Second floor additions? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Edward · 02-06-2006, 07:13 AM

I am in NJ and bidding some add-a-levels.

What is going price for second floor additions with and with out the floor?
I just need to see if I am in the ball Park as I do Mostly new work.

Thanks
Ed

Aceinstaller · 02-06-2006, 07:10 PM

Waaaaaaayyy too broad of a question!

It really shouldn't matter too much what everyone else is doing. Take a look at the job making a material list. consider tearoff expenses(dumpsters etc.). then comes the hard part. evaluating the labor expenses within your team. After computing all of this, add what the profit for this job would be considering the amount of time taken by your company.

There is no sense reducing a bid to everyone elses. people need to learn that they get what they pay for. I'm tired of lowering my prices to some other dorks bid and losing money. After seperating myself from those bad habits, Ive found that clients that tried beating my price up at the start would be calling me to fix what the others failed inspections on and become long lasting clients with referrals, already explaining their horrors of going cheap to your new clients for you.

I realize that you want to see if you can charge more than estimated, but if it works for your company to profit and you are performing quality work. Then you will become very successful.

Joe Carola · 02-06-2006, 08:35 PM

Edward,

Where are you from? I'm from Caldwell.

Edward · 02-07-2006, 10:12 AM

Woodbridge!

Bob Kovacs · 02-07-2006, 10:41 AM

Iselin here. There have been quite a few add-a-levels in my neighborhood recently, and I've heard pricing from $60-70/SF for just a shell to $150-175/SF for complete interior/exterior jobs. Unfortunately, as was already said, there are way too many variables to define a "ballpark" to tell if your in or out of it....

I've seen Woodbridge Builders blow out a 2nd story in three weeks, while some no-name company (no job sign, no names on the truck/van, a bunch of European immigrants running around all weekend) took 3 months to do the same job. Care to guess who's price was higher? There's also another one down the street from me now where they gutted the existing house down to the frame, banged up the 2nd story in 3 days, and now after three weeks of no activity, the shingles just went on and the windows got set- and most of the work seems to be being done on the weekend by Jose and Juan.

You've got to figure out what it takes for YOU to do the job, and forget about what "everyone else" is charging- it doesn't matter. Half of these morons are running around with no license and no insurance, and are one hiccup away from being out of business- they're the last ones you want to be "in the ballpark" with.

Bob

Edward · 02-07-2006, 11:05 AM

That prices is about what I figured.
D.G gave a price to a neighbor of mine $220k on a (1000 s.f. ranch) add-a-level w/some work on first floor.
I know W.B. and D.G use Yoson to frame.
He is expensive but he has 10 guys that know what to do!
He is fast and good I have used him in the past: About 10 years ago.

ED

kenvest · 02-07-2006, 05:18 PM

I've always wondered how the framing/foundation requirements change for the existing structure.....

Bob Kovacs · 02-07-2006, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenvest

I've always wondered how the framing/foundation requirements change for the existing structure.....

Typically, the houses we're talking about all have full basements with 8" block walls, which are fine for a two-story house (pretty much the minimum that's built for anything around here). The existing first floor wall framing usually has 2x10 headers at all openings (whether load-bearing or not), and the room layouts are very simple- so there's plenty of meat there to take the additional loading and not much problem with transfering loads.

I have worked with some homes around here though (usually the newer ones) that require a little more effort to get the framing to handle the additional floor level.

Bob

kenvest · 02-08-2006, 09:16 AM

thanks for the reply!

Edward · 02-08-2006, 10:36 AM

Woodbridge requires you have an engineer certify
the house can support the second floor!

bellerose · 02-10-2006, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Kovacs

Iselin here. There have been quite a few add-a-levels in my neighborhood recently, and I've heard pricing from $60-70/SF for just a shell to $150-175/SF for complete interior/exterior jobs. Unfortunately, as was already said, there are way too many variables to define a "ballpark" to tell if your in or out of it....

I've seen Woodbridge Builders blow out a 2nd story in three weeks, while some no-name company (no job sign, no names on the truck/van, a bunch of European immigrants running around all weekend) took 3 months to do the same job. Care to guess who's price was higher? There's also another one down the street from me now where they gutted the existing house down to the frame, banged up the 2nd story in 3 days, and now after three weeks of no activity, the shingles just went on and the windows got set- and most of the work seems to be being done on the weekend by Jose and Juan.

You've got to figure out what it takes for YOU to do the job, and forget about what "everyone else" is charging- it doesn't matter. Half of these morons are running around with no license and no insurance, and are one hiccup away from being out of business- they're the last ones you want to be "in the ballpark" with.

Bob

Where are the local building inspectors to shut down these illegal immigrant scum ? Where is Homeland Security ? This country is a f..ing JOKE !

Laws on the books nobody cares to enforce. Illegal scum working off the books, never pay taxes, breed their illegal kids, you pay for thei medical.
Then the IRS comes and breaks YOUR balls b/c they want more of you taxes.

This country is a JOKE !