Planning a Remodel

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Parent Q&A

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  • Designer for our first home

    May 28, 2023

    Hi BPN!

    We recently purchased our first home and it needs some work — kitchen needs new countertops, cabinetry and floors, bathrooms need modernizing and new fixtures, we need to do some painting, etc. — and once that’s done we could use some help with furnishing ideas since a bit bigger than our current rental.

    We’d love to find a designer (or similar professional) who has a good eye and can see the potential in places and can project manage these improvements for us — someone who can hire and manage contractors, someone we can trust to make decisions on our behalf as we may not always have time to be very involved, and someone who’s experienced and knows what type of work requires permitting and can advise on larger scale projects we might consider in the future like knocking out a wall between kitchen and dining to create a more open layout, addressing some foundation issues, etc.

    Does this type of service exist? If so can you recommend anyone?

    Thank you thank you,

    Confused First Time Homebuyers

    I highly recommend Jason Urrutia of Urruita Design.  We hired him in the design a classic kitchen for our home and they did a fantastic job,

    within our budget. Knowledge in all areas of exterior and interior design .

    Please give them a call 415) 332-7777 and let them know, Colette referred you.

    Good luck.

  • Hello! We are looking for an architect/contractor for a kitchen and bath remodel and potential addition in our attic, depending on what we can afford…. We are in east oakland near San Leandro. Have a mid century modern house and like modern, clean and simple design. Looking for someone who is not super high end. Thank you!

    If you're looking for a talented and reliable contractor for your home renovation project, I highly recommend Post & Beam. They recently remodeled our mid-century modern home in 2021 here the Berkeley Hills, and we couldn't be happier with the results.

    Paul has an excellent eye for detail and was able to bring our vision to life while staying within our budget. He was always available to answer our questions and address any concerns we had throughout the renovation process. His team was professional, courteous, and always left the job site clean and tidy at the end of the day.

    Overall, we were extremely impressed with Paul's expertise, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a contractor in the Bay Area. If you want your home renovation project to be in good hands, give Paul Warren with Post & Beam a call at 510-812-2032.

    Our architect, Heather Sanders at Shelterwerk could be a good fit. 

    https://shelterwerk.com/

    (510) 595-3836

    Highly recommend Levitch Associates. They're a family business based in Berkeley with the third generation beginning to step up. I have known them personally for 35 years and, since becoming a home and rental property owner 16 years ago, don't even ask anyone else for my renovations and repairs. The eye for detail is extraordinary and they'll go more than the extra mile. They're working on a project right now for me in fact. I was talking to one of their subcontractors (who didn't know of my connection) and he was telling me they have an excellent reputation in the contractor community as well. Happy to talk in more detail.

  • Hi BPN Community,

    We are looking for recommendations for Design/Build Firms, Architects and/or General Contractors for a kitchen and bathroom renovation in our Berkeley home. Our home is small (less than 700 square feet), so making these spaces work more efficiently with smart storage is very important to us. Thanks in advance!

    We recently converted a closet to a full bath, worked with Christine and are very pleased, she also helped us with the design for our kitchen remodel, every time I look at my kitchen I feel very happy. We also have a small house so she was good at quickly identifying what could be done.

    christine [at] clstudioarchitecture.com

  • We desperately need help but we are not sure what type of professional we need. Our challenges are:

    - Lack of or inefficient use of storage space (clutter seems to pile up on every surface and corner. we have boxes of things stacked up and groceries often end up sitting on the floor. 

    - Lack of closet space (we have boxes and hampers of clothes sitting on the floor) Our existing closets, dressers and armoire are full. 

    - lack of space in general but the weird layout and architectural details of the house result in unused space 

    - terrible lighting but we don’t know how to add more light (lamps? What type do we buy and need and where and how do we put them?)

    - finding a space for a dedicated work station away from spouse’s work station

    - wall colors and where and how to hang pictures (what kind of pictures?) It has been several years since we moved and we still haven’t hung up pictures and painted walls because we feel lost and clueless. 

    - a small office and sunroom that are being used as junk room. We want these rooms to be maximized but we don’t know what to do with them. They are small and have a weird layout. 

    - we need new furniture for living room and dining room but we don’t know where to start. All the pieces we have are old, annoying and odd. We want comfortable workhorse furniture that will allow us to lounge, eat and drink and spill things. 
     

    - we don’t know what our style is but we generally don’t like contemporary or mid-century. We’d rather have comfortable and cozy things than pretty and uncomfortable things. 

    - converting the car port to ADU or extra room

    - a second bath would be a dream but if there is no space, I would love to refresh our current bathroom (I hate it so much that I take a 5 minute shower to minimize spending time in the bathroom.)

    - there is no hood over the stove. Lighting in the kitchen is terrible (just one overhead light).

    - windows are old and rotten. Some of them look like they are about to fall out. 
     

    - window coverings without spending $10000 just on window coverings (a designer quoted $12k for shades!) I need help. I tried to do it myself and ended up crying and wasted money when the shades I ordered were all not quite right.  I have no idea what I am doing. 

    We spoke with interior designers and they seemed to focus on looks with terribly expensive things than functional pieces that accommodate a messy family with a kid that likes to eat pizza, ice cream, and popcorn while watching TV and like to dance and wrestle. 

    We spoke with organizers and their first solution is get rid of many things. Yes. We need to get rid of some things but we also need help with storage solutions. 

    Budget… ADU or extra room, we are thinking of budgeting $200-250k. We have the funds to dedicate more if we knew what we need to do but we don’t even know where to begin, what to tackle first and when to plan for next. My spouse and I don’t have a design sense and get overwhelmed very easily when it comes to anything house related. 

    what kind of help do you think we need? Where can we begin to start making this house work for us instead of feeling like we are stuck in this oddly laid out house?
     

    Thank you. 

    Oh I feel you on so many of these challenges around storage, closets, clutter, office space and an extra bathroom.  I am also not a designer/decorator type and got so overwhelmed choosing paint colors that I took several years of living in a blah real estate color before I took the plunge.  The lesson of paint is you can always repaint down the road so just notice what you like and then dive in with a few choices. The one area I can weigh in on is the window coverings.  We did white wooden blinds on all of our windows through Home Depot and it was suprisingly easy and affordable.  They came out and measured everything so I didn't have to worry about messing it up and then a week or so later all the blinds were installed by them.  Easy and closer to $1000-1500 or so for our full house of windows (this was a decade ago though so I'm sure it is a bit more than that). They look nice, have held up really well and it was one easy thing to get the house looking better.  I coupled them with the cheap white cotton curtains from Ikea and they have also held up, can go in the washer and it is a nice clean look which I like.  

    I cannot recommend strongly enough that you start with a professional organizer. If you find yourself overwhelmed at the thought of getting super organized and throwing stuff out, I’d start with therapy too. I say that kindly. Happiness is found thru living a simpler life with less. You don’t want to spend $200k adding space (or even $20k!) until you’ve weeded everything out and really taken stock of what’s necessary to your life. A great organizer can help you think about your family’s needs and will tailor their plan to you. Keep looking until you find the right person. 

    Hi! I love this question. 

    -Window shades - we got these from Costco and are very happy with them. They're simple, elegant and super affordable: https://www.costco.com/bali-custom-window-treatments.html 

    -Light - Contractor-grade light fixtures from Ace or Home Depot are generally bright and affordable. Just buy the fixture and have a handy-person install it. Keep the box to return in case it doesn't work out for any reason. Opt for a fixture with 5000+ lumens, like this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-4-ft-High-Output-5200-L…

    If I didn't have to be a lawyer, I'd help people declutter, organize and design their homes for a living. DM me if you'd like to chat more, I'm happy to help.

    :)

    Sara 

    Hi there!  I would recommend a design build firm for your project, specifically the one we went with for our large remodel project.  We went through a complete gut and remodel in 2020 and without the design build firm we hired, we would have been overwhelmed (and I would have cried) and/or wasted a lot of time and money.  We were also on a budget because the project was so big - we needed new roofing, foundation repair in addition to the inside cosmetic updates so it was so nice that our designer/architect and GC were from the same firm and knew what costs to allocate to what type of work, essentially what to spend and what to save on.  Also, they worked together to determine what interior finishes were smart to spend more on - we wanted reasonably priced functional finishes rather than just pretty but not functional - and still remain within 3% budget error.

    I love our designer's suggestions - we gave him pictures of design interiors we really loved and he gave us 2-3 choices for each of the finishes for each room (kitchen or bathroom cabinets, faucets, lighting, wall color, vanity, etc.) - that way we could choose what we liked but they all would work together to create the aesthetic that we were hoping for without it becoming overwhelming for us but still make it our own.  We also redid the layout of our house and he optimized all the square footage into something SUPER useful (so much more storage!).  Old layout was terrible - now every square foot is wisely used.

    Give Kibum Kim an email - kimkibumstudio [at] gmail.com!  He and his business partner can help you figure out how much your project may cost.  They are not the cheapest but fair market priced, but to us worth every penny!!!

    Feel free to reach out to me if you want to discuss more over the phone - happy to help a fellow remodeler learn from our experience :)

    It seems you have quite a few things that you are trying to achieve and I think you are going to need a few different people to help  you. It's unlikely the person building your ADU will be the right person to select furniture or organize an office.

    I think you need an interior designer/space planner. I worked with Cillesa Ullman at https://cillesa.com/ and she was so helpful. My space ended up being so much more beautidul than i could imagine. She can either manage the project for you or be more of a consultant to help you mange the project yourselves. Good luck! Sonya

    I'd recommend hiring an Architect first. To add an extra room and move around any walls, which may help with flow and maybe increase storage, you will need architectural drawings and plans (even just to get contractor quotes). A good architect will be excellent at re-imagining potential layouts for the space, walk you through options, and provide some education about the architecture of your home and appropriate options for things such as windows and external paint colors. (We almost painted over the Batchelder tiled fireplace in our 1927 home until a visting architect providing a quote told us about it and we did some googling... and then saw a similar tile at Oakland Museum.)  

    In terms of interior aesthetics and furnishings, you do need to provide some direction since it's so personal. I'd recommend starting a Pinterest account, checking out decor magazines and blogs (Elle Decor, This Old House, Apartment Therapy, etc.) and pinning away what you like.  You could also check out stores/catalogues online and pin away what you like (Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, etc.).  

