Damn contractors!

[Northeast Rod Run]

I'm going to a meeting tomorrow morning at the office of the guy who's drawing up the plans. The builder is also going to be there.

They want to hammer out some things, between the two of them, that they don't totally agree on right now. We are all friends and I'm sure I'm not going to understand half the stuff they discuss, but I'm probably just going to end up playing moderator between them both. LOL!!

[Northeast Rod Run]

I actually have a set of plans being drawn up, eventhough they aren't required by the city

You guys are all bringing up possible issues (though very rare around here for residential stuff), but none of those apply to me yet, because I can't even get a callback nevermind quoting issues.

It is also a very nice and established neighborhood that I live in

[Track Junky]

So the city does not require you to submit a set of plans for approval on an addition?
Are you sure your not on Fantasy Island?

Sorry, that was to easy. Good luck!!

[Northeast Rod Run]

Originally Posted by Track Junky

So the city does not require you to submit a set of plans for approval on an addition?
Are you sure your not on Fantasy Island?

Sorry, that was to easy. Good luck!!

You don't have to submit a formal set of plans. You can just work off pretty much a sketch.

The thing is if you do that, they are much more strict with their approvals, so most people will overbuild, but many people still do it that way. When you do have plans though, the city is much more forgiving because the designer's stamp is on it, so all the responsibility falls on him instead of the city.

Yuo can even pull your own building permit without having a contractor

[Track Junky]

That goes for pretty much anywhere. Most agencies require 3 sets at a certain size plus one extra elevation page.

Once you open up the wall on the existing structure your going to have to place a beam with a post on each end. Beam and post size will have to be calculated. In addition, the load has now transferred to each end of the beam which means a new footing on each side. Another thing is that once you have opened up that wall it has lost it's shear value and an engineer is going to have to figure out what hardware and material to use to regain it's shear value.

My recommendation, get something drawn up and engineered then make your phone calls. You are wasting peoples time when you dont have a set of plans. Gas and time cost money.

[Northeast Rod Run]

Got my estimate by email today and I am very happy with it. I guess it's good to have friends that are willing to pass their discounts on to you.

I should be talking to the contractor by week's end, just to work out the fine details. I'm hoping I can at least start the foundation work by early summer, but in reality I will be happy even if it takes all year to get it done. Just don't want my '69 to spend another winter inside a tent

The biggest thing now, is just figuring out how to pay for it

[Northeast Rod Run]

Looks like I'll be breaking ground sometime soon after Memorial Day weekend.

I will be getting the foundation and floor poured at that time, and then the rest of the project will probably go a little slower due to me trying to pay cash for the whole thing.

When the project gets going, I'll most likely start another thread with a better title than this one

[waynieZ]

Great news! I'll be watching for your build thread.

[dug]

Once you do find a someone who seems "good" try getting a lawyer to draft up a contract for you that way you can save yourself from getting screwed. Or at least you know you did your best to save yourself. There are ways of holding retention, progress payments etc. that you can hold some money until things are right.