Detached Garage Conversion Austin TX

[Timmy Fritz]

Getting the process started for converting my garage into finished space on my house hack I bought in November, and I'm looking for recommendations from the BP community for a contractor. Especially someone who has experience in working with the city on pulling permits, since I've been warned by everyone about their reputation. Already have the financing lined up, so its ready to be started as soon as I find a contractor. The project would be in the East Riverside area.

I've had a few guys come out to look at it, but it was like pulling teeth to get a quote back from any of them. Took a few weeks, and seems like a precursor to how they would work on the project. The 1 quote I got back was $98k for the 770sqft conversion. I understand I'm kinda at the mercy of the market here in Austin with how much demand there is for contractors, and seemingly all the good ones are booked. There's also a small 2nd story 1bed 1 bath apartment above the 3 car garage, so it's already been sub-metered and has easy access to electric and plumbing. And I am aware the max you can build is 1100sqft, and I have done all the background work to make sure I have the zoning, meet all the FAR requirements, impervious cover, etc.

Any recommendations on the project in general

For anyone who's done a project like this:

What is the timeline I should expect for getting all of the necessary permits before we're even able to start construction?

Thanks, always appreciate all the feedback from everyone on BP!