    Overall don't feel bad! ALL houses built pre-1990s are "oddly laid out"-- concepts of space, entertaining, work from home etc. were totally different 100, 60, 50 years ago etc. etc.

    We bought our house 7 years ago, and have done a LOT of work, e.g. 1) Redid the single bathroom 2) Replaced the windows, added window coverings 3a) Remodeled the kitchen, adding in a pantry (life-changing!) and a LOT more lighting 3b) Added a second bathroom / converting the laundry room and and moving the door to the backyard, and removing/adding walls around the previous little dine-in area/sunroom (that was also only used as a junk-room). And other work that required zero design choices, like foundation, electrical, HVAC, water heater, backyard fence, new roof, solar panels... And lots of things that required some design choices (two couches, multiple different dressers/beds accommodating baby-toddler-1st grader). 

    Good luck! And just get started. All old houses are works in progress.

    OMG, I could have written this! We have definitely not solved all these problems, but we have tackled a few. We also had a small office/sunroom area being used for junk, and we turned that into a second bath this year. As part of that project, we also expanded the adjacent closet, so it helped with two challenges (and moving the wall was a relatively low-cost way to make both spaces more workable). It took months despite not being a big project (and months just to get the permits issued!) but was definitely worth it. I like design so did our plans myself, but a good architect is definitely worth it if that's not your jam. It might also be worth investing in an interior designer to help guide you through colors and furniture layout/choices--for both architects and interior designers, keep interviewing until you find one who is a good fit. For furniture, don't be afraid of IKEA if you want pizza-proof furniture; they have some decent inexpensive stuff. We got window shades through Costco and they didn't break the bank. Windows can be done as a one-off project (ditto for a range hood and kitchen lighting) but for both, it's worth thinking about design/layout changes you might make before spending money on those, in case you end up with bigger modifications that will take out a window you just replaced or move a range hood you just hung. 

    I'm the last person to ask for organizing and sorting out clutter--we still struggle with that--but one thing that's helped is figuring out which things need their own places and where those places need to be (e.g., these types of toys, and we want them all in the kids' room; these things that belong to person X and they can be in a longer-term storage area; these things that belong to person Y and they're used weekly so need to be accessible). We still found that we had buckets of things that needed a home but no place to put a home for them, but that at least shone light on the problem. We use vertical storage as much as possible--taller dressers and shelves, etc.--but there are sadly limits to a small house. Good luck!

    If you are considering new blinds after your remodel my suggestion is to contact Don who is the owner of Slats-a company in Alameda which can help you with selection and supply window coverings at a reasonable price. He will go to your house and take measurements for you so that you are not responsible should the new ones not fit properly. I have worked with Don for many years on different projects and the results are always terrific. We recently finished installing pull down, good quality accordion type blinds in a 3 bedroom 2 bath house and the cost was $4200 for 22 windows-including some large ones in the living and dining rooms as well as the kitchen. Once ordered the blinds will be shipped directly to you for self-installation or Don will supply a person to do it for you. He is friendly, knowledgeable and easy to work with. His numbers are: 510-769-7528 and 510-566-3121.

    I think you do want an organizer--one who can help with storage solutions/efficient use of space, AND who can help you get rid of things.  We have been working with Penny from Tips and Sass (https://www.tipsandsass.com/) for most of this year, and we have been surprised and delighted by how much more space we have once we went through our things and got rid of or reorganized them.  She's recommended new uses for odd spaces in our house, she has ideas for how to use the storage space we have, and she can recommend when buying a new dresser or cabinet or tool chest is the best answer.  Sometimes you just need another pair of eyes and hands!  We are much more comfortable in our house now that there is less stuff piled around and places to put things away.  If the ADU is to give yourselves more space, try an organizer first--you might find that your house has more space than you expected (especially since you have two rooms you're using as junk rooms!).  If you don't develop a system, your ADU will end up just as crowded.

    You sound quite overwhelmed with the number of things that are stressing you out about your house.  I hear you and I feel the same way about my house sometimes.  But stressing about the whole list at once will sap your energy.  Focus on one thing at a time--the other things will wait.

    Specific thoughts:

    • Window treatments are just surprisingly expensive!!  I think there are services (Smith and Noble?  Check BPN for recs) that will come and measure your windows so you don't end up with the wrong size.  You could also do one room at a time, so you can learn from any mistakes.
    • Good lamps are way more difficult to find than they should be!  But a cheap torchiere floor lamp has always been my go-to for getting more light in a room.
    • Paint is cheap, and it only takes a weekend to paint a room.  Paint might refresh your spaces and maybe make you hate your bathroom less.  If you end up not liking the color...paint is cheap.
    • I spent a lot of time wondering what my style was, and realized that I already knew--it's just that I didn't want to admit that I don't have an elegant style.  My style is Ikea and Lands End and cheerful solid colors.  Maybe you already know what your style is, you just feel like you should have "better" style, which is why you've talked to interior designers.  Maybe just embrace that you want a squishy, denim sectional couch or something.

    Another idea - hire a firm that usually works fixing up homes for sale. A neighbor sold a house in SF last year and told me that it is standard to have homes not just staged but significant work done on them all with one firm. Said it was a lot like "Love It or List It'. The designer walked through with his head construction guy and they went through the home of what should be done, what can be done etc.  She had the option of full remodel to just parts but window coverings to flooring to replacing part or all of the kitchen, fixing the garden. These design/ remodel firms have a team. 

    Of course their focus is different for preparing a home for sale, and the workmanship seemed more slap-dash when I walked through the home but it looked great in photos. Obviously you wouldn't want that but I'm sure they have the ability to do this for people who are planning to stay, you should make sure that is clear.

    The designer had great ideas of what to remodel and what not to, what could have a quick fix and what needed more. The designer was also the stager and had great ideas of how to improve my friend's home with furniture layout and tie all the pieces together into a cohesive look.

    Since there are very few homes coming to market right now, many of these firms might be looking to expand their work to regular homes, not just those for sale. I'm not in touch with the neighbor but you could search for design/stager or something and see what pops up.

    Wow, you brought up a lot of home renovation projects, far more than you can or should do all at once, and definitely far more expensive than your $200-250K budget. I echo another reply that recommends you get a professional organizer to come first and reorganize your house. I hired one through TaskRabbit and she was great. It does cost money and will take a long time. For example, the organizer just helped me purge my kitchen--she took everything out, sorted things into keep, dispose, or give away, and put things back in an orderly manner--it took something like 4 hours, and she didn't even finish the entire kitchen! But it is so worth it. Hire someone who will also help you come up with storage ideas, and then hire another TaskRabbit to actually install those storage ideas for you. Just brace yourself that you must must must throw things away. You can't improve your house if you can't see it under all the clutter. Once you've put away the clutter and can actually "see" your house for what it is, then start considering what projects you want to tackle first. Maybe after your house is nice and neat, you won't want to change anything anymore! 

    We recently hired Evelyn Davidson (http://www.mariposaremodels.com/; 510.982.5007) to renovate a very decrepit bathroom in our older home. While you have a bigger project, I think Evelyn would be a good fit for you. She's a designer (including of ADUs) and manages a crew that does the physical work. She's good at conceptualizing space, thinking of storage solutions, and helping you find a style and colors you'll feed good living in, with no push for elegance or expensive items. We found her easygoing ways enjoyable to work with, and we knew she wanted us to love the results and would work with us till that happened. Like you we felt overwhelmed, even with just one project, but what a difference to finally have a bathroom that's a pleasure to use. Best of luck to you. 

  • We are planning to remodel part of our house and refurbish most of the rest. We are hoping to avoid moving out, or at most use a short-term rental.

    We're discovering that compared to its predecessors, our current cat doesn't deal well with even minor changes in routine. Any suggestions for how to manage this? She's an indoor-outdoor kitty, and we do have a garage/studio/workshop we could put a cat door into.

    Thanks!

    We recently had exterior siding done. It was all on the outside but it was still a LOT of dust, and a LOT of banging. We have three cats, two kittens and a very sensitive senior cat. We were actually quite surprised that none of the cats seemed to be bothered by the banging. They didn't seem to see it as a threat. The dust though, as another issue. All three got gunky eyes and one got conjunctivitis. The senior cat got a strange allergy on his face that could be dust related, or just stress. Moreover, when we got the new kitten we put her in the bathroom for the first few nights, and she ended up wedged in the hole behind the toilet bowl. We didn't even know there was a hole there. Cats can get stuck in all sorts of places, esp. when walls are opened and pipes are exposed, so you have to be careful of that. You could just see how your cat behaves and go with the flow, or just go ahead and keep the cat in the garage, and don't let it anywhere near the construction. You don't want to be one of those cautionary tales of homeowners who had to put a hole in their bathtub to free their cat who got stuck inside.

  • My wife and I have visions of eventually significant remodeling on our current El Cerrito home. A number of additions, modifications in floor plan, etc.

    While this is not in the cards for some time, we do want to have at least some idea in place so that we have something tangible we are targeting and a very ballpark price range, rather than vague notions of "someday."

    Any ideas where to start first? An architect? GC? 

    I think ideally, we'd want to work with someone familiar with the permitting in El Cerrito, so that--hopefully--things would go more smoothly once we are underway.

    Any advice would be appreciated!

    We're currently remodeling in Berkeley. Once you get serious, it's about a 2 year process to reach contractor start, but there's a lot that can impact that. 

    Working with an architect helped us flush out thoughts and ideas, gave us something to react to and work through. A contractor also gave us super ballpark estimates of our very early ideas. 

    Don't underestimate the time required to reach project start and eventually complete it. Every step takes time. 

    While it's a lot of work (and, yes, stress), it's exciting and fun to see the potential and to see it start to come together. We have a great team, which helps. 

    I think working with an architect is your best next step. Just be honest that it may be some time before you commit. 

    We’re just starting this process ourselves, so interested to hear what others say. 

    To begin, we had an architect come out, spitball ideas, and talk next steps. Specifically, he recommended a few companies that could come do as-is drawings of the house, so that he can sketch up a few conceptual drawings. Then we can take those to a contractor and, as needed, structural engineer to get ballpark cost estimates. 

  • Hi there, 

    I know this is a very broad question but i'd love to hear what one could expect to pay for a home renovation. 2500 sq ft. Not a full gut, but we are updating most of the home.

