My wife and I hired an architect to draw up plans and had local contractors bid on a two-car garage addition in 2006. After receiving bids well above what we had budgeted ($33,000 - $55,000), along with a slowing real estate market in late 2006, we decided to put the project on hold. This spring (four years later), with the real estate market beginning to show signs of life, we decided to have the architect dust off the original garage plans and have them re-certified by the engineer to comply with IRC 2006 building codes, then went to work having contractors re-bid on the work. This time around, bids came in between $20,000 and $34,000. We settled on a contractor we know with a great track record, at $22,500.
The US (and world) is slogging through economic conditions not experienced in 50-60 years, and tens of millions of people are either out of work or underemployed.
We are now about 1/3 of the way through construction (excavation, footings and foundation completed so far). What is great about our small construction project:
a) After waiting over four years, we will finally have a new garage addition built for a reasonable price
b) All of the people on the various crews working on this project are top notch professionals with several years of experience
c) The best part is that by doing this now, our project is having a direct, positive impact on our local economy by hiring businesses and workers who desperately need the work to stay afloat and put food on the table.
This was an eye opener for us, and made us realize that even a small project touches so many people. Below is a partial list of the many entities involved in building our garage addition. For an addition involving living space, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, cabinet, appliance, and other contractors would be added to the list.
- Architect
- Structural Engineer
- Building Inspector
- General Contractor
- Excavation Crew (2)
- Concrete Footing Crew (4)
- Concrete Foundation Crew (4)
- Concrete Floor Crew
- Concrete Company / Delivery
- Concrete Supply Company (Rebar, Forms, Fastners, etc.)
- Aggregate / Sand Company / Delivery
- Framing Crew
- Lumber Company / Delivery
- Truss Manufacturer / Delivery
- Electrician
- Electrical Supply / Fixture Company
- Insulation Crew
- Roofing Crew
- Roofing Supply Company / Delivery
- Painter
- Paint Store
- Window Supply Company
- Garage Door Supply/Installation Company
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