.ESTIMATES AND YOUR BUDGET

     When I am doing an estimate, I can do it in several ways: 

     I can figure it up based on exact specifications and exact plans: this method is good because the only variable is the labor and overhead cost from company to company.  However it does require those exact plans and specifications. Every item in the project must be named exactly and must be available at the time the project is done. 

     I can figure it out based on what I want to do and how I want it to look: this method is only good if you want what I want.

     I can figure it out based on a budget:  this method is good because I can offer the customer choices based on that budget.  For instance I can do away with the marble tile on the floors and suggest a better product that will bring the job more within the budget.  I can also suggest a lower priced option to help bring the cost down below the budget.

     Additions and remodels can vary greatly in cost. From an open patio cover to a fully equipped kitchen or bathroom, costs range from $50.00 to $500.00 or more per square foot. 

     Budget plays a big part in many projects.  For this reason, I get with a customer first and work out a ballpark price on the job.  When I am going over the project like this, if I get the budget from the customer, I can give them a bid that fits into that budget.  If I am told a budget that cannot be met, I can advise the person to increase their budget or change the scope of work.

     I base my estimates on my cost, “hard-cost” and what it takes to produce the desired remodel or addition.  Once I have the hard cost, I add my cost to operate my business, office space, transport, office payroll, etc., commonly referred to as “overhead”.  Then I add in “profit” to that and have a price I can do the project for.  There is nothing else I am asking for when I give you a bid, so your budget is what I then turn around into a done and completed project for you.

   Have something you wanted estimated? Call me at (818) 548-8760 for your free quote.

Why is Remodel Job Sequence Important?   

When you do a remodel or addition project on your house, it is important to figure out the whole thing before you start. There are certain steps to doing a project.

1. You first need a Design which my include samples, drawings and pictures.

2. Then you need Plans: “Blueprints”.

3. At that point you can get an accurate estimate as to what the project will cost from a builder.

4. At this point the sequence can be worked out, and this is a necessary step before starting the project.

I ran into what would be a good example of why you need to set up the sequence or “critical path” before you start the project.

The customer had some drawings that showed adding a back patio cover to their house.

In order to build the cover, a wall had to first be built.

In order to add the cover the electrical had to be moved.

An addition had to be built since the electric supply had to be attached to the back of the addition that was not yet built.

The customer wanted to later close off some door openings and remodel the bathroom.

It may have been necessary to add more electrical in order to do all of the above.

However, the whole project was not designed, planned and laid out in a sequence and no one had looked at how each step of the project would impact other steps of the project.

The sequence must be worked out as soon as the whole project is defined.

Need help on your remodeling plans? Call me at (818) 613-5632 - Randy

Looking to do a Granny Flat Conversion?

  If you are choosing between converting your garage to a Granny Flat versus adding a room addition, the first thing to determine is to call me or the city to see if the city requires that you have a garage. Most cities require that you have a garage that handles enough cars based on your home’s square footage. If you have a two car garage, and it is required that you have a garage or covered parking, you might have to add a covered parking space or a garage.
   The next thing to determine is if you can add as much square footage as you want because some cities have a limit on how much square footage you can have. There is a setback requirement (how far your addition must be from the property line) and there may be a limit if your addition is adding a second story.
   Converting a room could be cheaper because you already have a slab and walls, but the cost would go up if you need to add a garage.
   You have to ensure the garage is up to where it is suppose to be, meaning you sometimes have to take a few steps back in order to go forward. To bring it up to current code, you may need to strengthen the foundation, pour a thicker slab or modify the tie ins (where walls join to the slab). Strengthening the foundation is also important when adding a second story or converting an attic to a living space with a bath.
   It is probably easier to go with an addition than a remodel, though not necessarily less expensive, because the only unknown can be handled by having the soil tested for how compact the dirt is. There are many unknowns for a conversion. How thick is the concrete slab? Is the framing up to code so it will sustain earthquakes, etc. or do you need to add support framing? Will the city decide that your garage slab is only one inch thick with no foundation around the edges and will they require you tear it down and rebuild it whether you do the conversion or not? Like opening a can of worms.
   In a room addition, you can put all the electric and plumbing right where you want it. Whereas with a room conversion, you have to break into the slab and run plumbing. If your garage has drywall walls, you’d have to break into them to run electrical, and you may need to increase your electrical service by adding a subpanel.
   Once you are past the foundation, framing, electrical and plumbing stage, the finish is very much the same for either an addition or a room conversion.
   All in all, it is pretty much a wash as far as the cost between the two. Whichever you decide to do, call us. We can refer an architect or do a bid on your plans. We look forward to doing the job. Give me a call at (818) 548-8760 for a free consolation and estimate.

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Replacing a Deck That is a Roof

     Sometimes you have a roof that you can access easily and you either want to go out onto it, put lawn chairs on it, set up a ping pong table or anything you may think of as something to do on a deck.