    Taking down a couple interior walls, new staircase, new floors throughout, finishing basement (it's already partially finished), a couple new windows, 4 bathrooms all being updated (even slightly), and new counters in kitchen. Seems huge in scope now that I write that all out, and I have my ideas of what this will cost, but would love to hear from you. Already working with a great architect, but would also love rec's for GCs and interior designers you have loved as well. Thank you! 

    My guess is this will be ~$400K-$500K - but this could be off by 50% depending on the details which can greatly impact the cost (so between $200-$800K.) A great architect should be able to refer you to contractors and work with your budget. We are doing a home remodel now - and as you can expect, it is more expensive and will take more time that you anticipate at the beginning (and the pandemic has made that worse). Plan on exceeding the initial quote from your GC by ~20%.

    As a homeowner that's done full gut renos, it's very hard to say without knowing a LOT more. You really need to get a few GC's to come in and give you estimates. For what it's worth, I used Home Healing Renovations as our GC (https://www.homehealingrenovations.com/). I wouldn't say they were cheap, but they were good quality and not the most expensive.

    As a very rough ballpark, I would expect well above a hundred thousand, likely multiple hundreds of thousands. So much depends on existing conditions and scope of work.

    Expect to spend $100k to $200k for a no frills remodel.  More depending on what you have in mind for the kitchens.  There is an enormous crafts labor shortage right now...  Best of luck finding someone with the skills and availability   And since you are in Berkeley and have a basement you plan on finishing it will affect your property taxes.  The city is very creative when calculating taxes for attics and basements.

    I think you could be looking at anywhere from 200-400k. 

    Are the walls structural? Is their a current staircase? 

    Bathrooms and kitchens are notoriously expensive due to possibly touching electrical and water, demolition, fixtures, toilet, bath, tile, and maybe needing to deal with asbestos abatement and mold. 

    Based on a bunch of work we did 1-2 years ago, and given that the costs of labor and wood have gone up considerably since then, I'd say you're probably looking at $100 to $200k, though probably on the higher end of that range. Just think about the number of trades involved: carpenter, painter, electrician, hardwood floor folks, dry wallers, tilers for bathroom, plumbers for bathroom, potentially a specialist to install windows. Interested to hear what your actual costs end up being. : )

    Haha yes, broad question indeed!  I hate answering without enough details but I'll try anyways since it might be helpful:

     First, inflation is real - remodeling / construction is in HIGH demand right now and with that type of competition (from the client population side) comes inflated prices.  Couple that with supply chain issues due to COVID and what not, I'd say you can expect to pay a 20% premium easily.  For lumber last year, it was a 300-400% premium (I know, ouch!).

    1. Permits will easily cost you $2-3K for the main permit, and then a percentage of the whole remodeling project cost (prepare to pay $10k for a permit for a $200K remodeling project)
    2. Demo easily can cost $10-15k for the whole project - you also need to pay about $8k in dumping costs for proper disposal of demo material.
    3. Make sure if you're demo-ing walls, they are not load bearing!!! if you do, you just added ~$5k or more to your project (depending on situation).  Also, hope that your electrical is already up to date because if it isn't and you open a wall and discover it doesn't comply to code, well you just added that cost to your project (in the range of thousands of dollars) - as they say, finders keepers.  You will need to pass inspection and inspectors won't pass you otherwise.
    4. New staircases easily can cost $15-20k (folks hate doing this cause it's super labor intensive), not including the hardwood / flooring on top of each step.
    5. Flooring - this cost runs wide, are you doing hardwood floors?  Luxury vinyl plank?  Laminate?  Labor would be prob around a couple thousand max if you are doing the whole house....but the materials can vary....$6 per sq ft hard wood easily turns into $15k....and that's just the materials....
    6. Can't speak to finishing a basement - sorry
    7. Windows - yikes, are you looking for good ones (Milgard, maybe $10-15k) or stellar ones (marvin special ones, double hung)?  high end ones easily can cost $50k...are you looking for sliders (cheapest), casement (more expensive), double hung (even more expensive)?  this you will need to be more specific on.
    8. 4 bathrooms (!!!) - hahah you're big balling here with 4 bathrooms, your finishes will dictate most of your cost.  Do you have expensive tastes?  are you the $1 sq ft for tile type of person or $5 sq ft type of customer?  High end designer cabinets ($$$ ding ding), are you ok with $50 bathroom faucets?  Or are your tastes more along the lines of $500 black trendy faucets.  If you are looking for a more frugal bathroom remodel (nice looking and functional but doesn't produce "oooos and ahhhs") then typically you can get away with probably $20-25k per bathroom, $15k if you really pinch costs and do all 4 bathrooms with the same materials.  This assumes you don't need to replumb anything.
    9. New countertops in kitchen - unless you're looking for Italian marble or something exotic, quartz is really popular right now. Depends on size of your kitchen and if you have an island, the material cost could be $5-10k, depending on if you skip tile backsplash for a full sheet of quartz or not.  Tiling is laborious, so full sheet of quartz as a backsplash saves on labor costs.  But tiles backsplash is much cheaper material cost wise.

    ran out of space - pm me for more if you're interested!  We just finished a large project so happy to share learnings.

    For rooms where all you are doing is replacing flooring and repainting, I would budget ~$20 per square foot.

    Anywhere where you’re doing more than that outside of a bathroom or kitchen, budget $250 per square foot.

    For any bathroom or kitchen work beyond replacing plumbing fixtures and painting, budget $250 per square foot plus materials (tile, countertops, plumbing fixtures, appliances, cabinets, etc). The materials cost varies so much, that it’s hard to say what that will be.

    If you use the above price per square foot in each area of the home, that will be the floor - likely the lowest price you can get it done for. It’s easy to spend more.

    You’re probably easily in the $300k+ range unless your plans are more minimal than the description sounds.

  • We are considering some major work on our house and would like to understand the impact it will have on our property tax bill. The tax assessor's office has not been helpful. Can anyone recommend an attorney or other advisor who could help with this question? We live in Alameda County. Thanks is advance! 

    Hi there!  Not a attorney but maybe our experience will help.  
     

    We did a whole house remodel and foundation repair / retrofit a year ago.  It was a big project.  Everything was permitted.  We added one more bathroom during the remodel. We were expecting our property taxes to go up significantly due to the whole house remodel and foundation work but in the end it only went up a total $20k in the assessed value and that was because the extra bathroom we added during the remodel.

    We thought it was a mistake and called to double check with the county assessor’s office and they confirmed that their assessment was correct, they only increased the assessment for the extra bathroom not for the other work.

    They also said they haven’t been adding foundation and seismic work to assessments recently, to encourage homeowners to do the needed seismic safety work for their houses.  If you do get assessed for that type of work, there is a form online that you can fill out to exclude the seismic / structural / foundation work from assessment. 

    I'm sorry the assessor's office wasn't helpful! It's a fairly straightforward process, at least in our experience--once the work is complete and your permit is final, your city will notify the County that you have made changes that may affect your value. The County then sends you paperwork to complete documenting what was added to the home; they may also do a site visit depending on the scale of the changes. They then determine the additional value added to the home by looking at comparable sales. (For instance, if you have a 2BR and add a bedroom, they'll compare the market value of a 2BR and a 3BR in your neighborhood, and add the difference to your base year value.) As part of that process, they also adjust the County records to accurately reflect your home size or room counts. I would guess the County can't tell you in advance what the increase in value would be for your project, but a local realtor could give you some guidance on what the current comps look like so you know what to expect. The messiness comes in if you disagree with the comps the County has chosen to use for their analysis--but for the projects we worked on that triggered this review, we actually found that they were pretty conservative in their assessment, so I'd wait to see if it's a concern before worrying about that. The real estate market could look quite different a year or two from now, too, so it's hard to predict. Good luck with your project!

  • Hi BPN!

    We are considering doing some renovations to our house and are trying to wrap our heads around what will be feasible.  We are considering remodeling a substantial attic into living space and would like to get the opinion of a structural engineer of whether that would require significant foundation work or if our house could support essentially a second story.  Does anyone have recommendations of a person or firm we could contact to tell us this? Second, we'd love any advice on how to approach what is potentially a major renovation with a lot of options that we really aren't sure how to sort through!  The attic expansion is only one of a few options we've considered.  We have very little concept of what any of these would cost.  If anyone has tips for how to get a sense of budgets, or how to start sorting through the options (e.g. do we hire a designer/architect even if we are still a ways from being able to start the project)?  I've been listening to some renovation podcasts to get a general sense but any local experience would be quite helpful!  Thanks in advance!

    A one story house was probably not designed to support a second story.  You will want to start with the city to see what they will allow you to do.  I just checked and for our property there is a height restriction of 16 feet.  Are you in Berkeley?  There are more restrictions.

    To see if your house will support a second story you will need to hire a structural engineer. 

    I have used Ben Corotis from ADBC ARCHITECTURE in Oakland  Ben is BOTH a structural engineer AND an architect, so the combination is perfect.  He redesigned a small deck and stairs for my 1906 quirky Victoria farmhouse, so is great at looking at unusual structures and advising and designing..

  • We're doing remodel work on our home, just enough to require or at least prefer a move out. We don't know when the work will be done and how long it will take - we're estimating starting later this year after permits and it may take 3-6 months. We're close to getting contractor bids. 

    If you have done this, what are the ways in which we should be researching and identifying 3-6 month rentals while we move out? Is it possible to rent a full house? Should we look at one of the new apartment buildings? Other options of types or sourcing methods?

    We're in North Berkeley and I don't want to be too far from our house because I plan to check in on it daily. And ideally our son can bike to his mountain biking club practices. We have a family of four with kids. I work from home (may take the Transbay bus in to SF later this year) - the kids should be back at in-person school this fall. All to say we need a little space (3 bedrooms, home office space). We have a small dog. 

    And any advice about moving out in this scenario? Should we plan to move EVERYTHING out of the house or can we leave some stuff in rooms that are not involved - take only what we need? Other advice in general, about surviving the remodel period and living elsewhere? 

    Or did you live in your home while fairly extensive remodel work was being done? Would appreciate hearing about those experiences too. 

    Thank you! 

