At what point do you need an architect in a remodel

[Ryan G.]

Hi all,

Here is where I’m at. I am in my 10 day due diligence period and am weighing out all my possible exit strategies and how that effects what i will do to the house. I have a few questions I would love some help on:

Home is in Tucson AZ

1. Do you know any good general contractors in the area?

2. At what point in a rehab do I need to bring in an architect? And is it as expensive as I assume it is?

3. The house is using old electrical, is it worth it to invest upfront and put in an updated box or just repair it and let it ride?

4. There is an additional unit on the house: what are some key things to look for to see if it is worth turning into a duplex vs SFR?

Thanks all

[Bobby Hosmer]

Hi @Ryan G.

Congrats on being under contract! Regarding your questions:

1. I do not have a list for you, but a property manager or realtor in the Tucson area might be able to connect you to some contractors if you aren’t able to find one online. Use the team you’ve already built/have around you to see if they have personal recommendations.

2. It depends on the extent of your remodel. In my experience, I’ve had an opportunity to use an architect for an extensive remodel, but decided to not go that route because, yes, they are expensive. Most times, architects and their designs help a ton when it comes to the permit process with the city of Tucson. If the city tells you that your project won’t need a permit, you might be comfortable skipping the step of finding an architect. And even if the project does require a structural permit, the city of Tucson still might tell you what you need. Even to the point where you can just use designs done by a GC. Again it just depends on the remodel.

3. Without knowing the electrical situation, and just that’s “it’s old”, my first instinct would be to do “an electrical inspection”, which will be more in depth than the General house inspection. Local electric companies can do one for you for a couple hundred. If you don’t want to spend the coin on this type of inspection, I would just accept the up front cost, and find a local licensed electrician to upgrade the panel (check wiring and outlets) for you. Old electric panels and wiring can cause fires, and that’s no bueno. On a property I purchased last year, the wiring and panel were both pretty bad. Before the end of the inspection period, I was able to negotiate a “closing credit” from the seller to upgrade the panel. So the cost to me was only the additional electrical inspection!

4. Size of additional unit? Is it plumbed? Does it have a/c? Is it separately metered? If yes to those questions and it’s a decent size, that’s a big win to your monthly cashflow. If not, it’s not the end of the world, however, it’s an opportunity to be mindful on how you’ll use that unit to increase your operating income. Can you plumb it? Can you add a mini-split to add a/c and make the conditions livable for a renter? Do you want to spend money for permitting and a/c to add extra income. To me, it’s calculating costs up front to get an roi in the future.

Hope this helps!

Bobby