      The finish on the deck can be wood, concrete, rubber pads, ceramic til, or whatever you want.

     The first thing you must ensure is that the support and sub-floor are adequate to utilize the roof as a deck.

     The next thing to do is to put down a proper deck coating that will last. A proper deck coating means that there is a process of waterproofing that must happen. This process is 5 to 7 steps of waterproof layers and coatings. To compare this, a normal roofing would be 2 or 3 steps or layers.

     Before starting this process, you need to ensure that all of the support structure is complete, such as any support you may want if you are going to have a hot tub on the deck.

     During the process of putting down the layers, it is important to seal anything that sticks up out of the roof. If you are going to need handrails, then posts for them must be in before starting the process.

     Now the waterproofing process can be done.

     If you are going to do a tile deck, the process has to be taken to a point where the deck coating is ready to lay tile onto it. If you are going to do a wooden deck, any support lumber that is needed under the wooden deck must be installed along with the process so that it is sealed in and will not leak.

     Get the idea, whatever “finish” you want on the deck, that “finish” is not the waterproofing. (The waterproofing is the deck coating process.)

     When setting up the deck or laying out the access to the deck, keep in mind that any door onto the deck must be a minimum of 2 foot 8 inches wide. Any stairs onto or off of the deck must be must be a minimum of 36 inches wide.

Good Decking,

Randy

BBQing This Summer? Some Handy Tips and More . . .

It's Summer and Barbecuing is a typical past time in the Los Angeles area. Make sure you keep safety precautions in, especially with young children around. Let them help, but don’t leave them unattended around the grill. Wishing You Success and a Great Meal! Randy

Is Your Home Ready for a Large Earthquake?

Earthquakes are not predictable. Southern California (recent minor shaker), Chile (recent 6.2) and Japan (recent 6.1) were recently struck by major seismic activity. Southern California is prone to such disasters and scientists say we are overdue for another big one. Is your home ready for it?

Give us a call today for your free evaluation on how your home would stand up during a major earthquake. Get your free initial estimate and consultation on what it will take to fix it up and ready. (818) 548-8760

Visit my web site at www.newcastleremodeling.com

Do The Addition (No, We’re Not Talking Math)

An addition to any home is something that lasts for many years. A well-thought out and planned addition enhances any home, adds to the equity and gives you needed space, comfort and livability. 

 Some of the many reasons for adding living space to your home are:  1) A growing family needs an additional bedroom or bathroom. 2) You’re staring a business and need a home office. 3) Surprise your spouse with a new kitchen. 4) Or go and add a new gym or recreation room (some people are even adding basketball courts and in-door shooting ranges!)

 In planning out your new addition project, keep in mind that the construction of this new found space is not only safe, but also meets all building codes, and is also estimated to fit your budget. 

 There are two ways to go with an addition – horizontal additions and vertical additions. Having the space and required clearances on your property, a horizontal addition to your home will greatly increase its overall comfort level and usability. 

 A vertical addition is somewhat more tricky, but works well when you have limited space on your property to go outward. Usually these additions require new footings and foundations to support the new space. Having a small piece of land, you may be limited to adding an upstairs guestroom, bedroom or bathroom. 

 Another option on a vertical addition is to go downward. Building a basement that could encompass anything from a bed/bath combination to a new recreation room or even something much more extensive – an in-home theatre, indoor putting green or whatever you might have in mind is always an option that can be looked at and estimated.

 Should your budget not allow for an expensive addition, you may want to look at adding an enclosed porch or sunroom to your home. This works well as they are good all year round and require little in terms of extended air conditioning and heating (often a substantial increase in many addition projects).

 Give my office a call today and we’ll schedule you for a free estimate to build a new addition or do any other major remodeling work on your home. 

Call (818) 548-8760 for your free estimate.

What is Involed in Doing a Remodel

What does it cost to do an addition or remodel? 

This is a question I get asked a lot.  It is not as easy one to answer as it may seem. 

If you are doing an addition that is on flat land, is to be on the first story, is on a concrete slab, can be accessed from an existing hallway and has no plumbing but is just an added room with no closet or walls inside, then you have something that costs the least to build.

EXTRAS

NOT ON FLAT LAND

The addition is on a property that has any slope to it, even a small slope.

The addition is on a property that has more slope to it.

The addition is on a property that is on a hillside that requires piles.

The addition is on a property that is on a hillside that requires us to go deeper with the support piles.

NOT ON THE FIRST STORY

Is a second story addition.

Is a third story addition.

The first story and foundation are not designed to support a second story

Does the city allow you to build a second story.

NOT ON A CONCRETE SLAB

How much dirt do we have to remove to be able to put the addition on a wood structure.

What is the water table and how does that effect the wood structure.

What sort of access is required to under the addition.

NOT ACCESSIBLE FROM AN EXISTING HALLWAY

Do we have to remodel some other room so we can access the addition without going through some other room.

Does the addition include remodeling ½ of the house in order for the flow of people to work.