    We (family of four with a dog) moved out of our house for six months while we did a major remodel of our home many years ago. The work moved along much faster with us out of the way. A local realtor found us a six month rental house. We moved most of our things to the rental house and stored excess stuff in the rental house garage. One room in our house was untouched, so we left those things there. I would reach out to well-connected local realtors who may know of someone wanting to rent out their house short term. Another idea I had was to look into Airbnb’s. I believe there is a one month maximum, but perhaps you could make a deal with one of the hosts. I think these days landlords are reluctant to rent for “short terms” (even though they might have reasons to want to do so such as for a sabbatical or a temporary move) because they can never get a tenant out under the current rental laws. Clearly if you intend to move back to your home after the remodel, landlords would consider you a great short term tenant. Good luck!

    We did this several years ago. Be prepared for a). the project to run several months longer than you anticipated and b) for crazy high rental prices. We couldn't afford to rent another house while we paid the current mortgage and for the remodel. With two young kids, we moved into a pretty small space and ended up packing up most of our stuff and storing it in the garage. Our remodel was pretty extensive, so we needed everything out. We also chose to live nearby so we could check on the progress every day, and it was necessary. My husband caught a lot of mistakes. 

    We did a major remodel several years ago and had many of the same requirements as you - stay relatively close to our house, had small children attending schools close to our house and had two small dogs.  We ended up with a furnished Airbnb house that we rented for 3 months up front, and the owner was fine with us going month to month after that.  We ended up staying in the Airbnb for 5 months, then moved back into our house when it was ready for reoccupation, but long before the construction was actually done.  It helped that our kitchen and one full bath was in a part of the house that could be walled off from the construction.  We just moved stuff out of the part of the house impacted by construction and piled the stuff into the remaining space.  We didn't forward our mail as we checked on our house essentially daily, though of course we had deliveries sent to the rental house.

    You may want to check around with neighbors to see if they happen to know of a place nearby that may be available for a short term rental, but barring that you may want to check a home rental site.  Good luck!

    Hi!  We are currently in the process of remodeling our entire house (kitchen, bathrooms, new flooring, painting and new doors).  We decided to move out of the house for 3 months.  We found our rental on furnishedfinder.com.  We ended up renting a fully furnished house.  The cost of the house happened to be cheaper than the cost of an apartment or an extended stay hotel.  You can also try vrbo, airbnb and other services but be prepared for the sticker shock of what fully furnished rentals cost. However, there was no way we could have lived in the house during the disruption of the remodel, plus the remodel can go a lot faster if no-one is living in the house, so ultimately it was more cost effective to just move out despite the cost of the rental. We spent a few weeks packing up the house and then we hired movers to move ALL of our possessions out of our house and put them in a huge shipping container in our driveway.  If there isn't room in driveway for a shipping container, than you can have movers move all of your stuff to a self-storage facility. What didn't fit in the storage container we put in one spare bedroom in the house that wasn't being remodeled.  Our temporary house rental is about a 10 minute drive from the house that is being remodeled.  I couldn't find anything closer that was within our rental budget.  I stop by the house that is being remodeled once or twice a day to check on the progress.  Hope this is helpful!

    I have rented my furnished house out over the years to families undergoing move-out renovations. (I am no longer doing this.) In all cases the families left their furniture and all possessions behind except for clothes, toys, etc that they would need while out of their house. They found me through short-term rentals on Craigslist. I don’t imagine that this is the best vehicle anymore but I don’t really know. 
    I have also heard of folks staying put. Are you up for days or weeks when the plumbing is shut off or the kitchen is closed? Zero privacy? Are you hearty campers? 
    Best luck with your renovation! 

    Try www.sabbaticalhomes.com 

    They have all sorts of rentals, not just for academics- houses, apartments, short-term and long-term I think it's wise to move out if you can, so you don't have to live with the stress of the daily disruption of a remodel. I would leave what you can in the house- moving is a lot of work! We are remodeling and I am so glad not to be living there! There is also Craigslist for rentals, but you really have to watch out for scams.

    Our remodel was estimated to take 4-6 months and took about 13. We moved in after 10 months and dealt with constant construction, which was stressful. 

    If possible, put as much as you can in storage. Our things got very dirty, even in other areas of the house and when covered. Also make sure your rental is flexible and easy to extend. 
     

    I hope you learn from our experience- and that your remodel goes more smoothly!

    We lived in our house while doing the foundation and during the kitchen remodel. We set up a sink in the dining room that drained into the backyard. That is no problem as long as the water stays on your own property. Then moved the fridge into the dining room. Add a microwave, hot plate, work table, eating table, and done. It worked well. But was happy to have a real kitchen again. If you are pulling out plaster, dust can get into everything. It creeps under doors and through the openings in the ceiling where the light fixtures are attached. But I think if you cover everything, close and tape the doors, it should be fine. Also contain the work area as much as possible. 

    As far as finding a place to live, just inquire every place. Try nextdoor, facebook, craigslist, and every rental website. Check out management sites, too, like Premium Properties or Latham. Keep in mind that everybody is remodeling and materials are scarce And these projects generally uncover problems that have to be addressed. So it may take longer than you expect. 

    Keep an eye on the contractor. They like to take shortcuts. Visit every day. 

    Good luck!

  • Hello, we are in contract to buy a home in Berkeley but it needs a little ( ok a lot) of love. We are interviewing architects at the moment but I also wanted advice on if we should be concurrently contacting contractors as well? Unsure if it's worth doing that until plans are ready etc. Appreciate any advice on this subject!
     

    We have used Crow at crowworksdesign [at] gmail.com for different remodel projects including two bathrooms. He is a time and materials guy, honest, creative, and a delight to work with.

    I would happily recommend Emanuel with BuildMark. It was a pleasure working with him and his team, very professional, great communicator and meticulous. They remodeled our kitchen, bathroom and replaced all the electrical for our 3 bedroom/2 bath home. His phone number is 510-484 5765 and email emanuel [at] buildmarkinc.com 

    Hi there - yes I would highly recommend you contract contractors as well, especially if you have a budget that is firm (meaning you can't absorb +20%).  From personal experience, our first architect was completely off-base about how much things would cost with his design (but to be fair, it may just have been his general incompetence).  After that fiasco, we ended up working with a design-build and that was a complete 180 experience and a breath of fresh air.  It is important that if you have a firm budget to work with someone who actually truly knows how much things cost to build / remodel.

    Happy to answer more questions privately as well.

  • Hi all, we are contemplating expanding our Berkeley hillside home to add ground-level bedroom, bathroom and (attached or detached) plus room. The things driving this are very time-sensitive and I’m wondering what I should know about the process before we launch it so as to make it as speedy and efficient (for Berkeley) as possible. What we have so far: a basic set of plans by an architect relative not licensed in Berkeley. Aside from speed, I’m also curious about any local quirks or pitfalls of this process worth knowing about, and how it may have been affected by Covid and the economy.

    One further consideration: we have a difficult neighbor.

    I would welcome your thoughts and experience, especially if recent.

    Thanks!

    Bursting At The Seams

    Hi I'm not an expert but from my experience with recent construction on my home, getting permits in Berkeley is an arduous and slow process. It is even slower now because of COVID-19. It can easily take 6 months +  just to get the permits to start construction (in my own experience and based on what I've heard from others). If you want to get things rolling, I suggest talking to a local architect who has plenty of experience with Berkeley permitting. They can review your plans to make sure comply with your home's zoning requirements and put together a plan set that complies as much as possible other berkeley requirements. They can also shepard it through the permitting process. Things that you might want to ask the architect about are getting a survey asap and any other consultants that are required such as structural engineers etc. Everyone in construction and construction-adjacent businesses is  busy right now - it can be hard to find people who have availability on your timeline so this can end up being another source of delay. Once you have a clear idea of the plan, it will be a good idea to get a contractor to get on their calendar well in advance to try to avoid delays in starting construction. Good luck! (And sounds like congratulations are also in order!?!)

    I have heard that getting permits for ADUs is really fast. You may want to add a tiny kitchen. 

    Hi there, we're almost finishing an addition in Berkeley. We used an architect with limited experience and it showed during the entire process. (I believe we interviewed 5 architects). It took longer (it was more affordable) and we had to submit revisions and further studies until it was ready to break ground. In summary, it took 2 years until we started the project. Covid has been hard because the planning office is not open, you cannot go and check with the inspectors, and you depend on the city employees to get back to you; however, we can't complain because they've been diligent and there have not been any delays because of them. Pitfalls: we had to hire a soil engineer and redesign the foundation. That cause a delay in the project when it was underway (we lived in the house during construction). My only tip, get a great contractor that knows Berkeley. That will be helpful. Take your time on this. We interviewed/contacted 7 or 8 contractors, and we couldn't be happier with our choice. Regarding the "difficult neighbor", people do not like changes. I had to ask for signatures from my neighbors, and all of them but one signed the "no objection" when I knocked at their doors. This one neighbor asked for a specific meeting and she made tons of "intrusive" questions, but I was able to understand her concern (new windows and eventual shade on her property) that were addressed in our meeting. Good luck!  

    Hello~

    Architect in El Cerrito Hills here.

    You don't need a licensed architect for permits.  Your contractor can submit permits for you.  I would start vetting contractors right away.  It is SUPER important to hire a qualified contractor to make sure the project runs smoothly.  Another thing to note- because of Covid, there are considerably longer lead times for made-to-order materials like tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting etc.  If you are buying off the shelf items, this is not an issue.  

    As soon as permit drawings and contractor is lined up, submit permits right away.  Permit review can take longer than usual as building departments are backed up.

    I wouldn't be too worried about the neighbor- as long as you have an approved permit and limit construction noise to permitted hours, you should be fine.

    Good luck!

    You need an experienced contractor who understands Berkeley permitting. You will probably also need a structural engineer involved.  It's no trivial matter to make these kinds of changes to a home in the hills. There are very strict rules in Berkeley around fire safety, setbacks from neighbors and from the street.  Don't do any more planning on your addition until you have spoken with a contractor who has experience with Berkeley permitting rules. Look for reviews on BPN or drive around and see what contractors are working on neighbors' projects. You want someone who knows the code and can tell you what kinds of changes you'll have to make to get your existing design approved, and how much that would cost.  Also read up on ADU's. It's much easier to get permits for an ADU than an addition. For example, some setbacks and height restrictions that apply to an addition don't apply to an ADU. An ADU can be either attached or detached, but it has to be its own independent living space, so it needs minimal cooking facilities.

