8 Remodeling Costs That Might Surprise You

feeny Unexpected kitchen remodeling "cost": weight gain from all the eating out. I put on 10 lbs. the summer we renovated our kitchen.

susanlily Having your pets about during a remodel is stressful for them and you. We put up an interior screen door at the end of the hallway furthest from all of the remodel action so that our kitties could stay home, but safe! This gave them two bedrooms and bathrooms to do their things, like hide under the bed!

radgirl Other things that caught me on my remodel: door knobs (updated entire house to match new addition), towel bars, and cabinet hardware. The contractor also didn't include attic insulation in his bid. Also, include a plush fund for new organizers, towels, soap dishes etc for your new bathroom.

mama2ja The Smoke alarms got me - I finished my basement and the inspector insisited on smoke alarms for the entire house. not at all pleased!!! My "Surprise"" cost - cleaning out the air ducts after drywall went up! Didn't think of that one!!

mrsben EXCLLENT article!
I am going to add --- Do your homework as not everything is worth recycling. ie: If putting in a new hardwood floor, sometimes it is just easier and cost effective to replace your old baseboards then to try and recycle and/or match-up what you have. Weigh your options!

Linda If you manage your own construction projects, be prepared for material handling costs and find out whose responsibility it is to have the materials delivered to the needed location. Some clients want to buy their own hardwood flooring, but many independent contractors depend on a small markup on material to cover the costs of getting the material onsite. If you are on a tight budget and have the muscle power available, offer to assist in unloading and shifting materials. If your flooring installer adds a material handling fee, ask for it to be a set amount, not a percentage of the material costs since carrying a bundle of ipe or walnut, costs no more than moving oak.

Items like appliances are often delivered to the end of the driveway, and have to be moved around and stored until installation. If you tell the contractor that you are buying new appliances, discuss this before getting a bid so there are no hard feelings when the contractor thinks he is finished his work but you don't have a final project. That also applies to hardware upgrades, cabinet organizers, towel bars, curtain rods, hanging pictures, moving area rugs and such other tasks. Individually it doesn't take long to hang a picture, but if you have a number of such tasks, your contractor doesn't want to donate half a day to such "honey do" projects to collect his final payment, especially if he hadn't included that time in his original bid.

ecanakes We just completed a family room remodel. It came in over budget because they planned to put stone over the brick fireplace, but it was determined that there weren't enough supports behind the current fireplace so the entire thing had to be torn down and steel supports installed. Also, when new windows were installed, water damage was found behind the siding. We love the end look, but it added over $5,000 to the project.

tremain37 Installing new satin nickel fixtures in your remodel? The brass ones in the rest of your house will have to go... and the doorknobs, hinges, ball catches, door stops and surface bolts! Old paint look dull compared to the new? You'll need to paint those rooms, too. But by far the biggest added expenses will start with the words "While we're at it..."

newmouse Wear and tear caused by having so many contractors in your home can add to the costs. When we remodeled our master bath, we hadn't intended on replacing our (5 year old) bedroom carpeting. But in spite of attempts to keep the carpet covered with drop clothes and brown paper, the amount of dust and debris particles that ended up in the rug and pad necessitated a replacement.

gillianne It's not necessary to match all materials throughout a house or even in the same room unless that's your particular aesthetic. If that's your preference, rather than replacing everything, consider good ol' spray paint, which can work wonders in transforming hardware from brass, for example, to satin nickel and is surprisingly durable. My spray-painted fixtures for a hammered copper vessel sink (stopper and visible below-counter plumbing) are still going strong. A clear coating over painted doorknobs will extend the paint job's life for these workhorse fixtures.

