Plan of Action
Contractors will only be able to
give you a very general estimate based on what you want. Without plans
you can not get a very accurate bid. The more detailed the plans, the
more accurate you can expect the bid to be. You will need to have
drawings of the entire house, not just the addition. The city engineers will want to see professional calculations on even
minor structural details to ensure proper seismic retrofitting. Remember, they
ultimately have to bear the burden of lawsuits for injuries and/or loss of life
in a serious earthquake, so they do take this quite seriously! They are not
inclined to excuse anyone out of ignorance either.
To get plans you can hire a building designer, residential designer or
architect who specializes in residential remodels and home additions. If this
is your dream remodel, you should seriously consider working with a
professional Interior Designer as well. Between all of these specialists you
can more carefully determine the materials, fixtures and finishes which will
fit your budget while drawing up the plans.
Be sure to choose your architect carefully. Make sure he will be
available after handing you the drawings. For at this point, those plans will
have to stand up to the scrutiny of the city Plan Check Department. Be prepared
for a few more months of changes, corrections and additions which will mean
getting to know many in the department on a first name basis. It is only after
the plans have been approved and stamped that you will be directed to the Permit
Department. Don't think that the architects job is done even at this point. The
plan check department may still have overlooked a specific item and need your
architect to draw a change, even after the job is begun. So your architect
needs to be available, sometimes at a moments notice. It's a wonder this
doesn't happen more often than it actually does, given the thousands of pages
of architectural drawing the planning department must study on any given day.
Understand that you will want to have made your major decisions
regarding design, before your plans have been stamped. If you make major changes afterwards it can
add quite a bit of extra costs for new Engineering calculations, Architectural
renderings and extra permits--to say nothing of the extra time and money on
your part. If the General Contractor is
already involved as well, be prepared for the Change Orders which are sure to
follow.