Do I need a General Contractor?

Surely you are not serious? I suppose next question will be I am having a heart attack - do I need a doctor?
I suppose yes you can manage the project yourself, just as you could read some books and figure out what tablets to take for a heart attack, but then you will get what you pay for and will have only yourself to blame (or credit) for the end result.

really? you're comparing renovating with heart surgery?

hmmn. you fuck up the renovation...you're out some money.

you fuck up heart surgery?

I would recommend to hire a GC. This is a small job, shouldn't cost much. I can recommend someone who is good with this type of work and with very reasonable fee.

Karhu, thanks for your response. Do you have a ballpark estimate as to what it could cost? And yes, I would appreciate if you could share your recommendation!

columbiacounty, get back to the deer, the police and the Taconic. Given your situation, you really shouldn't be giving medical advice.

The bathroom renovations might be more involved than you think. Check your building's requirements when replacing hardware. Some buildings require you replace all plumbing back to the risers. If you have to do this, it can turn into a gut job pretty quickly.

I think you should use a GC.

Not necessarily GC-level job, but it all depends on how easy your building is to work with.

You can contact Dennis from Expert Remodeling dennisfl79@hotmail.com . I can't speak for him about the price but I know people are happy about it. I think he'll do a good job for you based on your discription.

Doesn't the answer to this depend on whether approvals/permits are required for these kind of renovations? Which, in turn, depends on the requirements of the building management/board?

Korenmcc,

I have been a GC for 15 years, it is a very difficult business. It took me years to find great realiable subs. I would say if you didn't work, an shave renovated before maybe you can but it is not like the shows you might see on tv.

go with a GC

estimatorr at msn com

how about finding a person/contractor to do this work. there does not seem to be anything specific, plumbing/electric/etc, being done, so any competent contractor will be able to have his guys do it.

This could go either way, depending mostly on your building's regulations. Like the other poster said, if you have to replace bathroom fixtures all the way back in the wall, then you want to get a general contractor to manage everything.

Also if the windows are a pain for the type of AC units you go with, that can be a bit of planning and work.

Best wishes!

Phil Mathis
Mathis Custom Remodeling

korenmcc,

This job is straight forward for a GC as most people are posting. The bathroom vanity is the only area of work that requires more work than you may think (plumbing, tile).

Contact me if you would like an estimate, I would be glad to assist you: stephen@capitalcraftsmen.com 516.487.6097

www.capitalcraftsmen.com

A good contractor with reliable sub-vendors is worth his/her weight in gold. Do you really want to have to interview subs for each element of your job?

Koren,

I am acting as my own contractor (and sometimes laborer) on a much larger project than the one you described. It is incredibly time consuming, but i enjoy the work. Ultimately, whether or not you can do this depends on how capable and knowledgeable you are? Have you ever done any renovation work before? If not, managing 10 projects may not be the best way to start. Moreover, if you can't speak the language, every sub will know you know nothing and they will probably take advantage of you. It will also depend on how motivated you are. Do you actually want to do this? As I said before, its incredibly time consuming. You will need to speak with multiple people about each job. I'm constantly on the phone and having people over. I am also constantly doing research online. If you just want the project done with as quickly as possible, don't GC yourself.

Nintzk

I suppose that then explains some of your comments and questions to this forum. And you are supposedly knowledgable on this matter so what hope would a novice have? Even though you are more knowledgable, I suspect a sub- will easily seee through you, as one sort of can in the questions you asked compared to the responses from the contractors on this board.

Ability to self contract depends also on what else you do in your day (i.e. job). Most of us wont be able to make loads of phone calls to multiple subcontractors and pay multiple visits to the work between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm. Also no one is costing one's time and effort here. I bet you when you work it out, you are saving little and may be better of using the effort and time to 'do another (non-contracting) job' assuming that saving (i.e. earning) money is the goal. In working out our endeavours, we often presume our own time and effort comes for free - it does not.

I have found fawning ignornance is among the best way to get information. A lot of the questions I ask, I have a pretty good idea of what the answer is, I just want to make sure. And yea, a lot of times subs see through me, but once you become familiar with the job and how much it should cost you can eventually find someone who will do it for that price.

But I agree, if you have a full-time job that pays well, contracting yourself may just not be worth it.

I would like to add the hiring the right subs is just the beginning. That's the easy part. Now comes the problems. If you have not run any projects before you will have many problems with ordering the proper fixtures. Many times my clients have purchased shower body's online to find out later they only purchased the trims, that is just one example. . Another major problem one can have when acting as a gc is the subs loyalty. My subs have been with me for years and they wouldn't dare to leave my projects to do someone else's. If any of the trades can make good money on another project they might put your job on hold.

That is just reality,