Rehab Work Timing
Real Estate Investor · Hoboken, NJ · Member since 2008 · 230 posts · 6 votes
I want to solicit everyone's opinions on the timing of various aspects during a rehab. While there are some obvious efficiencies to be gained by having certain activities going on at the same time I would like to hear on some that may not have been obvious.
Secondly I would like to hear from people who have done this as to the order of things. i.e. I have seen some places done where paint is the last thing, some where its the first. Whats your opinion?
I know that much of this is based on what you are doing in a particular rehab so use your own experiences to pull from!
Thanks in advance!
In my limited experience (5 different properties) I tended to follow simple project management principals.
Develop a critical path. Demo, then the most time consuming in order to complete the rehab in the least amount of time.
Non-critical path items wait until just before the end.
Example of a house I did that was a compete interior tear out to the studs, including new electric and plumbing. All demo first, electrical and plumbing roughed in at same time, then insulation, drywall, painting, cabinets & fixtures (electrical and plumbing finished), then flooring all had to be daisy chained one after another and became the critical path. Windows & doors, siding repairs and landscaping were not critical path, so they all came at the end. I didn't have any roofing or HVAC issues.
If you're financing any of the rehab, saving non-critical patj items until the end saves a little on interest and at the same time, for things like windows and doors, keeps them from becoming casualties of the construction.
If permits are required, that, too, will influence the order to accommodate inspections.
Another thing a builder once told me is that once a house is framed, do HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical rough ins, in that order. HVAC efficiency in ductwork puts it first. Plumbing, while still rigid can work around ductwork, and electric is the most flexible.
There, the sum of my experience, in one post!
In my limited experience (5 different properties) I tended to follow simple project management principals.
Develop a critical path. Demo, then the most time consuming in order to complete the rehab in the least amount of time.
Non-critical path items wait until just before the end.
Example of a house I did that was a compete interior tear out to the studs, including new electric and plumbing. All demo first, electrical and plumbing roughed in at same time, then insulation, drywall, painting, cabinets & fixtures (electrical and plumbing finished), then flooring all had to be daisy chained one after another and became the critical path. Windows & doors, siding repairs and landscaping were not critical path, so they all came at the end. I didn't have any roofing or HVAC issues.
If you're financing any of the rehab, saving non-critical patj items until the end saves a little on interest and at the same time, for things like windows and doors, keeps them from becoming casualties of the construction.
If permits are required, that, too, will influence the order to accommodate inspections.
Another thing a builder once told me is that once a house is framed, do HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical rough ins, in that order. HVAC efficiency in ductwork puts it first. Plumbing, while still rigid can work around ductwork, and electric is the most flexible.
There, the sum of my experience, in one post!
Based on my experience:
- Interior and exterior can be completed simultaneously (assuming the exterior is solid enough not to compromise the interior during inclimate weather).
- For the exterior, start with the roof, gutters, soffits, and fascia, as issues there will impact other parts of the project (both interior and exterior).
- Then move on the first round of landscaping (pruning bushes away from house, grading).
- Then siding repair (and windows if you will need to modify siding to install).
- Then exterior paint.
- As for the interior, start with all the demo (this will allow you to fill the dumpster before your neighbors do and will also create a "clean slate").
- Then move on to rough electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.
- Then drywall, doors and windows.
- Then cabinets and countertops.
- Then you can either do flooring or painting first, up to you. I personally prefer to do painting first, as the painters will be a lot cheaper if they don't have to worry about covering and taping floors.
- Then finishing electrical (lights, fans, receptacles, switches, etc), finishing plumbing (faucets, toilets, sinks, etc), and finishing HVAC.
- Finish with final landscaping. While some like to do this first (to generate interest in the property during rehab), I prefer to do it at the end so I don't have to redo it (especially during the summer when things grow so quickly).
J gave a great list. I'd add that you should do any framing between the demo and the rough plumbing and electric.
For inspections, you'll need to get the rough electric and rough plumbing, and then when those are passed, get the framing inspection. Some locations also require a drywall inspection, which you do after you hang drywall but before you tape it.
I would certainly paint before I installed new carpet.
Be sure to do all the base floor molding (baseboards, quarter rounds) before carpet or entirely after carpet. If you've moved walls, then go ahead with new molding before getting the new carpet installed.