Live Oak Well, there is the "new" lead regulation. Instead of the common sense that only the painting job is affected, actually almost any demolition, carpentry, plumbing work kicks in the regulation. My guess is that less than 1% is following the procedures. Earthquacke shutoff valve, sewer latteral, trash, are only a few items that may add to the bottom line. A fairly "precise" budget is something like this: $XX,000 for the remodel (very first estimate), plus 30% for other items like change of order, city/county design request, etc. The first number discussed with the contractor will be off by a large amount when you have the final plan with city stamp. Still add a large margin, maybe 15-20% after final plan approved. AFter doing several remodels in my own properties, I don't know how contractors can give a firm number based on a plan. As we move along the work, several problems arise, and they require immediate attention. A tight budget is an open door to constant change of order or cheating from the contractor. On the other hand, a large estimate from a contractor may not do any good if any rotten wood behind the drywall/plaster will become an extra cost. Ask the person to add time for expected defects behing the wall, like adding new subfloor or some framing problems in the wet areas. No problems behing the wall? Good, credit for the other problems that will come.

sdunleavy My simple 1960's raised ranch has turned out to be the house of hidden horrors! Every improvement we have attempted has revealed something. Mold, faulty wiring, asbestos. The latest was when our plan to vault the living room ceiling & add skylights was scrapped because we discovered the existing rafters were not up to code. Too bad some of these things were not discovered at the home inspection 8 years ago!

Talianko Design Group, LLC Something else to keep in mind is the time budget for your remodeling project. It is a good idea to add 30-50% more time for completion. By doing this, you will relieve stress and disappointment when you are not finished when you expected to be. There are just too many unknowns that can be uncovered during the process.

ikwewe We had plumbing nightmares throughout our revival of a 1963 time capsule that had not been lived in for at least five years. Major excavation to repair broken sewer pipes, new pipes in kitchen and bath, new disposal, serious work to unclog toilet lines and repair toilets, power snake to clear line between kitchen and bath, major repairs on sprinkler system...

crayons A friend of mine who is in the industry summed it up for me: A smart contractor knows exactly what to put in the quote and exactly what to leave out.
As the project goes along, additional tasks will be found that will add to the costs, and some things will be done to the most basic level only... anything more wasn't included in the quote. Then, if you want it finished, pay up.
In my reno: a "finished closet" did not include a floor!! They left it as raw plywood!! Stairs to the basement with no railing, and other nice surprises.
Next time I will make the quote include every possible detail.

Talianko Design Group, LLC I always watch to see if the contractor who is being considered is taking good notes. This is a good sign the bid will be detailed and comprehensive. You should ask for the bid to include line items and not just one lump sum.

cmacdon To many to mention so far our 6 week renovation has turned into 6 months and I anticiptate several more. When digging up the floor to add a sewer line for the new laundry room we noticed standing water under the house. The sewer lines were leaking in several places throughout the house they all had to be replaced which meant all flooring had to be removed and cement had to be trenched up in nearly every room in the house.

When we opened up the bathroom drywall we found termites had eaten through the studs so bad in that section of the house that all the 2 x 4's had to be replaced and the corner of the house was sagging so it had to be jacked up.

When we tore the counters off the cabinets to put on new countertops they collapsed like match sticks. Of course if we were replacing the cabinets now we needed to replace the older appliances, flooring etc. for a complete remodel.

Inside the walls we found left overs from a house that had sat vacant before we bought it - Dead rodents and bees. According to the neighbors bees had taken up residency in the house we have found thousands of them in the walls, insulation, stove pipe, behind the cabinets. Everywhere. So we are removing most of the drywall and insulation in the house to clean it out.

I could go on and on but you get the point from my new money pit! PS husband was doing the remodel himself as a former contractor but we have now had to hire workers to come in to help haul off cement, drywall, pipes, cabinets etc. Labor and dump fees are now adding to mix.

