Quoting from contractors in Queens New York rehab project

[Matthew Barbaccia]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working on a rehab project involving a 6 bed 5 bath two family home in Flushing, New York. I've worked on several smaller projects in the past but this is by far the largest rehab I've done. The home is in need of some minor cosmetic rehab work, but there are some potential areas of the home that may need more substantial work. 

I've had several contractors quote me for the job, their estimates ranging from $211K to $500K and in between. My concern is that the contractors may have a different vision for what I am looking to accomplish with this rehab. I plan to rent out the property and would ideally like it fixed up to serve that need, not for my own personal use. My question is, how do I determine the right step forward? Should I meet with an architect to go over my plans and then bring those to a contractor rather than having the contractor make those decisions?

-Matt

[Bin Chen]

So the question is what are you trying to do? If you're just remodeling and not changing the structure of the house you don't need an architect. You usually would only hire an architect if you're planning to file some changes with the DOB. What is "some potential areas of the home that may need more substantial work" are you talking about foundation work, lead paint or asbestos remediation, water service issue? Your approach will be very different depending on what you actually need done.

As for the contractors, you can just let them know you're planning to rent the apartments out so you're looking for rental grade work. Also if you have the time, its better for you to just ask for a quote for labor and you handle the materials. The price range is huge because the contractors might not be clear on the level of finish as well as materials. You can be looking at 2$ porcelain tiles or 10$ Spanish tiles. If you want high end finishes vs decent finish the contractor will have to take more time to complete the job which adds to the price. Its important for you or whoever you're working with to walk the job with the contractors and tell them exactly what you want and what you're expecting.

211k does not sound like minor cosmetic repair 500k sounds more like you're trying to rebuild the place lol