Look for vendor for repairs myself or thru PM?

Question

Hi BiggerPockets,

Recently I've got a quote from my property manager for fixing mold issues in roof and other small damages related to that. Never dealt with such damage before so want to get some of your professional's opinions on is it normal for this kind of repair to cost ~$4000-5000? (Property is in GA). If someone happen to be in Morrow, GA area and can perform the job, feel free to message me as well.

Then another question for you folks will be does it make sense to find vendor by myself or trust my local PM? I think my PM is helpful most of the times but when it comes to quote for repairs, it seems always on a high side. Am I just being too paranoid? (I usually request at least two quotes for the same job to mitigate the chance being ripped off...)

Thank you in advance!

Best,

Tony

Timmi Ryerson · Answer

Mold is a serious health risk for tenants.  So in order to safely rent a property , mold issues have to be resolved.  With that being said, first I suggest that you look at your contract with the property management company.  Is there any language in the contract that binds you to use the PM for repairs.  And is there any language about charges added to the cost of the repair to cover the PM's time for supervising the process of getting bids and then overseeing the actual repair to be sure that it is done correctly.  If that language is there, and you signed the contract, you are bound to depend on them.  If that language is not there, you can discuss these issues with the PM and then make a decision as to whether you use them or not.  Some PM's who manage large numbers of properties are able to get discounts from vendors in return for their guarantee of regular work.  Finally, if you are concerned about the price, do some investigation yourself by calling several companies to discuss what you need done and find out what the price ranges are.  By all means, get this work done as quickly as possible if there are tenants in the property.  But if it is vacant, every day you let it go vacant you are losing money on your investment.

Ray Harrell · Answer

Also if you check your agreement a PM will sometimes take 15% as a finder's fee for arranging contractors.

Caleb Heimsoth · Answer

@Tony Huang how many square feet is the house?  I’d get multiple quotes.    I think a PMs ability to get good maintence for competitive prices Varys a lot on the PM.

I use two different management companies.  I’m fairly confident in one to get work done for competitive if not slightly cheaper then market pricing.  The other is probably 50/50 competitive and overpriced.  Point is I think it varies and you probably need multiple quotes.  Couldn’t hurt to call some local coMpanies yourself and give them that scope and get a quote.

Tony Huang · Answer

@Caleb Heimsoth

It's just a part of the roof. Below is a job description that comes with quote if that'll help.

- mold remediation

- gutter repair and roofline repair

- tape and seal off entire sunroom for treatment

- disposal of all items in the sunroom

- replacement of 7-8 blinds affected by mold

- white suits for workers and etc.

- dumpster rental

- demo of affected sheetrocks and replacement