Is this way too much for a simple building expansion?

[RichTJ99]

Hi,

I live in NY - about 40 minutes outside of NYC. I am looking to expand my existing office/apartment. I work in my office & I am going to make the existing apartment a place for my mother when she comes up from florida.

I have building permits, zoning permits etc. We are adding 14 feet onto the building to make the current 3 car garage a 4 car garage with an elevator (a lift actually) so she can park & go right up to her apartment without dealing with stairs - not many stairs in florida.

The price for the lift is about $20,000 which I am OK with.

I had about 6 contractors bid on the job & I am waiting for a few more bids.

So far I received a bid for $405K, $336K, $225k, and I am waiting on the rest. When the Architech & I originally spoke he thought it would be around $150+- depending on the price of the lift.

While I am not a DIY guy I have got a number of trades involved for other under the radar projects at my house. I am not anxious to GC the project after reading about a fellow GC'er who had a masonry issue & a wall fell, etc.

Am I on drugs thinking $150-$170K for an additional 14 feet of expansion would be sufficient in terms of pricing?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[NUTTSGT]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

It's somewhat hard to see your attached pictures. Let see if I'm understanding this so far.

You're adding on just a 14" section at ground level but turing it from garage into an apartment ?

 

[CharlestonJoe]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Where is the apartment? On top of the garage?
I'm having a hard time with pics as well.

 

[Mustang51js]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Seems a little high to me. If you know people in the trades you can get separate prices from them. Most of your cost for building is in the concrete. Maybe you are getting bids from guys who don't want the work because of the elevator and they giving you high numbers. I just had a second story framed on my house,3 bedroom one bath, $3500 for the labor to frame,it cost $11500 for lumber and shingles. I am doing the electric,plumbing,heat,Sheetrock,sparkle and finishing myself so saving a lot of money there. You can def do the gc yourself but you just have to plan ahead and get contracts for everything. If your in a rush to have everything done that's when things get messed up. There should be plenty of people looking for work right now,but I would look into separate contractors for each part.

 

[Mustang51js]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Looks like he's adding a garage to the right and adding to the existing building on top of it. Left side is staying the same and right side there will be a kitchen,living room bedroom,bath and sunroom added

 

[D&S ChevelleSS]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

You live in Westchester County what did you expect??????????

 

[CharlestonJoe]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

I can't get the pic clear enough to read when I zoom in.
Looks like the upstairs left side stays the same, his office and such, but the middle area gets re-worked, then the addition on the right.
What's the roof?

 

[deter]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

sadly too many people get burned when they listen to what an architect tells them something will cost. what are the requirements of the lift beyond the 20k? foundation, pit, sump, enclosure, mech room, etc. What does the site look like - is there room to park a truck, trailer, and roll in a concrete truck? What kind of siding and roofing to they have to match up to? FYI, GCs multiply their prices based on their perceived pain-in-the-*** factor of: the job, you, the AHJ, etc.

(can't read your plans)

 

[RichTJ99]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Hi,

I updated the images to make them larger, i hope that helps.

Right now, there is an existing building, with an existing 3 car garage. The bottom is a garage area with an exerciser room. The upstairs is split in half, existing office, existing apartment. I am looking to add on to the right side of the building to add an additional 14 feet out (by 27 feet which is the existing width).

I am looking to continue the existing building an additional 14 feet (to accommodate the garage & additional living space in the new area). I am also looking to relocate walls to make the existing apartment bigger. My office wont change aside from my losing one room.

 

[CharlestonJoe]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Roofing and siding types?

 

[RichTJ99]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

One more photo/drawing

 

[RichTJ99]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

In terms of the roof, I had it done last year (poor planning), my roofer charged me $10K to do the roof on that building & he replaced a bunch of shingles on the siding (barn shingles).

I have two 200 amp services coming into my main house & was quoted $3000 to replace both services (another story) including adding a generator outlet & all needed parts, including permits. In one of the quotes they wanted $16K to replace the service & add some new circuits- I just dont get it.

In terms of the lift, http://www.savaria.com/products/wheelchair-lifts/v-1504-lift/index.php

The pricing on that is well under 20K & it doesnt need anything special because its not technically an elevator. No mechanical room needed & uses just a standard 20 amp breaker.

Yes, I am sure its all a pain in the *** for the GC.

 

[coryfavreau]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Your budget calculation, or the architect's, seem low at 150K unless you find a starving contractor in that area who will then have to beat you up on every item not spec'd in the scope of work. You do have a scope right? so hard to know what info may be assumed by the GC's bid. Apples to apples you know?

If you requested a breakout per trade within the bid you'd be in a better position to gauge what's going on.

My gut tells me you're lowest bid is tight.

 

[kwb]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

You have a fair amount of excavation, which will make for a foundation that has to be a retaining wall. Roof,exterior looks fairly simple if going to match.

You are in a high cost area of the country, $200K+ does not surprise me 300K - getting to the higher end but not completely out of the realm depending on the finishes/details. Figure each guy that comes on site for more than 4hrs in a day costs you ~$500 and things add up pretty quickly.

 

[CharlestonJoe]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

Yes, ask for an itemized estimate. It will break down the estimate and you will see what's costing you. Let the other bidders know you want it itemized, because the other bids vary by almost $200,000. Which you wouldn't expect unless you were up in 7 figures.

 

[volleyball]

Re: Is this way to much for a simple building expansion?

How much finishing is going into this project. You could have $100k in kitchen, bath and living areas.
Are you digging out ledge? That adds cost.
Are you zoned for an apartment? That will affect property value if you do this.

 

[RichTJ99]

So the bids are here:

405k
336k
280k
225k
180k

One guy quoted 10% above labor & material cost but refused to give an estimate on whatever that number might be (strange).

I think I have another two bids going direct to the architect.

All are going over the same specs for the same plans.

Everyone has about $1600-$1800 per day for a rock crusher if needed, everyone has about the same CY cost for removal of the rock/dirt.

I really cant quite figure out the price variation for the same job, same specs.

The 180k is one of the architects regular guys & he said to me this wasnt a big job (which it is not).

The 180k guy has great references. Do you always throw away the highest & lowest bids?

Thanks
Rich

 

[CharlestonJoe]

I wouldn't necessarily throw out the high/low prices. If the low guy does a lot of work with the architect, then he is worth checking out. Has he done similar projects? Maybe get some addresses and do some drive by's and look at his other projects, without pestering homeowner unless you get the ok. The high guy either doesn't want the job, or maybe is just greedy.

 

[volleyball]

How fussy are you? What quality would you be ok with. With that in mind, go see some projects by the cheap guy. Ask the Architect what jobs he did and see if you can see those. Maybe your guy already has before and after pics.