Can anyone recommend a good general contractor in Los Angeles?
Question:My honey and I want to add a 500 sq. ft. addition to our home. Flat lot, nothing fancy (one room, one bathroom), so it should be simple, right -- wrong! Many of the contractors we have spoken with are too expensive (one said it would be a minimum of $500k) or too arrogant (seriously - how hard is it to return phone calls!) or are not interested in jobs that small. Please only recommend someone that you hired and loved. I already have a vast collection of contractor horror stories from friends.
Answers:
Was that five HUNDRED thousand, or Fifty thousand? If it was $50k, you're right in line. Typically construction costs run $100-150/sq ft. If you're spec'ing a lot of expensive materials, you might double or triple that. But I can't imagine how you'd get $1,000/sq ft building on a flat lot.
There are a lot of flakey contractors out there. But if you're getting the brush off from everyone you talk to, I wonder if you're coming across as a difficult client (nothing personal - I don't know you). Contractors tend to avoid clients who come across as overly demanding, or have unrealistic expectations, or simply can't make up their mind. Projects with clients like this run over budget and over schedule, and every one walks away unhappy.
Make sure you have a clear idea of what you want, and that you can express it clearly (pictures are great!), AND that you and your husband are both on the same page -- a couple that can't agree at the start of the project is a big red flag for a future failed project. Make sure you have a realistic understanding of the costs and time lines involved, and that you're prepared for the chaos that a remodeling project will create in your lives for the next 2-6 months.
I haven't found one yet, but I'm looking too. Don't give up. They are out there. If not, you could do it yourself! Necessity is the mother of invention.
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