Any So-Cal General Contractors on the Forum?

Jim Bremner · 08-07-2011, 01:35 PM

I know that Milt does work. Can anyone give me a good thumbnail on cost per sq foot for a single story remodel in 90703?

We have a two story home and with Joanna having MS it's getting time that we move to a single story or remodel our home down to a single story.

Jim

look 171 · 08-07-2011, 04:19 PM

Jim,

There is no real formula for a remodel. We do lots of custom work, Price per sq' goes out the window. There are lots gotchas in the process. Tell me a little about the place and I will try to help you with some numbers. Judging from the Cerritos zip the houses should not be too old. That just may be a cosmetic renovation. A few questions for you:

How old's the place?
Electrical work? ( you will need some if you are doing a remodel to the whole house)
Plumbing?
I assume a new kitchen and baths (Custom or store purchase). Door ways may have to widen to allow wheel chair access?
Window updates?
Flooring? (wood flooring should run anywhere from $7.50-10.00 per sq')

When you finally get the contractor to come out to bid for the remodel, make sure you tell him about as much detail as possible. Lots of time spend in the details. Be specific or have a pricing for items such as fixtures and cabinets. Do not allow him to include the fixtures and cabinets in there. You don't want to get into a situation where he feels he bid the job on a $60 faucet and you were expecting a $400 one. You except Campy, but I give you low end Shimano. You don't need that headache.

Jeff

rnln · 08-07-2011, 11:51 PM

is there a chance Jim said remodel but he meant rebuild?

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

If your choices are convert a 2-story to a single level or move, I think moving would be a better choice. Not sure I've ever seen a top story removed, and the amount of sq ft you lost would sink the resale value.

If you don't want to move, could you install a lift of some sort?

Zeke · 08-08-2011, 03:36 PM

By remodel down to a single story I can't imagine what the concept is. There sure are a lot of devices to aid travel between floors. But I would buy a house with all the necessary rooms on the 1st floor before I would spend loads of money.

Extensive remodel costs far outstrip new construction costs. I haven't seen anything done for under $150 sq ft for a long time. Last real custom kitchen and master bedroom suite extension and total overhaul of the existing kitchen and master bath ran close to $1000 per sq ft. That included everything but the completion party.

stomachmonkey · 08-08-2011, 04:26 PM

Sounds like downstairs is all common space, living room, dining, kitchen, powder room and upstairs is bedrooms and full bath/s which need to be easier to access either by converting downstairs or making upstairs more accessible?

Jim Bremner · 08-08-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Sounds like downstairs is all common space, living room, dining, kitchen, powder room and upstairs is bedrooms and full bath/s which need to be easier to access either by converting downstairs or making upstairs more accessible?

This is the deal. and no decent place for an elavator. I have a nice house with a large lot for soCal. I'll most likely move. I have an appointment to look at a place that's 200 sq foot smaller but the killer is the loss of 1/3 of the land. I have a yard big enough to have a pool and a party with 70 people with out it being crowded. the place I'm looking at later this week will not fit 30 people after I take out the pool.

HarryD · 08-08-2011, 09:43 PM

jim,

Sorry about your lady.

If you have the yard space you can give up, maybe a first floor addition (Bedroom/full bath) and a remodel of the downstairs for better accessibility may make more sense in you case in terms of cost and value.

Jim Bremner · 08-08-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryD

jim,

Sorry about your lady.

If you have the yard space you can give up, maybe a first floor addition (Bedroom/full bath) and a remodel of the downstairs for better accessibility may make more sense in you case in terms of cost and value.

Yes, this is true, however how would you feel if others in the house had access to the other points that you can't get to?

slodave · slodave's Garage

How about one of those chair thingies that are attached to the stairway and go up and down?

Stair Lifts made by ThyssenKrupp Access

Looks like full wheelchair lifts too...
http://www.tkaccess.com/wheelchair-lifts/wheelchairLifts_supra.aspx

look 171 · 08-08-2011, 09:55 PM

Just to give you an idea, We are currently working on a kitchen 9'x26' long with custom cabinets, an eating area at one end of the kitchen and a laundry area that's covered up by a pair of doors. New wooden windows through out the kitchen. That ran a little over $63,000. The Master Bath has a separate 5'x3' shower and a big soaking tub with matching cabinets throughout the kitchen and the rest of the house. The number for the bath is around $34,000. It has muti shower heads, body jets and trick plumbing. If it does not involve intense details and custom work, expensive fixtures, people should be able to do it for a lot less money. Add on paint and flooring you should have 75% of the work done.

Jeff

HarryD · 08-08-2011, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

Yes, this is true, however how would you feel if others in the house had access to the other points that you can't get to?

Hi Jim:

I hear you and this is a decision that only you can make.

For me, I do not think it would bother me if I lost access to parts of my home as opposed to moving. Being able to stay in the place that is my home outweighs the loss of access to parts. To me, moving to a new place is much more uprooting.

Besides, except for sleeping, bathing, and occasional bathroom use, most of my current time in my house is spent on the lower floor of my two story house.

If I needed to live solely downstairs, I would not begrudge my family a place of retreat and comfort since they did provide me with what I needed as well.

As far as remodel costs, I do not have good dollar numbers but when we do remodels aat the military base where I work the sf costs are highest for bathrooms (alot of stuff in a very small space), followed by kitchens (lots of stuff in a slightly larger space) and then other general living spaces (bedrooms, offices, common rooms etc).

Zeke · 05:40 PM

Slodave hit a home run with the stair lifts.

I wouldn't buy an house with a pool only to pay to have it taken out. You could always have Wayne come over and build a deck over it.

Wayne's Crazy Deck-Inside-Pool Project...
Wayne's Crazy Deck Project - DONE!!!