every estimate and contract in writing, etc. Act like its a business, because it is. Also take out permits, as you'll then have the inspectors on your side too....See MoreIs it dumb to be my own general contractor?
Comments (21)Kitchen remodels can cost from 10-15K for a budget refreshment of your old kitchen while keeping much of the old elements. Some people would think that a tiny budget, as they spend more than that on their range. A midgrade remodel is 30-50K, and that's not including anything beyond replacement of existing elements and minor plumbing and electrical. For some, that could be a cabinet budget, or it could be their whole kitchen, family room, and dining room remodel, with them doing all of the work themselves. A upper end remodel can start at 50K and the sky's the limit if luxury appliances and designer cabinets are involved. In NY or SF, 50K wouldn't be an upper end anything, because of labor costs. You need to develop a budget based on your location, your home's value, and your needs and wants. If you are planning a Le Cornue range and SubZero fridge with Home Depot stock off the shelf thermofoil cabinets in a working class neighborhood of starter homes, then you know you're picking choices that are out of whack with your environment.It would be the same if you lived in a DC suburb where senators and embassy personnel lived and you were planning a kitchen with a $300 Magic Chef range and a GE top freezer. What you're planning has to fit you and your neighborhood. You also need a nice contingency fund of between 10-30% of your total kitchen budget. A budget is a movable object, but it only moves upward. You start out saying you want to spend 30K only to find out that your electrical service is too small to handle the demands of a modern kitchen. You just added 5K to the budget, on top of the 3K electrical estimate you already had. It's the same with plumbing and other hidden elements, such as improper support in a load bearing wall. No one ever comes in under budget on the essential trades. It's very dangerous going into a remodel without enough money to complete it. You're thinking pretty cabinets and countertops, and your home is thinking that the 50 year old plumbing is about to need replaced. If you don't have a good sized contingency fund, you may end up with your home being uninhabitable and living at your mothers for 6 months while you save up more money to deal with the issues that cropped up. I know someone that this actually happened to. She thought she could do a whole kitchen on 15K, but without any DIY skills and a champagne taste. Reality wasn't her strong suit. Taking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room turned into a plumbing replacement and foundation repairs, and she didn't have enough money for even those issues. She couldn't live in the house with no usable plumbing, so she moved to her mom's while the foundation work was being completed. She still hasn't done her kitchen. Too many other home needs have cropped up in the meantime including the replacement of her HVAC system. She did paint her old cabinets, and that made a big difference, but it's not the kitchen she dreamed of having. Map out your plans carefully, and learn some DIY skills if you want to stretch your budget. But NEVER start a project without the exact knowledge of where the funding is coming from to complete it....See MoreWho installs makeup air? General contractor? HVAC contractor?
Comments (4)I agree, talk to a good HVAC contractor. Finding the good ones is the key point. I'd question if what you are asking for makes sense for your house (how new and how tightly, or not. is your home sealed). Do you want unheated/unconditioned air coming directly into your kitchen, do you want to stand under that supply of air when it is 32 degrees outside? Qualifier: I'm not familiar with Fantech products. What is used in newer, well sealed homes are devices knows as HRV or ERV (Heat Recovery Ventilators or Energy Recovery Ventilators). What these devices do is get any heat from air being exhausted from the structure (cooking, bathroom exhaust, clothes dryer exhausts, etc.), and exchange the heat to add it to air coming into the structure (some do exchange of moisture along with heat). In some areas, northern and colder climates and Canada, these devices are required by code. If your structure is older and enough makeup air comes in through door and windows seals, mail slots, screen doors, garage entrances, dryer and bathroom exhausts when not in use, etc., etc. then you don't want this arrangement. A good HVAC contractor will have someone on staff who understands all this stuff and can tell you what options make sense for your house....See More10 Tests for You And Your Contractor’s First Meeting
Comments (90)FYI...this thread is linked in the "Other Items of Interest" topic in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread. So, there shouldn't be a need to bump this thread up to the top and knock someone else's request for help today off the first page....See Moregthigpen
7 years agojust_janni
7 years agojust_janni
7 years agogalore2112
7 years agocpartist
7 years agojust_janni
7 years ago
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