Moving Kitchen and Permits
Exactly what kind of permits need to be filed to move a kitchen? We would like to renovate and move the kitchen from the back of the house to the middle. I am considering working with a friend that is an architect but does not have a license. I’m assuming that most expediters have someone…
Exactly what kind of permits need to be filed to move a kitchen? We would like to renovate and move the kitchen from the back of the house to the middle. I am considering working with a friend that is an architect but does not have a license. I’m assuming that most expediters have someone to submit plans like this, any ideas of cost involved? Could the proper permits be filed by an electrician and plumber? Thank you so much for your help.
I’ve commented on this type of request for information before.
Plan filing is not the same as filing for a permit.
The ALT-2 plans would first have to be approved by the DOB. They must be stamped by an authorized architect or engineer. Once approved, a registered contractor would get the construction permit, and the registered electrician and plumber would get their permits. (On my team, we all have our own expediters who we pay to get our permits). Work permits are not the same as approved plans.
Expediters don’t have people who file at the DOB – expediters do the DOB legwork. They are also registered with the DOB to represent authorized filing parties. The parties must be licensed and registered.
Some of my clients successfully work with unlicensed friends and some have their woes.
It would not hurt you at all to reach out to some licensed professionals for their comments.
http://www.bgrnow.com
sounds like a relatively minor project, don’t let the fear tactics dissuade you too much. things can go crazy wrong even if someone is licensed. it’s up to you to consider the nature of your friendship, your friend, and why you want to go this route. there is a risk things will go sour.
Legally, you need a licensed architect or engineer to stamp the drawings, the expeditor (if needed) pushes things through. If your friend is an unlicensed architect, you could get a licensed engineer to stamp the drawings. Perhaps there are some structural elements to your project that they would detail for you. I don’t believe this to be unethical at all, while it may be for one architect to certify the work of another. But it’s not your ethics at stake anyway, it’s theirs.
Some engineers and architects will also do the expediting, which for a project this straight-forward they could probably handle fine if they have experience at the DOB. expeditors are valuable though if you can afford them, but they can’t stamp drawings without being a licensed PE or Architect. Some are.
architects know other architects who know engineers. get your friend to ask around and interview people. getting a good contractor is also important.
all of that said, many many people would do this type of project without a permit. that’s another ball of wax. i had one plumber come to my house because i was redoing the bathroom. i was relocating the fixtures but not adding any. he said he was going to pull a permit, but the type for replacing fixtures in-place. he advised that the risk was very low since no fixtures were being added and you’d have something to stick in your window.
hopefully more people will weigh in. I’ll admit that I’m relatively new to NY so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
i would never file for something like this!
Alt II filing. I do not recommend using an unlicensed person, especally a friend. That is a good way to end up without a friend anymore. There are a number of architects here on the board, give a few of us a call and see who fits.
Jcarch covered that you will be filing an Alt2. In terms of filing cost, there will be about $5-8k in architectural and expediting services depending on who you find. If your friend will be doing the drawings and having a architect review, sign, and perform the required inspections, it could be cheaper but it is hard to find architect that will do that, partly because of the liability. In addition you will need an asbestos inspection which runs about $350-$400 plus the $25 filing fee for that. Then there is the DOB filing fee which is based on the estimated construction cost which will probably be a couple hundred dollars, and then the $45 permit fee.
For construction cost estimates, have a contractor come to see the space and ballpark the cost. He will probably not be able to give you a hard estimate unless there is a solid drawing set with specifications. And definitely be ready for at least 20% in extras, due to unforeseen conditions and whatnot.
The fact that your friend doesn’t know what sort of permits would be needed is a good indicator that there’s probably a number of things…some of them likely critical to the success of your project…that he/she doesn’t know. Does he know when a contractor has a legitimate claim for extra $ or is trying to pad their invoice to cover the $ they lost when tiling took longer than they’d thought? Does she have professional liability insurance in case things go really wrong?
Ask yourself if you’re prepared for things to go badly…to cost 2x as much as you’d planned for, and to take 3x as long. Would that ruin your friendship, or would you accept that that’s the risk you ran by using someone who was going to be getting on the job training?
Just go into this with open eyes and realistic expectations.
BTW, you’ll be filing an Alt2 with the DOB. The plumbing work is filed as part of that filing…the electrical work is filed separately by the electrician.
You may be able to find an architect to file the project for you, even though it’s borderline illegal/unethical. But they’re not just going to charge you for the number of hours (and it’ll be more hours than you think) they’ll be charging you for the liability they’re taking on for signing drawings/docs under questionable circumstances.