Contractor- it really depends on the scope of the project + how much work do you want to do? Are you talking a major remodel or addition, or just a project here and there?

if you want to sit back and only make the big decisions, and babysit 1 person, don’t want to negotiate on price for each sub/items purchased and, and you are willing to pay a premium, then definitely go the contractor route. The few I’ve talked to charge 10-15% or more just to manage the project. So if your kitchen costs 50k, then they charge at least 5k just to oversee the ordering of cabinets, appliances, and install even if they don’t do the install. And I have found most want you to work with their subs/suppliers.

If you have specific plumbing, electrical, need a new roof, etc you can do this yourself if you have the time and the patience. I have found that you HAVE to be there for at least part of the time to check up on work/quality/progress. No matter how great the reputation. And you have to be willing to get multiple bids and compare what each one bids.

You should expect:
1. get widely varying quotes, confidence levels on doing the work- i call this sandbagging so they can charge you more, i won’t hire someone who is wishy washy about whether they can do the job or start talking too much about the unknown once they start on a relatively simple project (like fixing venting or windows)
2. go back and forth between quotes to ask questions about differences, and potentially beat em up on price
3. workers /contractors to be flaky and unreliable including – not show up entirely, not be on time, not get you a bid in a timely fashion, not complete the work in timeframe estimated. i highly recommend you always confirm via text message the day before as to time/date of appt- especially if you are taking off work to accomodate. can’t tell you how many time ppl didn’t show up or showed up an hour late.
4. get sloppy with their work – you likely have to ask them to fix something, redo something, or catch something they said they would do, that they are charging you for, but do not do.

Also for handyman type projects- you can find people who just charge you for the labor- and you pay all the materials. This is one way to not pay the markup. The materials however might mean you buy a lot more of something you only need a small amount of that you’ll likely not need again. Sometimes its more cost effective, other times its marginally less expensive, but not worth the hassle to track all the receipts.

With any and all of this, GET it all in writing- down to the nitty gritty. Sometimes this means YOU need to write up your expectations/understanding of the scope of the project if the service provider doesn’t – down to how many layers of paint someone is applying. Because most of these guys are not organized. And they will forget, so its best just to get everyone to agree, and then there is no disagreement- just wave an email in front of them.

Estate attorney: I haven’t personally used him but several friends have.
Dan Morrin
858-541-1777

CPA- very reasonably priced
Richard Bruno
(619) 275-0511

Code wise, you need a permit to do all kinds of things in your home. A kitchen or an addition – yeah you definitely need a permit because there is usually structural or electrical outlets/ plumbing being moved or entirely redone.

That said, I’ve seen a TON of home when we were looking that have additions done without permits. Some were clearly not done well. If you have the money, then hire a general contractor with a good rep, and he will handle pulling the permits. It will add cost, but it just is what it is. I’m not advocating either way, its ultimately what you are comfortable doing/ how much risk tolerance.

I don’t know what style your home is – craftsmen, spanish, etc? but if you want your home to be architecturally consistent or period, you should look for a GC that does a lot of work and can build /remodel to account for such.

If you have an old home and has NOT been updated specifically, and you are redoing a kitchen or bathroom, its a good time to have your contractor go through the plumbing and electrical and make sure its updated. You’re already ripping the entire damn thing out, you might as well make sure your plumbing/sewage isn’t going to fail on your beautiful new bathroom / kitchen. So while it costs more, I believe you will save in the long run + make an investment in your home if you plan to stay there.

With a kitchen, like I stated above, some contractors will want you to work with their cabinet vendor. Personally I like to have choice – because that means either I can shop for quality/design/have more choice but also that means I can ensure the pricing for things like cabinets are competitive. Because I negotiate in my day job, i’m pretty good at it, so I like to do my own negotiating when making large purchases. If you’re like me, you may need to find a GC who’s ok with this.

If you do opt to work directly with suppliers – have your GC order the product for you once you agree to terms/pricing if they will be the ones installing them. Whoever is doing the install of anything that requires specificity down to the inches should do the measurement and do the ordering.

If your kitchen remodel doesn’t mean reconfiguring your entire kitchen/walls, etc you can also consider IKEA…they have a range of cheap to more expensive materials. i know several people who’ve done really nice IKEA kitchen. they have a team who come out to measure your kitchen and work with you to customize. it was significantly cheaper than going the GC / custom cabinet route.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Make certain that the GC is licensed and that the license is current and in good standing. The CSLB, Contractors State License Board, will have this information, including any claims against the GC, as well as complaints.

For permitting, contact the County of San Diego and they’ll walk you through the necessary permits and navigating plan check. It’s been a while, but if memory serves, their offices are off Ruffin Road. It can be a major pain in the ass, but around your 20th phone call and tenth visit, things start flowing more smoothly. If you choose to have a GC honcho your project, the permitting should be included for all phases of work that require it.

The advice about staying on top of the GC is excellent. I’m in engineering and work with a wide variety of GCs, subs, vendors and suppliers. You learn the hard way to watch them all like hawks.

Do your homework and READ THE FINE PRINT ON EVERYTHING, especially the bids and quotes and statements of work.[/quote]

All good advice Allan, except the permitting location. That is good advice for YOU (in Fallbrook) but NOT for the OP. He stated his property is located in the City.

http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/index.shtml

Pigg UCGal would know a lot more about the ins and outs of this bureaucracy.

I myself have hired a couple of GCs in the past but they were only GCs in their specialty. I hired them for ONE type of job only. I have never done any interior remodeling which required a permit or worked with any GC overseeing multiple projects.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]BG: Well, c’mon, anyone who is anyone lives in Fallbrook![/quote]
BG is right. LOL. It’s development services he’ll be dealing with if he’s in the boundaries of the City of San Diego.

Advise for hiring a contractor.

– Check their license status on the CSLB website.
https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/checklicense.aspx

While you’re on there – click on the bond history. If you see a change in bond companies, in the middle of a n annual period – this is a potential red flag. It indicates their old bond company might have paid out and cancelled them. Ask direct questions and verify the answer they give you.

Also while you’re on there – look to see if they are paying workers comp. If they claim they have no employees – but they are telling you to talk to their staff… that means they are skirting the rules… if they are fast/loose with these rules, it’s a red flag that they might ignore other rules/laws.

Now check to see if they’re being sued, or have recently been sued.
http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Click on the find a case link – check their corporate name, their individual name, etc. If they are involved in any lawsuits – this is a possible red flag – ask pointed questions and verify their answers (by talking to opposing party if necessary).
(We would have saved a LOT of money if I’d followed this advice….)

Now – check their lien history. You’re looking for judgements against them (from suppliers, subs, etc). You’re also looking to see if they file a lot of mechanics liens. Both are red flags. Check both the individual name and the corporate name.
http://arcc.co.san-diego.ca.us/services/grantorgrantee/search.aspx

Finally – make sure the contract does not call for arbitration. If the opposing party doesn’t pay their portion of the arbitration fees – you’re out of luck. Insist on having any contractual dispute resolution be handled in court.

(I learned all of the above the hard way. It was a very expensive lesson.)

As far as estate attorneys… I recommend Christina White (nee Krywucki) of Ruyle and Brewer law firm.
Christina K. White
(619)-291-5958 ext #4
[email protected]
http://www.rr-lawyers.com/attorneys_Christina.htm

Our family has used her to set up trusts, probate estates, etc.. She’s excellent about advising on tax issues with estates.