Remodel/ Restoration Project

HANDM

Howdy,
I was wondering how best to tell a homeowner that their project is going to cost 75,000+ without freaking them out.....
Project involves new roof; one layer of comp, one layer of thick shingles to tear off. 9/12 pich, three dormers, re-sheet and install presidential seamless roof ( full hip roof by the way )
New siding; Remove aluminum siding/ soffit over cedar lap siding over bead board over ship lap, remove all standing and running trim, install new standing/ running trim, install hardee plank, caulk and paint in two colors

Before siding I will have to do a TON of rot repair and address any structural issues including trying to repair an ancient addition built on god knows what and front stairs built with white wood and covered with slate and lots of potential leaks

And not to mention at least 200' of fence to enclose the yard

House is at least 90 years old if not older as it is one of the original structures built in Mukilteo, Washington and is victorian/ craftsman style with corbels all around the eaves

I am not sure if 75k is even enough considering the age and condition of the house. The homeowner said that her husband has a budget in mind and expects to go over it, which is, to say the least, encouraging.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm not new to remodeling, I just haven't had a house this old before and could use some advice from those of you who do restorations/ remodels on ancient homes

genecarp

first off, give the price with confidence, if you think its alot of money, they will also. you are giving them a fair price and they are fortunate to have you interesed in there job. additionally for this type of job i cant emphasize enough; NOTE IN YOUR CONTRACT, unforseen conditions will be charged additionally

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DavidC

I agree. If you think the price is too much they will agree, maybe hire someone even more expensive but more confident.

Recheck your quote. If you a sure that you covered materials adequately, have enough allowed to pay the labor with your burden, provide a living wage for yourself and a profit for your company than it is what it is. This is what it cost to hire your company. Anything less and your going to come up short somewhere.

From your description I most likely would have shown them a similar job out of one of my project cost guides and been able to explain that theirs would probably cost more because of all the expected rot issues. Let's you know if you are in the same park before putting too much effort in the estimate.

Good Luck
Dave

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www.CookContractingLLC.com

neolitic

It might help if you did a little
more research on the style,
age, construction, and architecture
of their home.
If you are as vague on these details
when discussing the work with
the HO's as you were here
it might not inspire confidence in
your abilities or your interest in
taking care of their "baby."

Knowing age of the house and
construction techniques of the
time period will save you a lot
of headaches and "surprises"
as well.

(Craftsman and Victorian are
completely different beasts)

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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

Jason Whipple

I always try to break the job down in parts when I present pricing for large job like this. Like a good steak, you never swallow it whole.

Introduce each part of the job with explanation of whats involved and then the price. After you go over everything part by part, let them ask what the total amount is. When that big final number comes out they will be educated as to how much is involved and although they may have some sticker shock at first, it will have been cut in to pieces for them and easier to swallow.

Also, consider the pre finished Hardie material. It will save you time and money (a lot).

__________________
Jason E Whipple, General Manager
Historic House Restoration, Cincinnati, Ohio
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send_it_all

I write up a very detailed proposal that goes over everything I intend to do to the house, including protection of existing surfaces/areas and clean up/disposal of debris. It adds a lot of professionalism and therefor confidence. I'll try to post a pic or link to my blank proposal.

send_it_all

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Attached Files

John Doe.doc (184.0 KB, 79 views)

72chevy4x4

when I bid on a job with multiple aspects, I bid them individually: siding this much, roof that much and windows that much more. In the bidding phase, I provide options, so siding could be $10000 for the standard grade w/ standard trim materials for $20,000 for premium siding and trim materials.

If you're just throwing out $75,000, you're shooting yourself in the foot-break it into pieces and the HO will have options. I've found with options, HO's are more likley to choose the premium over the standard materials.

Word to the wise: include an addendum for significant rot or termite damage. I just ripped out a 17' garage door header (non-bearing) eaten away w/ rot and active termites...not fun!

HANDM

Thanks for the replies,
Upon reasearching the house, It is 107 years old and remodeled/ updated in 1952.

When I said the house is craftsman/ vactorian i meant that the previous HO did a facade remodel ( terribly I might add ) in a craftsman style and the rest of the house is vic. sorry for the confusion. After working out the estimate, broken down into phases, the price is actually more in the 90-95k range. The house has major rot/ insect damage as well as needing a complete examination of all things structural.
The HO also wants some structural changes made, the back room for instance (built as part of the remodel in the 50's) has walls that were not built to the same height as existing so the roof actually starts under the original overhang and looks like absolute crap. The HO wants to enclose the rear porch to create more kitchen space for a future kitchen remodel.
I'll keep you updated, and if I land this fish I will surely post pics so you can see the project and progress