    We live in the lower hills in Berkeley and since Covid began, we, or rather our architects, have investigated permits for two different projects: an ADU, which we have put on hold, and a driveway/retaining wall project which we'll start on soon.  It's the architect who usually checks in with the city during the design phase if there are questions about what is and isn't allowed.  And then the contractor will probably be the one who is pulling the actual permits once work starts. Our experience: Back in March, everything was shut down and the city was slow to respond. Our ADU's design was on pause for a month, waiting to hear back from the city.  But they soon figured out how to work efficiently in email, and things have gone really smoothly since then. On our other project, the driveway/retaining wall project, a different architect (who has also done many projects in Berkeley)  finished the design at the end of December. There was about a week of email conversations between her and city planners to refine setbacks and other restrictions.  The city allowed a couple of special exceptions for our project. Now, because of the retaining wall, an engineering firm has to make a report and recommendations, and this has taken the longest.  Apparently engineers are very busy right now. Once that report is done, it's just a matter of the actual build. So, my takeaway is, if your design was created with the regulations in mind, the permitting should not be too onerous.

    Good luck with your project!

    You said you’re on a time sensitive schedule and you have a difficult neighbo. That neighbor will mostly object to your plans. Have you talked to your other neighbors about your plans? If not you might realize you have other difficult neighbors. Difficult neighbors can object to your plans and add years to get your development done. It can be a long and frustrating time consuming process to do development in Berkeley with objecting neighbors even with an approved permit. 

    If you can design it to fit within the ADU (accessory dwelling unit) rules, that would guarantee quick approval with no ability for your neighbor to interfere. https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Home/New_Acces…

    Assuming you can't use the ADU rules, you may end up need to request an AUP (administrative use permit). Common things that trigger an AUP requirement including.
    1. Residential additions that exceed the maximum district height limit for additions (14', 16' or 18', depending on Zoning District)
    2. Residential additions that exceed 600 s.f. or 15% of the lot area
    3. Alterations to portions of a building within a required setback
    4. Addition of a 5th (or greater) bedroom to a *parcel* in certain zoning districts (includes most of the hills).

    The AUP process is expensive, slow, and subject to further delay by motivated opposing neighbors. The City will abuse state law and drag out the process. However, assuming you're not doing anything egregious, the City does actually tend to approve these kinds of small projects. But be prepared for them to debate where your windows go, how big the addition is, what color your walls are, whether you have vegetation in certain areas, and all sorts of other things the City is stretching the law to regulate. And your motivated opposing neighbor can pay like $200 to drag it out even longer and force a public hearing.

    Definitely consider configuring this as an ADU or, if possible, Junior ADU.
    That way when the kids move out, you can create a housing unit and have some income from it.
    The ADU may also speed your permit approval process, and the good thing is your permit is "by right", which means no Administrative Use Permit (AUP) or neighbor review.

    Your question is too open ended to answer in full.  The process in Berkeley is indeed "full of process".

    I do ADU and Junior ADU consulting, and each job brings a City challenges.  There's no one right answer.

    Being open with and involving your neighbor is still highly recommended.

  • Remodeling newbie here hoping for advice from more seasoned homeowners. I browsed the BPN site on home remodels but didn't see anything specifically on this question. 

    We have in mind several remodel projects for our house in Berkeley. The highest priority is to tear out an existing addition to our house and have a new addition built on the same footprint, but half a level higher than the current addition, to be level with the main floor of the house (the current addition is ground level, which is half a level below the living room/dining room/kitchen). For various reasons, we probably wouldn't want to do this work for at least 2 years, possibly 3-5 years. But I've heard the permitting process can take so long, that I wonder if we should start working now with an architect to draw up some plans. Is it possible to have a project permitted but hold off on the construction for some period of time? Or does it all need to happen in quick succession? How much can we expect to spend working with an architect just to have some plans created?

    On a related note, does the architect handle the permit application process, or is all or some of that left to the contractor? 

    Anything else this total newbie should keep in mind as I begin this process? Many thanks!

    To begin with, you may want to check with the city or an architect if your project even needs a permit. It's not adding new space. For example, a kitchen or bath remodel can often be done without permits. If you haven't yet, I would strongly recommend just talking to the city permit desk officer about these topics first. 

    I can only speak from my experience in Albany, not Berkeley. Permitting takes 6-9 months (not 2-3 years). An approved permit must be issued ('pulled') within a year or it lapses. The permit application is typically submitted by an architect (who represents you at city hearings etc) but issued to a contractor. You can issue a permit to yourself as homeowner but there are certain risks associated with this: http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Know_Risks_Of_Owner_-_Builder/. Also, Albany requires a construction bond (around $2000) which is only refunded after construction is complete and the project passes final inspection - this is to motivate people to finish their projects.

    In your situation, you could possibly get a permit application approved, issued, and then schedule construction 1-2 years later; assuming that a contractor would agree to those terms and you're willing to wait to get your bond back (and your project done). 

    How much you spend on an architect can vary widely depending on the project scope, but if there's structural work involved, expect $10-20k on design/survey/engineering fees and another $10-20k in city permit fees, all before a spade even hits the ground. 

  • Hey BPN'ers.  We're thinking of adding a second story to our 1100sf house in Oakland.  What are the first steps?  What can we expect? Who can you recommend? 

    Thanks!

    We are about 75% through an addition/remodel of our home. Here's what I'd suggest based on our experience so far -- start with a local contractor or contractor/architect duo who know the local code and requirements. Think about your space plan for the addition, whether major upgrades to the existing foundation, structural, electrical, HVAC, plumbing would be needed. Ask them for a rough estimate of what the whole project would cost - expect a number around $500 per sf. At this point, you decide whether you want to proceed... I'm assuming you'll also evaluate whether it's easier to simply sell and move. 

    If you decide to go forward, you have to start drawing up the detailed plans for permitting. Secure the finances, and a loan/refi if that's required. Plan for how you'll live through the construction (stay or move out). Once construction begins, you should expect to have to be very involved (it's your home after all). You'll need a work schedule that's flexible enough to allow meetings with various contractors/tradesmen between 9-5. Expect your weekend to be completely taken over by design/purchase decisions. Expect at least one or two major 'surprises' that will require additional work/money to resolve. Expect to be at least 10% over your initial budget. Try to plan for relief (small vacations, help with childcare from family, etc) to keep the stress/anticipation from taking too much of a toll. 

    I'm sure you'll find many many specific recommendations from others on this forum. Whoever you end up selecting, make sure they have local knowledge, and be sure you can trust them with your home (even if that costs 5% more). Good luck!!

  • Hello, we live in North Berkeley in a 1910s-era small home on a tiny half-lot.  We would like to upgrade to a slightly larger house with a larger yard in the NB area, but the lack of inventory and high real estate prices have not made a move possible for us yet.  We are trying to decide whether to continue to watch the market or whether to renovate and try to make the most of the little space we have.  I have a few questions related to this quandary: 

    1. Does anyone have a recommendation for someone I could talk to who could help us decide whether to wait on the real estate market or go ahead with a home renovation?  I am not sure who to go to for this sort of professional advice.  The amount that we might spend on a remodel and the hell of living through it might make a new-home purchase more appealing, though our base costs (higher taxes and interest) would go up significantly, possibly making a new home in this market unaffordable.  

    2. If we go forward with a remodel, can folks please offer us recommendations for reasonably priced architects and contractors who are good at maximizing space in small, old Berkeley homes?

    3. Do folks recommend an architect-contractor combo rather than design-build firms?  We won't have a lot to spend, and I worry about the architect-contractor combo requiring more oversight than we will have time for, but we want to make the most of our $ and our limited space. I have read that design-build firms aren't always great at creative thinking in old Berkeley homes.

    Thanks very much!

    I can only speak to your last question, about whether to use an architect/contractor combo or use a design/build firm.  We added a second story to our small Rockridge bungalow about 12 years ago, and then last year did an extensive kitchen remodel that included moving a bathroom and creating a family room and we used an architect/contractor for that project.  Comparing the two, I am very sorry we did not use an architect for our second story addition.  Although the design/build folks we used were fine, what you have heard about not being very creative proved true for us.  When I compare how much better the space was used in our downstairs remodel vs. upstairs - especially considering that upstairs was brand new, a completely blank slate - I really wish we'd used an architect upstairs.  We've already had to do some remodeling upstairs to get better closet configurations, but it's too late for certain bad decisions that just weren't thought through well enough by the designer/contractor.  If I could go back and spend the extra $10K to get someone who would think about things that didn't occur to me, I would do it in a heartbeat.  My advice is don't skimp on this, you'll regret it.

    We live in Richmond and faced the same dilemma.  Our decision was to go ahead and do a remodel to maximize our current investment in our home and yet make it a comfortable home for us over for the next several to more years that we plan to live in it.  Your decision will depend quite a bit on how much equity you have currently in your home and whether -financially- it makes more sense to continue investing in that home or to move elsewhere.  If you go down the path of remodeling however, I cannot recommend our contractor (Jim Tyler) and architect (Alex Chiappetta) more highly!! 

    For a first step, it would probably help you most meet with a contractor (again, ours is wonderful) to discuss what the price tag would be for the scale remodel you're about thinking.  From there you can decide whether to do a smaller/larger remodel or if the whole thing isn't worth your money or time.  Our remodel is extensive which will make our house really nice in the end, but does mean that we have to move out of our place for 6 months, so take that added headache into account as well.  After you meet with a contractor about what kind of money it would take to make the space you want in your home, then head to redfin or zillow and see how far that same investment would take you in the current buying market (of course figuring in a +10% minimum overage for every list price you see). 

    We met our contractor via a friend and he hooked us up with an architect that he's collaborated with for years.  Both Jim and Alex primarily work in and around the Berkeley region so they'll know the city codes well and can advise you about what's "easy" verses "hard" to do with your existing space.  Regardless of what contractor you go with make sure that your and their expectations for the scope and scale and style of the work are on the same page.  Our contractor really emphasized that with us and it helps a ton to make sure the project creep and other issues don't happen. 

