Cost for project

[Monico Lorenzana]

Hello biggerpockets community. I'm a new investor working out things with my contractor. I've asked him to give me an itemized list for the work we're asking. But I don't have any other investor or contractor to compare the cost of the job to. 

Can anyone give me a ball park estimate on the cost to demo a wall with a small 24x48 window and install a 72x80 sliding door. Please include labor and material. I would really appreciate this thank you. I live out in LA county, Covina CA. 

[Ryan Normand]

We need a lot more info to give you even a ballpark estimate. Honestly I don't even know if it's possible without a physical site visit. Is it an interior or exterior wall? Is it load bearing? You're expanding the width of the opening so that will probably mean a new header or lintel. Is it a shear wall? Any plumbing, mechanical, electrical, or bracing in there that will need to be moved? What type of wall/siding repairs will be needed - drywall, stucco, brick, vinyl, etc? Does your city require permits/inspections for this type of work?

You can get a decent Pella or Jeld Wen 6068 slider for like $600 at Lowes or the Depot, but that's the simple part. Installation could be relatively straightforward or it could be an absolute nightmare. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you want to make sure you and/or your contractor understand what's involved and include those things in the SoW.

FYI it's always a good idea to get multiple bids, but a lot of contractors will turn their back on you if you start asking for itemized labor/material bids. It's usually not worth our time and it's a red flag that the customer is just looking to nickel and dime.