NOT JUST A BEDROOM OR OFFICE

Is it a bathroom with marble and granite walls and flooring and shower and glass showers.

Is it a kitchen with tiled countertops and backslashes and stoves and ovens and bread garages.

Is it a wine cellar.

Does it have a wet bar.

Do you want a sunken tub.

NOT JUST A SQUARE ROOM BUT HAS CLOSET

Does it have angled walls

Is there closets and hutches and built in cabinets

OTHER ITEMS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Is an electrical upgrade needed.

Is a plumbing upgrade needed.

Are you going to do an Economy, Standard or Deluxe type addition.

Are we having to move existing support walls or add new ones.

The list can go on and on but the thing to realize is there is no real answer to the “How Much” question without first having all of this information.  I can tell you that it can range from $100 to $400 or more a square foot to do an addition.  BUT, the only way you are going to get an exact price to do a remodel is to have an exact design and to figure out how to make the design become a reality by having an architect and engineer work do up plans and get those plans into the city dept of building and safety to be approved.  At that point we can look over the project and work up a price.

The sequence is

DESIGN - have an exact design

ARCHITECTURAL - figure out how to make the design become a reality

ENGINEERING - figure out how to make the design become a reality

PLANS THROUGH CITY BUILDING PLAN CHECK - to be approved

PULL PERMITS - to get these based on the approved plans

BUILD - to be a good idea now that all the other work has been done

  Got Plans? Call me at (818) 548-8760 for that free estimate

Do Any Retaining Walls Have Stress Damage Including Bulging, Cracks of Leaks of Water, Dirt or Mud?

Here we are talking about walls that retain or support dirt; there is going to be
dirt that the wall is holding from moving. These walls sometimes retain the front
yard, sometimes it just retains dirt so it does not come into a walkway. If the
retaining walls are not built properly, they move, the dirt pushes them, you can
take a look at them and see that they have been moving. There are cracks, there is
bulging, or there is dirt coming through them. If so, it probably needs to be torn
down and rebuilt. If they were not done properly in the first place you cannot
repair them.

Call me at (818) 548-8760 to get me to check out your walls or any other outdoor
structures and get you a free estimate on fixin' it. - Randy

Do More Than Spring Clean . . . Remodel!

With Spring here do more than just cleaning. Get a home remodel and/or addition done. Call (818)548-8760 for that free estimate today! - Randy

A Man's Home is His Castle

I not only remodel we do additions and can built you a house from the ground up.  I also don’t limit it to just castles but can also do…

abodes, accommodations, addresses, bungalows, cabins, caves, chateaus, citadels, cribs, cubbyholes, digs, domiciles, dumps, dwellings, establishments, flats, forts, garrisons, habitats, hangouts, haunts, hideouts, homes, houses, huts, joints, lodgings, manors, mansions, nests, pads, palaces, quarters, residences, resorts, roosts, shanties, shelters, strongholds, towers and of course villas.

I have been in construction for over 30 years…

 Since I was 19 years old I have been doing construction and I have been a licensed general contractor since 1995. 

 I started in 1977, I learned the trade doing it from the ground up for 18 years, my first job in construction was digging trenches for the foundations of houses, then doing miscellaneous jobs, then into construction trades (framing, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting and many more) up till 1990 when I became "Randy the Handyman" for 5 years. then became a Licensed Contractor, in Glendale, California in 1995.  For the next 18 years, 1995 to 2013, I have built up a pool of sub-contractors to do most anything.  I now specialize in residential remodels, additions and houses from the ground up. 

Got something? Call me - (818) 548-8760 or visit my web at

www.newcastleremodeling.com

 I know what it takes to get a job done and can spot when things are being done correctly or incorrectly. 

 I would like to have the opportunity to do a project for you, construction is what I do.

CA Lic 978915

What Holds Up The Roof?

    Until anti-gravity technology becomes widely in use, the way the beams and studs are engineered is what holds up the roof. The roof is pressing down on the plywood which is pressing down on the rafters. The ends of the rafters are pressing down on the horizontal framing of the walls which presses down on the vertical studs. All this rests on the horizontal foundation boards, supported by concrete and, below that, compacted dirt or bedrock. It is a remarkable feat of physics with its balances and equilibrium.
    The load bearing beams supporting the roof can become dry rotted or termite damaged. If so, they would need to be replaced by supporting the roof, removing them and installing new wood.
    On a recent addition, the customer wanted the open look of beams far apart. In order to do this it is necessary to have an engineer do “load calculations” and a design that will properly support the roof and properly hold the structure together.
    In a different room addition we did, which was not perfect square – more like a wide piece of pie, we had to work with tricky angles. This required additional supports and metal straps and wood pieces to tie everything together. This meant more cuts of the wood, more screws, more straps, more bolts, etc.
    It all boils down to getting an architect, explaining what you want, deciding on your budget and what can be done within that budget. If you don’t have an architect, call us for a referral – (818) 548-8760.