    Our contractor is Jim Tyler  510-672-4031

    Our architect is alex chiappetta architecture (510) 849-1698 www.acastudio.com

  • House addition or remodel

    Mar 23, 2017

    We have a 1200 square foot house and wanted to do a small outward addition in order to expand the living area and add a second bathroom. An architect just told me that any addition of square footage would require a budget of at least $500K. Holy smokes. I'm looking for real data or reports on actual remodels (within existing footprint) or additions in the Bay Area, modest in size and design features. What did you do, what were the costs, was it "worth it"? IF there was an architect and contractor you really liked working with, I'd also welcome that info. Thanks! 

    Remodels in the Bay area are expensive; 500K seems a bit steep to me though. We have done 3 remodels since we moved in 5 years ago, and each has been very much worth it (none was an addition, although we escavated our basement and crawl space). Prices will vary significantly between contractors, so clearly go for multiple bids. I would highly, highly recommend Jon Larson at Jarvis architects on College Ave. in Rockridge 510-654-6755; he is patient, understands not everyone has unlimited resources, and is of course a very talented architect with an impeccable eye for detail (and color too). He is also a great resource for local contractors and specialists each offering varying degrees of "perfection," (at corresponding prices). I have seen good work on our block and heard good reviews from neighbors of Jennings McCann Construction (http://www.houzz.com/pro/jenningsmccann/jennings-mccann-construction; 510-388-4441; ben [at] jenningsmcann.com). They've completed several a couple in-law accessory units near us, and I know they are reasonably priced. We did a small(ish) project with Zanderbuilt (https://www.zanderbuilt.com/ 510-524-9790) which included structural changes but no additions, and have been very pleased. Zanderbuilt was high quality and stuck to their schedule, the later being almost unheard of in the industry. For engineers I would look no further than Peter Van Maren (510-653-0675); he is very dependable and many others are not.

    If you were adding on top I'd believe $500K, but outward should be less expensive (especially if roof line and foundation are uncomplicated). I think  approx $400/square foot would be a good (very rough) estimate, so unless you're idea of "small" addition is over 1,000 sq ft, you should be able to do this for less. Just my two cents from my experience planning my own addition.

    That estimate is very high, or the addition you're talking about isn't very small. We added on about 400 sq ft to the back of our house, for a lot less than that. And we dug out a basement underneath the addition and did other "extras", but even so it was not near $500k. If we had done a bare bones addition we probably could have kept it under $250k. Estimate I was given was $300/sq ft, but that's very rough and it could have gone up. I think our contractor and architect were reasonably priced too so you may need to shop around, but it can be done for less. Might also depend on where you are located, but I'd say get another opinion.

  • Hi,

    Apologies in advance for this naive question--I know there are lots of issues with foundation, contractors, permits, etc. Taken at first glance, I'm guessing my wish is too complicated and cost prohibitive, but I'm wondering if others have successfully done similar projects. Looking for words of wisdom...

    I'd love to extend our kitchen. I'm trying to figure out how much we could do and how much this would cost. It would require knocking out about eight feet of an exterior wall and building an approximately four-foot-wide floor, etc. 

    Has anyone done a similar project?  

    If so, what was the cost? Have you gotten a contractor to put in estimates for different parts of the project--so maybe we could possibly save a little money by doing parts of it ourselves?

    Do you have recommendations for contractors, or anyone experienced in construction? 

    We do have an architect in the family to do drawings for permits... 

    Our kitchen is split off from our breakfast room and living room--making it a small dark corridor. It's just annoying since we spend so much time in there...these 1920's kitchens were all about trying to impress husbands and guests by keeping all the work and dirty dishes a secret. We're more open. Guests/partners are welcome to see the dirty dishes and hard work:) 

    Thanks!

    Removing an exterior wall is exponentially more costly than moving interior walls. Moving an exterior wall to gain only four more feet of space does not seem cost effective. Assuming the the yard is big enough with sufficient setbacks, why not consider an entire room addition. Since you have a professional in the family, why not let that person make several preliminary sketches. then approach your city building department to learn what is involved, whether zoning permits, and certainly building permits. With that "feasibility" study in hand you can approach architects and builders for cost estimates, and building plans. I did something similar for a new garage studio, and it worked out find. Prepare to do your home work. Good luck.

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Questions Related Pages

Need ideas for do-it-yourself fixer house

May 2010

We recently purchased a fixer upper in Albany and need to re-do the kitchen and baths, and much more. We have a good amount of sq. footage (for Albany) but it seems to be in all the wrong places and we don't have a good sense of how best to work with it. Any suggestions on a hopefully not too expensive person who might help us? We mostly just want some ideas and can do the rest ourselves, I think. - Visual-spatially Challenged


I am an architect in the city of Berkeley and can tell you that if you do not have ample experience in doing these types of projects, great confidence in your abilities, and a whole lot of free time, you should not attempt to construct this project alone. A good designer and a good general contractor can save you a ton of headaches/heartaches in the long term.

To achieve your ultimate goal requires good planning and vision, things that most architects and home designers can bring to the table. Many older homes in Albany have rooms that are too small, unfunctional, poorly organized with poor natural lighting. You will want to open up and reorganize your spaces, engage the exterior, improve the natural light while minimizing the amount of structural work required, since in general this increases cost but does not add or enhance the space.

Most Architects and home designers are happy to meet clients for an initial consultation without charge, so this would be a good place to start. Interview several to find one you feel comfortable working with, talking to and asking questions. Look at their past work and talk with previous clients if you can. Be absolutely comfortable with who you choose, since you will need to have a close, open working relationship with them in order to have a successful outcome.

Lastly, find a good general contractor that will work with you to insure the workmanship is done well on the important things (foundations, plumbing, electrical, etc), but will allow you take on the sinpler, less critical task your self. Charles


Having just finished a complete remodel of our home which required a lot of structural work and reconceptualizing interior spaces, I would not recommend that you do this yourself unless you are an experienced contractor or architect. There are so many details that it is important to get right before you close it up! Now we just sit on the couch or at the dining room table and admire all the great choices we made! I highly recommend Steve Shirley as a design/build contractor. Steve can take you and show you the many projects he has done in the area (including ours), and you will be glad you had his help. His number is 510- 351-9600 and his outfit is called Bay Area Design Build. Anon


I highly recommend you hire an architect to help you out. We faced a similar situation a few years ago with our place and we were really happy that we hired Greg Klosowski at Ellipsis A+D (510) 798-5887. He is an architect and he came up with a several options for us, with associated cost estimates, which was all really helpful to us. His fees were reasonable, but most of all, we liked his work and how he really helped us understand the issues and limitations. Todd


I have done lots of remodeling, and a room addition, and then built my own home in El Sobrante. Greg Watson is the best contractor I have ever hired. He's honest, and he does really great work. MY husband is an attorney, so the fact that he has all the licenses and insurance was important to us. Other contractors come in with low bids and the ''change order you to death.'' Greg's prices are very fair. I told lots of people on the BPN about him because he was so kind to me when I was in the middle of building my house and had a HUGE family emergency. Anyway. . . . . His number is 510-223-1541 (office) and 510-453-5638 (cell). You can tell him Marilyn recommended him. Good luck!


Time-and-materials vs. Fixed cost

April 2009

We would like to enclose a balcony on our home and turn it into indoor living space. Currently it has walls and a roof, so it just needs to be enclosed, finished and brought to code. This will be permitted work, under $15K. We know some of the price will be determined by our taste in variables such as windows, flooring, fixtures, etc. But this question is about the construction, electrical work, etc. Some of the estimates we have gotten are time and materials and some are fixed price. Does anyone have advice on whether we should go with fixed price or time and materials for a project of this scale? What criteria should we use to make that decision? Thank you! anon


Your question is difficult to answer, as both alternatives have pros and cons. There are always unknowns in a remodel, no matter how small, so when you commit to doing the work there might be the need to increase your budget. The illusion with a fixed price is that you will avoid this, but if there is dryrot somewhere, for instance, the scope of services will go up regardless which type of contract you settle on. I think what is more important is your gut feeling, how the prospective contractor communicates with you from the very start.

If you like a particular one and how s/he represents their services, go with your intuition. Of course you still need to check references.

That said, you need to understand yourself as well. If you think you will be fretting the entire time about how your contractor is using his/her time, whether s/he is being efficient and/or really knows how best to proceed, is spending too much time thinking things through, you would do best with a fixed contract fee. I hope this helps. I am not a contractor, but I've seen both sides. AHB, Architect


I've done it both ways: two big remodel projects on time-and-materials, a big landscape project as fixed-cost, and a window replacement project as fixed cost. For myself, I'm going to go with fixed cost for any further projects. The reason is it's much less hassle for the homeowner, assuming you use a good, reputable contractor, do your homework ahead of time, and plan reasonably carefully.

My fixed-cost landscape project (with Lazar) was a dream - they just did everything they said they would in the time they said they would! There were a couple of items that I asked them to come back for, included in the price, no problem.

In contrast, the T jobs involved me on site every day, adjusting this and that, adding new things, subtracting other things, worrying constantly about running over the budget. We had decided on T because we were worried about the budget and hoped to shave things off if unexpected problems came up. However, in reality, the T gave us too many opportunities to make changes that ADDED to the cost, such as well, as long as we have that wall opened up, why don't we go ahead and do X, y and Z! Even though I trusted the contractor - they have done several jobs for us over the years - I found myself monitoring who was where and for how long, and adding up numbers. In truth, even a T contract has some fixed costs, such as sub-contractor costs. But it is just so much more complicated to monitor that fixed cost.

One caveat about fixed-cost, though. Put all your effort into understanding exactly what work has been agreed to, down to the last nail, and make sure you are satisfied it is covered in your contract. I did have an issue with a window repair contractor where I assumed certain things would happen based on our verbal discussion, that in fact were not in the contract, and with a house painter who wanted to charge me after the fact for things like touching up after he replaced the glass he broke (!). Make sure everything is there in the contract! Good luck.


Remodel kitchen to improve sale price?