BY DESIGN Builders As a design/build contractor we really appreciate all these realistic comments.
With remodeling there will always be the unexpected. It's not our fault, we didn't build the original home. It's not your fault, you couldn't have known what was hidden when you bought your home. Some things can be anticipated, but some can not.
The number one thing we see that costs homeowners extra unexpected funds during a remodel is discovering what was done improperly by the previous owner(s). Hidden junction boxes and code violations are huge where unlicensed remodels are prevelent. It is a shame, but it is the reality. The person before you may have gone on the cheap and their penny-pinching could cost you hundreds or thousands.
The best thing a homeowner can do is select their professional (designer, contractor, etc) by verifying credentials and references and build a strong relationship.
You don't meet with three attorneys, presenting your legal issue and request three separate line item bids. You want them to handle your case and do it right for you. Some attorneys charge $150/hr and some $250/hr. Your selection should be based on the big picture, not a line item. Reality is that the $250/hr attorney just might handle your case in 4 hours instead of the $150/hr attorney taking 8 hours to do the same job, and the more expensive attorney just might make the process much less stressful too.
Have you heard of a 4 month remodel taking 6 months or 8 months? Sometimes lack of experience is the cause. It may look like less money upfront (line itmes), but when you are still writing checks 2 months past completion date, it may be you are paying much more than the higher priced professional you didn't select.
There are good contractors and bad, no doubt.
The best advice is to select your contractor because you get along well with them, they listen to your needs, take notes, communicate well, have an excellent success rate and a long list of happy clients. You want to be one of their happy clients as much as they want to make you a happy client.
The following photos show just a few of the number of unexpected code violations and issues we recently discovered in just one condo renovation. It's not our fault, we're just the messenger (and the fixer).

lechezz I call 'em the "might as well" costs... Things that just make sense to do because you already have the mess and the area opened up... example: We had to insulate and sheet rock one wall in our garage because of the little man cave we added on at one end of the garage. Since the garage was emptied out... our "might as well" costs were, insulating and sheetrocking the other three walls and the ceiling, of course then there was the floor... we "might as well" put one of those floor coatings down now while everything is out. Then you look at the window.... the blinds look pretty shabby now... "might as well" get some new blinds. And you know NOW... I am looking at our nice Gorilla shelves at the back of the garage... thinking hmmm a wall of cabinets would sure look good there. Yep.. it's the "might as well" that gets US every time!

joezero As a property claims adjuster, I often see claims come through for some of the hidden damage that gets discovered during remodel projects. Especially if you have an older home, it really pays to know your insurance coverages and to select a policy that is best suited to your home.

There was a comment above about discovering plumbing leaks below the slab. While most homeowners policies don't cover plumbing repairs, many do cover the cost of accessing the source of the leak and the associated reconstruction. This means that if you have to demolish your tile floor, jackhammer the slab, and excavate below the home in order to access the leak, your insurance may pay for everything (including the reconstruction) except the plumber's labor and materials for the pipe itself (which is a small fraction of the total cost of the repair).

Similarly, most policies exclude long term deterioration, such as the damage to the chimney shown in the photo above. However, some policies have endorsements or provisions that provide coverage if the damage was in a hidden area (i.e. inside a wall) and others place little or no requirements on duration.

The key is knowing and understanding your policy. If you call your insurance about damage, they'll let you file a claim even if they doubt there's coverage (and the person taking your call likely doesn't have access to your policy or understand it and will tell you that you'll need to file a claim and then your adjuster can review the policy with you). They have an obligation to inspect the property and confirm that the damage is caused by something that is excluded before they tell you it isn't covered.

Know your deductible and if necessary ask your contractor for an estimate for the additional repairs to decide if it's worth filing a claim. Insurance is intended to cover repairs for damage that is sudden, unexpected, and for which you would otherwise not have the available resources to pay for yourself. If you're knee-deep in a renovation and suddenly find hidden damage that will add thousands to the bottom line, that may be the emergency situation you had insurance for in the first place.

Susie Q Design Studio If you DIY you can expect to have to buy a new tool or two to accomplish the job successfully. My new "free" vanity counter top made from reclaimed lumber cost me about $55 bucks when I had to buy three pole clamps and use a borrowed biscuit joiner to put the thing together. Spray paint, sand paper, the proper brush, caulk, masking tape, drop cloths, wood filler, wood glue, etc., etc..... they all add up. My counter top turned out lovely but it goes to show that even a "free" project rarely stays free.

engineerchic I think the "while we're at it..." costs can be curtailed if you know when to say when. Sure, in the grand scheme of a $100k remodel it seems like small money to upgrade the baseboards for a mere $700, and the window & door casings for another $700, and go with the lights you love for $450 each instead of the $150 version.

