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September 25, 2007
Renovation timeframe estimate
I know a contractor can give me better information, but before we start talking to contractors, we're just trying to get a high level sense of some things, such as how long a renovation would take.
We are looking to:
- put in new hardwood floors
- put in a new kitchen
- put a new staircase in
How long (very roughly) would something like that take? How many months? We are estimating 2-3 months from when permits are in hand but is this too short?
Comments
that's a good estimate.
Posted by: guest at September 25, 2007 11:51 PM
I would say 3 months is possible. However, If you have to get it done in that amount of time, put it in the contract with a financial penalty if the contrator doesn't meet the established time frame. If they take the job, that should put a fire under them to get the job done on time.
Posted by: Rick at September 26, 2007 7:54 AM
Thank you both!
That's a great suggestion about the financial penalty for timeframe. Can you put clauses in with financial penalties if their price estimates are not met also?
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 8:32 AM
I think both comments are very wise, however as a contractor...sometimes problems do arise. EX. Termites in the existing staircase, or staircase frame. Should the contractor be held at fault for that problem? Of course not, but to fix this issue correctly it would certainly cause a change order and a time extension. When discussing these projects lets think about both sides. I wish you guys the very best. **Also the project that you described above shouldnt take anymore thime than two months. Make sure your contractors come into your home and work!! Dont be afraid to push them to get excatly what you want. If you would like free advice contact me, KWright at thewrighthelp.com Take care
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 9:01 AM
Thank you KWright- I definitely appreciate the input and your advice, being a contractor, is invaluable.
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 9:53 AM
I would say three months is possible, but there are always unforeseen surprises. We had custom cabinets in our kitchen from a small shop (bad idea!) that were delivered two months late. This was no fault of the contractor--we'd selected the shop. And because the cabinets were late, the countertops couldn't be templated and cut...you get the idea.
Posted by: tinarina at September 26, 2007 10:25 AM
Add two to three months to your estimate. There will invariably be delays. The penalty idea sounds great, but it is difficult to enforce as you will certainly be met with resistance and hostility from your contractor. In addition, a contract cannot be one sided. If there is apenalty for finishing late, there must similarly be a reward for finishing early. No one will finish on a day specified.
Most contractors will stay away from these types of contracts on such small jobs. Only large scale projects work in this manner. Also realize that mechanics liens will follow if you do not pay your contractor. You will then have to litigate or arbitrate.
I have to say from experience that it's usually a 50/50 proposition that delays are caused by the owner as well as the contractor. Owners tend to cause them by making changes; not having all of the finishes or materials selected in time and from other extranious issues such as family/personal matters. All said, good luck with your project.
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 10:28 AM
In my experience time-delay penalties are a bad idea.
• a substantial penalty is a good case for litigation
• most contractors I know won't sign such a contract
• a lawyer friend suggested to me such contracts are unenforceable
If an architect is involved, they won't like time-delay penalties either, because it give the contractor a potential person to blame for delays and another name for litigation. This was my experience once with a city job.
Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at September 26, 2007 1:33 PM
I think the kitchen could be the biggest risk of delay. Kitchen cabinets are often late, that's very common. Also it's not uncommon to have pieces missing or wrong once cabinets arrive. But you might luck out. We did. I heard all the horror stories but our cabinets arrived exactly to the day they said they'd arrive, and the order was correct. (They were Medallion cabinets, if you're curious - I heard Plain & Fancy take a long long time so I passed on those).
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 1:57 PM
In my opinion, it's better to give the contractor incentive to finish early, not penalize them for finishing late. We did this on a project and they finished a week early and received a $2,500 bonus. Everyone was happy and all parties still speak to each other; Architect, Contractor, Owner.
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 3:10 PM
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