Feb 2008

Hi - we've been given advice to remodel our kitchen and baths to get the best price for the sale of our home. I want it to look nice but don't want to spend a fortune. How can I balance getting a solid design and reasonable construction costs. My preference is to spend a total of $35K on the kitchen which would include all new cabinets, flooring, countertops etc. I've talked to three sources 1) EXPO quoted me $80K+ 2) Kitchen design shop on Telegraph $80+ 3) a contractor $65K - plan on a 20% contingency. Although all the sources are saying roughly the same thing, I am just in awe that it could cost this much. I want a nice kitchen for the new owners, not my dream kitchen. Any advice about where to go from here? Who would you recommend I talk to get started? Kitchen Blues


Hi. I had my kitchen completely remodeled last year for 33K. That includes a new wood floor and IKEA cabinetry that look great. I had to totally restructure my kitchen and added a huge wood sliding door. My contractor was great. His name is George Matthews and he now has a website where I believe he has posted pictures of my kitchen if you'd like to check out his work. Good Luck. It shouldn't have to cost as much as people are telling you... in my opinion. You can see his work at www.geomatconserve.com Leslie (a very happy customer)


With the current housing market, I can't imagine putting $80k into a kitchen just to sell a house. Does your real estate agent really think it's worth the investment? My husband is a licensed general contractor with plenty of experience in the field if you'd like a free consult. ergowiz


As someone looking for a new house, I've got to say that I prefer houses with kitchens that AREN'T remodeled. I know a newly remodeled kitchen is going to add $50-$100k to the price of the house, and for that money, I'd much rather get what *I* want. I might feel differently if your kitchen were really gross, but if it is reasonable, I'd rather have what you had. I've talked to other people who feel the same way. Anonymous


For kitchen and bath remodels, I recommend Paul Lashley 510-910- 1028. He does EXCELLENT work! I wish I had been able to have him remodel my bathroom, but he was too busy at the time with another project, and I wanted things done right away. I wish Imd waited because I was later REALLY impressed with the quality of the work when he spent a couple days doing other projects on my house (installing railings in a loft, for example) in anticipation of selling my home. Rahel


You do not HAVE to remodel your kitchen and bath.It is a lot of work and a lot of money. You might make it back, but you need to decide if you make *enough* over your costs for remodeling to be worth your while.

How bad are your current kitchen and bath? You can do a lot to spruce up those areas without completely gutting and redoing them. Can you just get new appliances and countertops? Maybe reface the cupboards or clean them up really well? In the bath, you could re-enamel your tub, put in a new sink, fixtures,lighting, and then paint it yourself.

Don't get bullied into spending tens of thousands of dollars. Of course real estate agents want to sell homes with brand new kitchens and baths. Who wouldn't? You can still make yours newer and nicer without going all out.


I would do the MINIMAL amount to update the kitchen. You don't want to put in a new kitchen for people you don't know! They may hate the kitchen you like...and all that time & money will be a waste. Definitely paint, change the countertop...do the minimal to update the kitchen but your money is better spent on the kitchen that you want for yourself. No new kitchen


Hi, I completly remodeled my kitchen (into my dream kitchen with cherry wood cabinets, glass tile backsplash, slate floors, stainless steel bosch appliances, granite countertops, undermount sink, new windows). I spent a grand total of $13,900. Go to Sincere Hardware in Oakland on 11th st and Alice st for your cabinets (buy their in-stock ones, not thier custom-made ones), sink, faucet countertops and windows. Go to the sears outlet in San Leandro for your appliances (ebay and amazon have some good prices on these also), and right by the sears outlet are a bunch of discount tile shops (for your floor and backsplash). I did all the shopping and paid my contractor $4000 to put everything in. I love my kitchen! It doesn't have to cost so much. Have fun! Kate


We had a contractor recommended from BPN remodel our kitchen 3 months prior to moving. Paragon remodel was the only one that returned our call.

New lighting, paint, counters, knobs, a sink and the floor was removed and new tile installed. IT made a huge difference! We sold the house last summer and if we hadn't remodeled the kitchen I'm sure it would have sat on the market for months. Again the contractor was Paragon Remodel, they have a web site paragonremodel.com. 510-390-0616 is the number. Good luck with the sale and remodel! Paul


Consulting with a contractor for new project

Jan 2008

I'm looking for a contractor consultant who can consult with me on finishing an unfinished room in Oakland hills area. I'd like to do most of the labor myself but would want the consult of a professional who can tell me about processes, best practices, electrical, what materials and where to purchase, etc. Has anybody worked with someone in this way, and if so, can you make a referral? Thanks, Steve (415) 608- 5034. steve


I want to recommend Geoffrey Rosenblatt as a Construction Management Consultant. We hired him to help us manage a $350K home expansion project that got off to a rocky start with our contractor. Wish he had known about him sooner. He was a true pleasure to work with. He listened to our questions and concerns and helped us understand all the issues before us. I had read several construction management books but they didn't address our specific issues and didn't address ''local custom.'' Geoff helped us understand why were having such a hard time with our contractor, negotiate change orders, make decisions about options and put together our final punch list. We had two in-person meetings (the first for which he didn't charge) and the rest of our interactions were by phone, which kept the cost down. He saved us money and helped us have some peace of mind through what was an extremely stressful process for our family. He also does much more than what he did for us. www.garcm.com Homeowner


I have a very dear friend who happens to be as good a contractor as you'll find anywhere. He lives up in the foothills, but comes down to the Bay Area for work. He recently finished work on our home in Berkeley, doing our earthquake retrofit, installing a tankless water heater and dishwasher, moving our washer/dryer to the garage, moving our thermostat, installed new phone and electrical jacks, etc. He can do any job, big or small (replacing your roof, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, foundation repair, stucco, painting, etc.). He is licensed and bonded. If you are looking for a VERY trustworthy contractor who can't do a half-a**ed job out of principle, you need look no further. He will give you a good rate, though he would be a bargain for what other contractors charge $100+. His name is Ozzie Oswald (yes, that's his real name) and his e-mail is ozandeve [at] sbcglobal.net . If you wish to contact me about him, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have. jonathan


How to plan for a remodel

Sept 2007

I would like to get advice on how to plan for a remodel. Where to start? I want to expand my house (family room, bedrooms, etc), to the sides of the house or building a second floor. We need to live in the house during the remodeling. I need expert advice/ideas/tips on the best course. Can a contractor do all stages from planning? Or do I need an architect or engineer or an interior designer? My expansion will be done within a budget, so what's is the best way to go? Also, I live in Benicia so if you refer contractors please let me know if they can drive an extra 25 minutes for this job! Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences. clueless how to remodel


There is no single way in which one can prepare for a home remodel. Having work done on your own home is often stressful, emotional and rewarding. Here are some very basic suggestions: 1. Figure out what you want, and what your construction budget is before meeting with anyone, (include a 10-15% contingency for the unexpected). If you don't know what you want, buy some books or magazines with images of what you have in mind--this will help you communicate your ideas to your designer. 2. Hire a design professional (architect) or a design/build contractor, because a good plan doesn't have to cost more than a bad plan. If the changes are extensive there will likely be design approvals required, and a regular contractor likely won't be able to help you with those. 3. Hire someone with whom you are comfortable and can communicate with. A remodel can be a complex thing for a novice and being able to communicate well with your designer and/or contractor will make things go a lot smoother. 4. Talk with friends/relatives who have had work done on their home and ask them about their experiences. This will help you understand what may be in store for you.


The remodel you are planning sounds like a pretty major project, and I would definitely get an architect involved right from the start. They will either have a structural engineer on staff or have someone they work with. It is well worth the expense. I'd also recommend using a licensed contractor who has experience with this kind of project. We did an attic conversion a few years ago to add another floor of living space. We had to do some seismic upgrading and then decided to upgrade our kitchen at the same time, so it was a big project (we stayed in our house too). I am so glad we had an architect doing the design. It gets very complicated. In our case, we already had a contractor in mind who had done some work we liked in our neighborhood, McCutcheon Construction. They were able to give us a ballpark figure after doing a walkthrough and listening to our plan, so that helped us define better what the scope of work was going to be. They gave us names of several architects they had worked with in the past. We interviewed the architects and chose the one we liked based on the similarity of his previous projects to ours and frankly his pleasant personality (Gary Parsons). But you could go the other way too - pick your archtitect and ask him/her for recommendations for contractors. A lot of architects and contractors have websites you can look at, and there are lots of recommendations on the BPN website and other places, so start with a few and then start talking to people. Good luck with your project! Ginger


Process for planning a remodel and hiring a contractor

July 2007

We are in the initial stage of trying to find a contractor to remodel our kitchen and bathroom. I would love to get recommendations from folks who have had great experience with affordable contractors in the Oakland area. We are thinking of something nice, but not too elaborate, since the main driver for the remodel is to sell our house in a few years. I would also be interested in knowing the process you followed to plan the remodel and select a contractor or designer. In addition, is it worth the money to bring in a designer, or can a contractor help with the design concepts or should we bring in an experienced real estate agent who knows what would add the most value to the house? We are new to the game and are looking for any help/guidance. Thanks! Tony


Focusing on one part of your question, Remodeling magazine works together with Realtor magazine once a year to publish, metro area by metro area, the cost-benefit ratios for various types of renovations across the country. Nationwide, the annual survey of contractors finds that most renovations return about 80% of the cost of investment when you go to sell. (One way of thinking about this, they argue, is that your renovation costs only 20 cents on the dollar. Certainly there's lifestyle value in addition to the financial payback at work.) As you move to the Western Region and to the Bay Area, the ratios increase to 100% payback and then generally to about 115%-120% payback for various renovation projects here--some are below 100% and some significantly above. I have an electronic copy of the most recent stats for the Bay Area; email me if you'd like a copy.

I'd definitely suggest talking with a realtor to get a sense, for instance, if buyers would ''expect'' a certain level of finishes in your home's price range (granite or caesarstone vs. formica). Sometimes there are layout/functionality questions we can provide insight on--change-out the one bathtub in the house to a big shower stall? Open up this former utility space to a kitchen-family room combination or close it off to a home office? and so on.

But sometimes it makes the most sense to just do what you want to do--I have a client who just repainted her living room bright red. She loves it, and so what if her realtor will suggest that it be repainted before marketing?


Planning a green remodel in Moraga

Feb 2007

Hello, we want to remodel our Moraga home. We would like to find a contractor/architect that would have ''green'' experience and would help us minimize our environmental impact by working on ventilation, passive solar, insulation, use of recycled material... The challenge is that we are on a budget too! Ideas, examples, books and workshops are welcome. Thanks ''green-my-house''


Good for you for choosing to go green! I am an architect but am not able to do projects outside of my place of business right now (and my employer does not do single-family residential). Anyway, here are some links for you to try:

For finding a LEED-accredited professional (one with training and knowledge about green architecture, LEED is short for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)Use this link to get a directory of LEED-AP architects in California http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/AP/ViewAll.aspx?CategoryID=1306=1585

Also look for incentives from local utility companies for rebates for energy efficient improvements. They should have info on their websites. If careful, green design doesn't have to cost more, especially if financial incentives such as rebates are used - you also have to look at how quickly your payback may be.

