Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Sep 08, 2011 10:11 pm Good evening people.... (edited original post to make it a bit simpler....)
After two rough/ball park figures please : 1) what it might cost to knock out some of our back wall (weatherboard) and replace it with timber framed french doors (ie, two panels of opening doors). We currently have two sets (4 doors) already - and in between there is plasterboard wall (weatherboard external) - but we'd like to put in another set of french doors to open the back right up and give us full view of outside no matter where we are in the room. Also, who do we contact to build/quote? Would we/should we arrange to have the doors made ourselves/directly and then just get a builder/carpenter to install? Or would we leave it to the builder/carpenter to arrange to have the doors made? We just don't want to pay unnecessary mark up to the middle man - but will do whatever is the best way of dealing with it. and 2) we are also thinking of extending the same back wall out by about 1m (length of wall approx. 6m). Of course this is a much larger job... but again... can anyone give me a rough price of what we could expect. Would it be under $10k? between $10k and $20K? More than 20K. As I said, we are weatherboard, on stumps (not slab). No plumbing or major works required, simply (?) pushing back the back wall. Currently the back area is an extension and that part of the roof is a flat tin roof/extension so no re-jigging of roof lines required, and, currently the roof extends about 1.5m beyond the back wall so we wouldn't even have to extend the roof - it would just mean less eave/shading. We really want to add the third set of french doors but just not sure if we should do the mini extension while we are at it. Of course we will get quotes, but just wondering ball park what we might be up for. HHCIB Re: Rough price, please? And who to quote.... 3Sep 11, 2011 1:55 pm Thanks for the reply Builda, but wow, $20-$30k is a bit more than I was hoping . (Maybe $20k at a push ) but even then it's a lot of money for not a huge job... but I understand it's not necessarily as 'simple' as I may think. When I first posted, I mentioned the roof would need extending (flat roof) but I was just looking at it and realised that the roof line is already extended well past where we would finish the wall (currently it is a very deep eave over the deck) so we wouldn't have to redo the roof at all - how much would that affect your estimate?? Any one else got any ball park idea or is $20-$30k a fair quote. And anyone got an idea on just adding the french doors but leaving the wall as is?? HHCIB Re: Rough price, please? And who to quote.... 4Sep 11, 2011 8:54 pm I haven't given you a quote, but after having done this sort of work for 20+ years I have given you a ballpark estimate so that you can ensure you can fund it before you race off and get drawings done - it is just a gut feel. If you only have $20K then you will need to minimise the amount of structural extension work. If only replacing the doors then a lot cheaper but if the door frame width is wider than what you currently have then you will need to reframe the wall as well. Yes, these 'little' jobs are complicated to get right. Builders are people too.... Re: Rough price, please? And who to quote.... 5Sep 12, 2011 7:36 am Thanks builda. I understand it wasn't a quote but a ball park figure. It just took me by surprise to see that it could possibly be $30k depending on the work required. I appreciate you lending your experience and giving me the rough figure I was asking for. Further, I guess I was just asking, that if we didn't have to change the roof line, would you think that would bring the cost down considerable, or marginally? (not in the sense of you 'quoting' as it may have sounded). And spot on - I wanted to get a ball park before we did get drawings done because I don't want to spend 'however much' on drawings just to find it out that it was never ever going to be an option for the price. I don't even know how much it costs to get drawings done... but I an imagine like anything else, it's not cheap. As for the doors, no, the two (sets) that we currently have will remain, we just wanted to add a third set of doors in between the existing two. Thanks again. HHCIB I was being kind to the builder. With the amount charged for the upgrade the builder is probably charging closer to 100% margin. There are a few variables as I… 5 14314 Hi, you've probably already resolved this, however, Commbank will probably pay the funds to you after you send evidence the work is done regardless the change in the quotes. 1 35326 Just to makea point about this, an approach that some people have found sucessful in negotiating these rises down, Is to provide some workings to the builder, specifying… 4 81715 |