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Home Repair Remodeling Design Dilemma

Small but complicated project. Not sure who to hire.

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Hi!

Basically I'm looking for someone who can do the following:

A. Split a large closet that is located between two bedrooms into two small closets. This means creating an opening from one bedroom (where there is currently a wall) + installing a closet door there AND building a wall in the large close to effectively split it in two.

B. I have a very wide entrance into the bedroom with no door. I need someone who can close up the gap by extending the wall about 32 inches, and then install a door with frame. This project might be tricky because the outside of the entry way is a little lower than what would accommodate a standard 80 inch door height, so may need someone who can also raise the entry.

C. A part of my hallway has a 8 inch gap in it, and I'd like to add some walls and closet door to turn it into a closet.

All this requires some demolition, building wall frames, installing door frames, and putting up drywall. The work isn't so elaborate that it constitutes a "remodel" or major renovation, but it does require a few specialties. It's somewhere in between general "handy man" and full fledged "contractor".

Any idea what type of profession I should be looking for? Is it possible a really good "handy man" could handle this or do I have to go with a full fledged contractor for renovating, even if the job overall is not that big?

Thanks!

Comments (4)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
IMO most of that could be done by any good handyman there is nothing really complicated about what you want I do not understand the 8" gap thing but the rest is pretty straight forward .IMO a doorway to abedroom does not need to be the whole 80" height so what are the rest of the doors that you see when you see this new door. IMO we need pictures of some of what you are asking.I am curious as to why the one bedroom has no closet ?
strategery
2 years ago
You need a General Contractor, or an equivalent outfit which does renos.
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It sounds like you do need an architect to come out and see if the project is feasible. My architect charges by the hour - $100/hour in Chicago. And here in Chicago too, you need to have an architect submit plans to the city for just about everything. I've tried looking at building code and couldn't figure out some pretty basic stuff, and the electrical plans on my architect's drawings are even more incomprehensible to me, so I feel like money spent bringing in an expert is money well spent. Your time in valuable too. I think you should look at it this way: Even if the architect charges you for the initial consult (not sure if they will, it's worth sending an email to a couple of firms you find online and asking them), is it worth $200 to you to find out once and for all if this project is a possibility?
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I just recently did. I used to use eLance occasionally, and this was my first time using Upwork. It was a pain to get my identity verified and bank account confirmed b/c my business is incorporated. This may not be an issue for you, but they may ask for you to send in some kind of scan of your ID and bank account statements to confirm that you are who you say you are (which I never had to do w/ elance). I don't know if they do this w/ everyone or my account got triggered somehow because of the corporation issue. At any rate, this problem left my Upwork account in limbo and suspended for several days. I do have to say, the customer support was pretty responsive and worked with me to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
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Based on the OP's description of the scope "...remodeling my home + adding a 2k addition" it sounds like a job for an experienced, licensed, and insured remodeling contractor with a proven track record executing similar projects. If it adds value for them, hiring an owner's representative to perform periodic inspections makes sense. However, I don't think inspection of the details of the vast majority of this project falls within the scope of interior design nor the training and competencies of an interior designer. I submit the OP will be best served by hiring a licensed professional engineer or architect for that purpose. At the risk of hijacking this thread, a word of caution for interior designers, draftspersons, handymen, and the like. Review the contractor laws in your state before hiring an unlicensed contractor to "PM" a project you're not capable of or licensed to execute on your own. While homeowners can do that here in Virginia, it would be illegal for an interior designer to hire an unlicensed contractor and pass those costs on to the owner since that's essentially contracting without a license.
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 years ago
You need someone capable of determining whether the walls are structural or not. Not handyman territory.
Jennifer Hogan
2 years ago
I usually hire the guys who work for the local builders to do jobs like this. They work in the construction trades and have good knowledge, but won't charge near as much as it will cost you if you hire a construction/reno company to do the work.

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