Here is a local retailer of green products: http://www.greenfusiondesigncenter.com/

The Ecology Center in Berkeley has links to resources on their website: http://www.ecologycenter.org/directory/

SF Environment also has a resource directory: http://www.sfenvironment.com/aboutus/innovative/greenbldg/resource_guide/#job1

Beckie


Take a look at Dwell magazine. It's published in San Francisco, and focuses on environmentally friendly design, and sometimes features budget design. Since they are published locally, they tend to feature architects and designers from our area. Dwell Fan


I highly recommend Hyer Architecture. They are ecological architects and have worked on homes in the Berkeley and Lamorinda areas. I have two friends who have used them - one to build a house and one for a remodel. Very green. http://www.hyerarchitecture.com 702F Harrison St, Berkeley 510-527-1915 good luck!


I have a wonderful architect for you. Lyndsay Koch is a Certified Green Building Professional. We met her while she was working for the architect that designed our new home in Orinda. Lyndsay has now started her own architectural business and is doing excellent work. Although she is relatively young, she is very talented and has an incredible eye for design. Because she is just starting out, I'm sure she would be very reasonably priced. Rest assured though, you won't compromise quality. Definitely include her in your interviews - you'll love her. Please let her know that Laurie Dunn recommended her! You can also contact me if you'd like more info. Contact: Lyndsay Koch, Lyndsay [at] KochArchitecture.com; 510-903- 1104.
Laurie


I've been in the green building and sustainable business world for a long time. There are some good, reputable green remodelers around here, and there are many who are trying to move into this work and who have a ways to go in developing their knowledge and changing their work/materials/business paradigm. I recommend you write down clearly your needs, wants, priorities and budget. Then write down your requirements for a building professional(s)--not only their skills and special niche, also their working style and their crew (is foreign language acceptable to you?). Finally, assess your own interests and skills for overseeing such a project and decide what role you want to play. There are many resources available to enhance your learning. Barbara


Green contractor

Feb 2005

Not a specific recommendation, but I wanted to be sure you're aware of the Green Resource Center in Berkeley. They don't have the funds/staff to stay open regularly, but are open by appointment. I also find they are VERY responsive to e-mailed requests for information and resource referrals about all aspects of green building, remodelling, furnishing, etc. You can learn about them at http://www.greenresourcecenter.org/ (And use the contact link to e-mail). R.K.


Straw Bale Contractor

Oct 2004

We are considering building a small structure (one bed/one bath) in our backyard using straw bales. Can anyone recommend a contractor that has worked with straw bale construction? Does anyone know whether this type of structure is acceptable under Oakland building code? Any advice or experience you have with straw bale construction would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your recommendations. Oakland homeowner


Quantum Construction (510) 559-1080 builds straw bale homes. They can offer advice on building codes and other aspects of building with straw bales/natural materials. Their website is www.quantumconstruction.org. Melissa


I don't have a builder to recommend to you for your project, but I do have a couple of suggestions for finding one.

Truitt and White Lumber in Berkeley (841-0511) might be able to put you in touch with contractors who are experienced in that sort of construction. There is a group of builders who are practitioners of ''green'' building (sustainable and energy efficient) who meet there monthly. They are not directly affiliated with Truitt and White, but if you call and ask to speak to a salesperson in the Contractor's Office (where they sell to contractors rather than homeowners), you might get some names.

My other suggestion is to call the Ecology Center- they might have some referrals. They may have books on the subject, and check Builder's Booksource for books also.

Any experienced and licensed general building contractor will be able to give you all the information about codes and other such issues that you will need to plan your project. Good luck! Cecelia


Check-out the California Straw Bale Associations site: www.strawbuilding.org it has good building code and contractor/architect info. Skillfull Means is VERY well respected bale builder as is John Swearingen. I have worked with Michael Jacobs of Talia developments. he is great. He hired had a special straw bale foreman who had a lot of experience with the building system. Call the city directly and ask about code issues: do they have a perscriptive code (you can build with bales, but have to use their system precisely) or a performance code (you can build any way you like if your engineer certifies that you have met their structural design parameters). My understanding is that bale construction yields the most thermal benifits and energy savings in hot, dry climates. Do you want to use the system in temperate Oakland? Bale walls in earthquake country require lots of framing lumber and cement plaster (portland cement has very high embodied energy). You may want to consider other ''green'' systems more appropriate to Oakland climate, if ''green'' is your goal. anon


Where to start on the whole process?

October 2002

Hello; I am seeking advice and recommendations for the whole process of a remodel / addition to a small (1000 square feet) Berkeley home. Where would you start? How many different architects would you consult with? Does the contractor usually ''come with'' the architect, or do you separately hire an architect for the design, and then make the rounds of the contractors (again, how many to consult with?). Any books that helped you out at first? Thanks for any insights and recent recommendations you can provide.
Needing a little more space in Berkeley


I learned the hard way when I remodeled: 1. Get bids from 3 or 4 contractors. 2. My contractor did ''come with'' an architect and I was sorry I didn't know more to go out and find my own. Review the architect's portfolio. If his/her work doesn't fit your vision, find one whose work does. 3. Adding/changing features in the overall design plan after work has begun adds $$. Take your time when deciding what you want done. I ended up going out and buying my own hinges and window latches since they put brass and I wanted chrome. They never even considered consulting me and I was too green to think of such things. 4. Find out beforehand what their ''repair'' policy is. I had nailheads popping out of the sheetrock for 2 years after the fact due to the green wood used in framing. This is something that they should handle (and reluctantly did) but it continues to happen in the third year and they've washed their hands of me. I used Ken Winfield/East Bay Construction, by the way, a firm that has a good reputation and came highly recommended... Jennifer


My husband works with a contractor who is honest, dependable, and skilled. They have worked with others' architectural plans, and they also know of a couple of good architects they have worked closely with in the past. Might be worth a consultation. His name is Lee Grossman and his number is 707-539-5122. Cassi


Surviving a remodel

August 2001

We wanted to remodel our kitchen and make an addition: The project involved foundation/drainage/roof-work. We are also a budget-conscious growing family. We decided to forgo the architect as we had a very clear idea of what we wanted + had preliminary sketches from an architect-friend and decided to use a design-build contractor. Funds were secured with an equity line.

In mid 1999 we contacted the Traders Guild and got a few contractors' names. We interviewed several, clearly explained what our plan was, how we intended to reduce cost by contributing some unskilled labor (mainly foundation digging and demolition) and buying directly all big ticket items .We thought we found a contractor we could work with (name withheld). The contractor, in turn, recommended a designer.

The design process took 4 months, among many postponements, missed appointments etc. guess we could have already sensed that something was wrong. We got the the plans submitted them to the city, had to revise them, but finally got an approval. The contractor got the plans in March of 2000, kept them 5 months, until June, and came back with an estimate. We agreed that the price was acceptable, agreed on a start date (early July), agreed that my husband would have done demolition, dig foundation, agreed that we would have purchased cabinets/appliances/windoes and proceeded with the demolition BEFORE we signed the contract. That was the biggest mistake and we paid dearly for it. As we completed the demolition the contractor came back with a contract 40% more expensive than what originally discussed: in addition, all major works (roofing/drywall/hardwood floor/electrical) were on an allowance, and therefore subject to change. You would wonder what the contractor did for 5 months with the plans we gave him. Furthermore, the contractor said the he had no time for the job and we had to wait for 2 months, until end August, when a contract-foreman would have been able to supervise our job. At that point we had no kitchen, no laundry, no walls, 1/2roof: were stuck and had to continue.

From that on was just misery: the contractor, who had the plans for 5 months + did recommend the designer and consulted with him during the drafting process, suddenly decided that he did not like the construction plan and that he could not build what was designed. He proceeded with work (full roof demolition) without consulting us, or against our wishes with some added major expenses. He abandoned us to his unskilled laborers and to foreman who quit in the middle of all this without any warning. There was no attention and no commitment and no presence to the job: we did not see workers for weeks at a time, to the point that the city building inspector had to leave messages with our nanny. Oh yes, we had a 6 mos. baby and were still living in the house

The whole project, which was supposed to last for 2/3 month took 7 months and we finally called the end in January of 2001, even if we were not done. Every day we still find something that was done poorly/cheaply/sloppily. A 400lbs commercial range was left standing on one leg and one piece of carpet that caught fire the first time we turn the oven on. Walls, who were designed specifically to accommodate cabinets, were framed wrong, and we had to cut the cabinets. Window/patio doors were poorly installed and do not close, electrical had to be rewired, and we had to subcontract out roofing and hardwood floor because the original estimates were increased by 100%.

I could continue but I still get furious! The contractor was so out of tune that he had prospective clients call us for references! Last but not least, the contractor's wife left abusive messages on our answering machine because we were upsetting her sensitive husband We calculate this project costs us more than 50% of what planned in $$$ + a tremendous amount of grief: we hated the contractor, ourselves, and the stupid idea we had. Guess I am not in the position to give any advice: we thought we did our homework but clearly we did not, we ignored the early signs and were incredibly naive Yes, we made a mistake by not signing the contract before starting demolition but have been blatantly taken advantage of. In contrast with the other two postings, just be aware that not all remodeling turn out to be a dream job: nine months after saying goodbye to our contractor, we are still recovering from the anger and the frustration. -s


I am an architect and reader of the Berkeley Parent's Network. I read your horrible story and couldn't help but write you. Contractor's are licensed by a board in the state of California and this board receives complaints. While there are many contractors who are trustworthy and do excellent work, others shouldn't have a license. From the sound of your story, yours falls in the latter category. Enclosed is the web address of the State of California Contractor Licensing Board. Here you'll find information about lodging a complaint. I encourage you to do this if only to help save someone else from going through what you did. You may even be entitled to some of your money back depending on the type of contract you signed with your builder. Here's the web page:

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/cllrb_chapter04.html

Sincerely,
Eric Robinson
Architect