Critique my Rehab SOW

[Ross K.]

First, sorry for the long post! I have my first rehab project under contract and having just finished up the @JScott books on this topic, I've used his strategy as a starting point. I've built the below SOW and would appreciate your comments. Thank you!!!

Exterior

Gutters/Soffit/Fascia

- Clean Gutters

- Repair damaged columns on porch

- Remove decorative wood work above columns

- Remove Shutters

Siding

- Remove and replace damaged siding to match existing

Exterior Paint

- Prep all exterior areas for paint

- Paint entire exterior (except brick), all siding, trim, and doors in 3 color paint scheme

Interior

Demo

- Removal of damaged sheetrock and insulation

- Removal of all light fixtures, fans

- Removal of all tile in kitchen

- Removal of existing countertops

- Removal of sinks/countertops and faucets (from both sink and tub) in both bathrooms

- Removal of existing toilets

- Removal of tile surrounding both bathtubs

- **Dumpster to be provided by homeowner

Sheetrock

- Patch sheetrock on walls and ceiling, including garage

- Sheetrock over skylights

- Remove all popcorn texture on ceiling

- Texture to match walls and ceiling

Paint

- Prep and paint all walls and ceilings

- Prep and paint all trim and doors

Electrical

- Install 4 recessed can lights with white trim in kitchen, cover fan block

- Install 5 fans in living room, dining room, and 3 bedrooms (**fans provided by homeowner)

- Install light fixtures in entry, hallway, bathrooms, closets (**provided by homeowner)

Plumbing

- Connect and install sink and bathtub faucets in each bathroom (4 total)

- **Faucets to be provided by homeowner

- Tile 2 bathtub surrounds, to include appropriate backing material

- **Tile to be provided by homeowner

Flooring

- Install tile in kitchen and 2 bathrooms

- Install laminate/vinyl wood plank flooring everywhere else

- **Tile and laminate provided by homeowner

Cabinetry/Countertops

- Repair and Refinish existing kitchen and bath cabinets

- Install new hardware provided by homeowner

- Install 2 new white cultured marble sinks in bathroom

- Install new laminate countertops in kitchen

Air Conditioning

-Inspect and perform maintenance on interior unit

-Install new exterior unit (suggest size in estimate)

Insulation

-Install new batt insulation above kitchen where skylights were

-Replace any exposed, water damaged insulation

**All Labor and Materials to be provided by contractor, unless otherwise noted

[J Scott]

This looks great and if every project had an SOW at least this detailed, there would be a lot fewer investor/contractor issues.

To address Keith's point above, what I'd do is to add some very rough estimates around a couple things. For example, where you say, "Remove and replace damaged siding..." I'd modify it slightly to, "Remove and replace approximately 100-150 square feet of damaged siding..."

By adding a rough estimate for the amount, the contractor can look at the siding and either say, "Yup, I know exactly which siding he's talking about," or he could say, "It looks more like 600 square feet that needs to be replaced to me...I should probably clarify with him." Likewise with the sheetrock.

For the A/C compressor, maybe add a bit more detail: "Install new exterior unit of the same size (tonnage) as the existing unit and using a builder-grade manufacturer/model." That narrows down your request a bit, but still gives the contractor some leeway to work with the brands he typically carries. And just a note that if you need to replace the coil (the inside part of the A/C that sits with the furnace and works in conjunction with the exterior unit), the price will be considerably more than if you just need the exterior unit (probably $600-1000 more).

For the bathtub faucets, you'll need to decide/determine if you're just replacing the "trim kit," which is the handles and showerhead or if you're replacing the "diverter" as well, which is the piece that sits inside the wall. If the existing faucet is a popular brand, you can probably buy a new trim kit using the existing diverter, but if the existing brand is less common, you may need to replace the entire mechanism. There will be considerably more expense for that, as the contractor will need to open up the walls and play with the plumbing.

One last note -- I've had varying degrees of success refinishing cabinets. Really good painters can make them look fantastic, though a typical painter won't do a good enough job that I'd be happy with it. So, if there's any doubt, ask to see some pictures of the contractor's previous work refinishing cabinets.