Anonymous wrote:The very high end architect who did the family room additon of our house before we bought it didn't bother to put Tyvek between the drywall and the wood siding. It rotted. We had to replace the whole bank of the house. They sucked!!!

The thing is that architects don't build houses, builders do. So if tyvek was left off your house, it's not the architects fault unless they didn't specify a water barrier in their drawings. And, the tyvek actually goes over the exterior sheathing and undernearth the wood siding not between the drywall and siding. And, if the siding was cedar, there should have been a drainage barrier such as cedar breather installed behind the siding to allow moisture that gets through the siding to drain away. Hopefully your new contractor added that when they rebuilt the wall.

Anonymous wrote:The very high end architect who did the family room additon of our house before we bought it didn't bother to put Tyvek between the drywall and the wood siding. It rotted. We had to replace the whole bank of the house. They sucked!!!

That sucks!

The very high end architect who did the family room additon of our house before we bought it didn't bother to put Tyvek between the drywall and the wood siding. It rotted. We had to replace the whole bank of the house. They sucked!!!

22:11 is the reason that most of you overpay, drastically.

Sure, there is a huge difference in quality, but there's no reason that a straight forward renovation with some high end materials should cost $500k. None at all.

I am a builder/remodeler.

First, ignore all feedback on DCUM regarding pricing; unless they have been to the site, seen plans and specs any feedback has no context.

What you just described happens all the time. I am usually the one with a 400k estimate and others are at 300k. So the question is why ? And it has to do with the contractors. Some contractors were raised on the idea that you hook the client. So when you see items missing in the spec, you say nothing. Master Bedroom closet with no details or allowance you say nothing. Different builder says ok - high end client - wife's closet - better put some dollars in - so he puts in 10k - why because he knows his trimmers will be there for two weeks, his painters will be there for two weeks, and he really doesn't feel like having a client that can't afford to finish his project. So he protects you and he protects himself. And that is probably why your gut is saying go with him.

I know a cabinet shop that does 10M a year of the high of the high - 1-2M millwork psackages. Well, not everyone can afford to write John a check - but once you do - you have no more problems. No nickle and diming, and he won't stop until you are happy. Well, only the truly wealthy can afford him. I was on the phone today with the mason that does all Michael Bloombergs' work. Guys that like often don't give prices. And they don't guoge.

So, I am working on a couple of bids right now and I know I will be high on some - low on others - but the one's I am low on is only because I am bidding against much bigger firms with more overhead and management. But if the two firms are about the same size, one guy is definitely planning on being there more, going to manage the job closeout, his subs are alot better. It's all around. And trust me you will tell from the finished job. I have had subs proudly show me their work trying to earn mine - and they don't know what they don't know. Exterior trim installed with the wrong fasteners, framing hangers not providing for the thickness of the hanger so your sheetrock is going to crack, they just don't know from good work.

I have had people tell me they wish they could afford me because they know of my integrity; they just can't get there and I am ok with that.

And one last thing, the skunks out there, hooking you with a low bid will not adhere to the specs. What are you going to do sue them because they go with lower grade lumber, lower grade floors, lower grade tile, you are never going to know but the job won't read nor telegraph like a high end job will. I had a floor guy trying to convince me to use him. I go his job, main hall and his floors are 1-3 feet long. I like we burn them to keep warm; we mill our own floors and they are 12-16 feet long. I tell them we cull for sap - he doesn't even know what it is - and he's showing me work in a 2M house.

Trust your gut.

Oh, and the other thing see if either will do open book management for a fee. This way they know they will make some money and you know you are getting value.

500k for a well done renovation as you describe seems reasonable. I know on our street in NW DC, there have been about5 renovations in the past 5 years, all generally similar scope, ranging from about 400k to almost $1M (total gut, big addition, high end).

Your renovation costs sound high even with high-end everything. Labor make up much of the total and I don't believe that pricer materials warrant much higher labor costs too.

Re windows, we spent about $40k on Marvin wood windows for 32 windows, some of which are unusual shapes (these are the most expensive) and at least 6 magnum (oversized) ones (the next most expensive). That's a lot of windows.