Am I being cheap or am I being robbed?

Question

I need some advice. I own a tudor style home that has a porch with screens. The porch is of course not very wide. It's mostly long. Maybe 8ft wide 12ft long. I'm wanting to enclose the porch so that it can be used as a functional room.  I also have a ramp that was built on the house before I bought it. It's needing minor repairs but the contractor wants to replace and/or redo it with new green wood. He is asking for $2600 in labor cost only and I will buy my own materials. Tell me what you think fellow BPers.   Am I being cheap to question this charge or am I being robbed by this contractor who may be thinking that I'm not too bright and won't check and get other bids.

Max T. · Answer

If the structure is good just keep the posts/footings and replace the decking. You can cut and install the pieces yourself.

Brian Pulaski · Answer

5 hours for one guy to turn an open air porch into a functioning living space? That sounds amazingly optimistic, not to mention he needs permits, they will need to inspect the hvac, electrical, insulation and framing before he closes the room in. Sheetrock taping/compound is days to complete, not done within a 5 hour window alongside the whole rest of the project.

I would be very leary on what this guy plans to actually do.

James Mc Ree · Answer

@Val Jaz

Great advice above re: multiple bids.

Be sure you are clear in what you are agreeing to.  There is a mention of framing, sheetrock, insulation and siding in your posts.  Other posters asked about roofing, HVAC, electric and lighting.  I add flooring, trim, painting, incidental supplies (paint, nails, etc), building permits and inspections.  You might also want to ensure your porch is engineered to hold a structure on top of it.  It is probably fine because you aren't putting much weight on it, but the original home might only have had a slab and not designed to hold an addition.

If this is a labor only deal, is it per-hour or complete job?  10 Hours of labor seems very light to me for the full scope of work I listed above.  $260/Hr is a ridiculous rate if it really is a 10 hour job.  Be sure to agree on what happens if more labor is needed.  I prefer a complete job quote when the work is well understood.  This project seems clear if you can clearly state the scope.

Consider also what happens if supplies are unavailable.  Suppose the contractor says you need X sqft of sheetrock and it turns out you need 2X.  Do you have to run for it?  Does Contractor buy it?  Are you paying Contractor an idle labor rate if he can't work because of a supply shortage?

What kind of warranty is Contractor providing?  Be sure to protect yourself from the "The problem happened because you bought inferior materials." situation.  Ask Contractor to specify the materials, quantities and brands if you are doing the buying to avoid this vulnerability.  This will also help protect against insufficient materials risk and you may be able to pin the expense on the Contractor if it exceeds a certain amount.

Good luck!

Collette Pridgen · Answer

you should most definitely get multiple bids and if you don't trust someone, don't do business with them. the prices for this type of reno could vary even by city or county in Texas so don't ask strangers from other states what it should cost, ask different contractors in your specific area, that's the only way you'll know for sure. and then hire someone you trust and won't have to question whether they think of you as "not too bright." No person you hire should ever make you feel that way.

what about roofing, lighting and heating/cooling? I hope you are also factoring those into your new bonus room. and make sure they are getting the proper permits and closing them out afterwards so you don't have problems if/when you try to sell your home down the line.

Bart H. · Answer

IF you are enclosing it, you will also need to run electric for lighting and plugs every 6 feet.  Then add ventilation for heating and AC.

Rachel H. · Answer

@Val Jaz I'd get other estimates just to have a better idea of costs for the project. Good luck!!

Val J. · Answer

@Max Tanenbaum thanks for the suggestion and your vote of confidence in my diy skills. But , I know my limits. And, I'm EXTREMELY limited with all things diy which is why I seek the help of others. The guy told me it would take about 5 hours one day to do the porch and 5 the next to redo the ramp. I calculated this to be about $260 @ hour. Which IMO is somewhat steep. I'm having the windows replaced (over 2 days) at this same place and it's way more labor intensive than framing a porch to make a room. I'm in Texas and I don't believe new construction houses in this neighborhood (low B, C) is costing this much. And don't forget the $2600 was labor only!

Val J. · Answer

@Wayne Brooks. It would require the contractor to frame the porch with 2x4s, add insulation and siding to the exterior.  It's just a small porch that is has aluminum screens and I'm wanting to enclose it so that it can  function as a small bedroom or office. The porch's floor is concrete and so is one of the walls. So the contractor would really just be framing 3 of the 4 walls with sheetrock and insulation.

Am I being cheap or am I being robbed?

Most Popular Reply