Thank you guys! Not getting older just better... Floods !!!!!!!!!!!!! What a difference a year makes..
I know the feeling and the pain. Mine's gone like this: Feb. 2005: Sit down with contractor#1 and show him my plans for 22x24 1-1/2 story garage with unfinished upstairs (cad drawn nothing elaborate, I've built buildings before) to get estimate. He gives estimate that was near what I expected, says he can finish it by end of Mar. Calls a week later and says he needs architect to redraw plans and engineer to seal them for permit (found out later neither was required). Sit down with C#1's architect show him plans and even 1/4" scale model I did. Mar 2005: 4weeks of emails and phone calls results in receiving copy of first draft of plans. *&%$&* architect has completely redesigned the building! April 2005: 3 more redesigns before the architect finally gets the idea I want MY design, not his! and finally draws the original design, and bills me 800.00. May 2005: C#1 proudly brings contract by to sign, price has DOUBLED+! I say thanks but no thanks. May-Aug Our heavy racing season, my wife and I debate what to do (she wants garage as much as I do!). Aug 2005: Contact C#2 who puts up prefabbed houses and custom additions and garages. They send me a pack of stock plans for garages including a 24x24 1-1/2 story, prices printed in brochure, base + list of options, base price was less than C#1's first estimate. OK!!! I ask if they can raise rear roof to shed dormer to give 3/4 second floor. NO PROBLEM! Can they raise foundation for lift headroom? NO PROBLEM! Week later he calls with price with mods, still doable! OK I say when can you start? He says it's the busy season but he can start 1st week of Sept, complete in 4 weeks. I say 2nd week of Sept is our national championship races, could we start after we return? He says he used to race too, so NO PROBLEM! He says he'll have his guy there draw up the revised plans to submit for BP. NOW the problems start! I call about the plans once a week and get a different excuse why they're not done each time and a promise of a couple more days... BUT he is holding the start date for me as "racing buddy". Sept 05: Says they are swamped with previous jobs so they have hired another crew to help catch up, but the plans will be ready when we return and they can start x first of Oct. We get back from nationals and I call again. "Because of the hurricanes building material prices have skyrocketed, we can't build your garage for that price. Maybe in the spring prices will have come down again..." I say I need the garage up x thanksgiving, how much is the price now? "I'll figure it up and get back to you in a couple days..." Oct 05: No price, doesn't return my phone calls... scratch #2! Nov 05: Find C#3. He very much wants the job. I resite the garage so the driveway doesn't need to be moved to save h***les with city on cutting curbing. Have more room so increase size to 26x26. He comes back two days later with firm quote even lower than lowest of #1 or #2! Woohooo! Says he has full in-house crew can have it completed in 3 weeks from permit issued. Let's GO! His architect goes to work on the plans but runs into complications with the engineered joist people on second floor joists. 26' span would require 20" deep joists (VERY expensive) 12" on center. He tries several other truss manufacturers same deal. Finally he prices out a steel beam across center and common 2x10 joists, and finds it would be 2K cheaper than trusses! Ok, we're going again... Then he says that size beam would be cut from 28'er and 28' is a modular size so would I like the garage to be 28x28' instead of cutting everything down to 26'? How much? 790.00 for extra block and concrete and few extra studs. YES, I like these guys!!! It's now Thanksgiving week. Dec 2005: My lot is on a pretty good slope so needs a lot of grading. They quote me to do some additional needed grading while the equipment is there, Grading takes week and a half. All drawings are completed and permit applied for week before Xmas. Day before NYs get a call that city has rejected the permit for site plan. They interperate the code differently than written, so I need 25' or rear setback, not 9' as code specifies. (my lot is twice as wide as deep, so this is a problem with street setback!) We discuss options of applying for waiver, reducing the size etc. I decide we should sleep on it over new years weekend. I play on the computer all weekend and finally find a way to fit the garage (just!) by rotating it. We submit a revised site plan and it is approved! But now more excavating is needed to prepare the new site. The excavatiion and footing trenches are dug and inspection is called for. Inspector p***es footing, but notes a sealed survey is needed to verify setbacks since they are so close, before framing can start. They cancel the footing pour until the survey can be completed. Jan 18th 2006: Survey is supposed to be done today. rescheduled footing pour for Friday...
Looks great Petejoe! I liked the xmas decorations in the shell pic. Guess you got your gas plumbing straightened out by now
The Jalopy Journal
