We determined that we wanted to go “Out” to expand the living quarters and “Up” to build a master suite, but we weren’t sure how much it would be to do either or both.  The person to eventually answer that question would be our architect.

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Once we decided that we would remodel to address our foundation issue, it was time to figure out the scope of our remodel.  Our home was built in the 1950’s.  Our home was a bi-level house with all the sleeping quarters built on top of the garage.  The living quarters were all downstairs on the first floor.  While determining the scope of the remodel we listed out priorities for remodeling.

1. expand the living quarters for our future family
2. create a master suite for us
3. modernize our interior - especially the kitchen
4. take more advantage of our view of the San Francisco Bay and canyon

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There are a bunch of general contractors here in the San Francisco Bay Area who label themselves as being “turnkey”.  What does this mean exactly?  It usually boils down to a combination of common selling points that they offer as part of their service:

1. little or no owner monitoring needed - we’ll call you if there is an issue otherwise we’ll take care of it
2. what we build for you will be in ready to use condition
3. we’re a one stop shop for all your needs for the entire construction process - i.e. design and build
4. incidentals outside of major scope changes will be taken care of that arise on the job

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The diagram below shows a contour map of our previous floor plan.  To create this map, a structural engineer walks around the first floor of your home with a fancy instrument called a manometer.  You can read more about contour maps and manometers from manufacturers like this one.  In our case, there was no high-tech device just a bucket of water, a yardstick and siphoned hose taped up against the yardstick.

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Contingency - 20%+

If you read any decent remodeling guide, almost all advocate setting aside or obtaining funds of at least 20% of your estimated remodeling budget in addition to whatever you determine to be your budget.  Some actually advocate even more anywhere from 30-40%.

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