I think it's wise to know what aspects really matter to you - if you can't recall the baseboards in anyone else's home, then maybe it's not worth the $700. Maybe you're better off putting that toward hardwood stair treads because you always notice when carpet is worn on stairs (my pet peeves are windows with the grilles between the glass and cheap doorknobs).

Realize that you don't need to have it all to love the results. And when in doubt, factor in the cost to change it at a later time. Windows are expensive to change, doorknobs are not.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Excellent reminders. thanks!

dancingfish Like Leachezz said-- the might as well costs do add up. Just like moving.. there are added expenses because the trash can from your last kitchen just doesn't look good in the new one. lol

paulfilms Something you might need to consider (add to the Building Code Quirks). Our driveway is too long and narrow for a firetruck to turn around, so we were required to put in a "whole house" sprinkler system to the tune of $8,000.

Cori Halpern, BAA Int. Des., NCIDQ Because sometimes "stuff" just happens....I have often found this to be true if previous work has not been done properly. Then you have to redo the original work, in order to proceed with the new project!

grammielinda Never ending bills from our architect. Last week it was another $300 because the county had to ask him a question. As we are nearing the end of our project we thought we were finished paying him!

Upgrades......so hard to resist. I hate the "B" word! (Budget)

Wendy Hoechstetter Sometimes remodeling one part of a house can actually trigger a required code upgrade somewhere else that's nowhere near the area you are working on, and totally unrelated. I'm putting off certain changes I'd like to make in my own home right now, for example, in part because they would trigger a requirement to essentially rebuild my fireplace - at the other end of the house.

There is no way to know in advance if you are going to find the hidden nightmares, but a good designer/architect/contractor (and you should involve all three right from the start of your project, and have them working together) ought to know between them about these kinds of major code triggers in your area, and/or find them out early in the process and let you know up front, well before demolition begins. If you can change the remodeling plans while they are still on paper to avoid these kinds of things, that's a lot easier to do - and likewise, you'll have the cost of them already built in to your plan if you do want to move forward anyways. Not all changes can be known up front like this, but some rather large ones certainly can.

While you definitely should be sure to budget extra time and money for the hidden issues, the best way to control costs on a remodel is to specify *everything*, in complete detail, down to the hardware to be used (including door hinges and doorstops) and edges on your countertops, *before* you solicit bids - and then don't make midstream changes once you get started.

Because of the degree of detail that goes into a remodel, many contractors are now charging for giving an estimate, because putting together a complete estimate takes a great deal of time and expertise. Go with this instead of the freebie, because it will be a much more accurate estimate - which in turn will save you money and time.

A really reputable contractor will not be be out to deliberately leave things out to catch you out on down the road, because he will take pride in doing his jobs on time and on budget, and will work hard to be sure that everything foreseeable is included up front.

Also, be sure you hire the right contractor for your size job. A firm that specializes in multimillion dollar remodels of homes that are tens of thousands of square feet may have far different project management systems in place than guys who do smaller projects most of the time. Even if the big guy will take your much smaller job, you will likely end up paying for many layers of supervision that are simply not necessary on your project. Likewise, the little firm may not be able to muster the resources to stay on top of a much larger project than they usually work on.

When you do make changes once the job has started, be sure that none of them are done without signed change orders - and keep careful track of them, because those small $400 or even $150 changes can add up to big money really fast.

samandella My rotten contractor hadtheheat blasting and the gas fire place 24/7. I was on strict bed rest pregnant with my twins at my sis's across town. Idiot husband never checked after work. He lived at his moms. A 9 mos time frame turned into 14. The bills were horrific when we finally received them (they were lost). I wish we had this six years ago. Good article