GC needed to knock down walls?
So I have a small closet that I am converting to a half bath, but one of the walls need to be pushed out about 2 feet to make it work. I also want to knock down the wall dividing the living room and kitchen, and then the dining room into the kitchen to open the place up. NONE of these walls are load bearing. They are only doing the framing and drywall. I have a licensed electrician and plumber coming in after them that are pulling permits and the whole nine yards.
1) Do I need a licensed contractor to do this framing job?
2) Does the city usually make you go through the planning department to convert this closet to a bathroom? Or just pull the permit?
3) I'm pretty certain the walls are plaster, how does that change things?
4) Is $5K a good price from a reputable (probably unlicensed) contractor to knock down one 3 foot wall, two 9 foot walls, reframe, and install tile in the new half bath? This includes hauling trash out.