Rental Property Investor · College Station, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
BP, I am conducting due diligence on a 4-plex that I will house hack and hope to BRRRR. Prior to my offer, I had roughly budgeted 10k for siding an all other exterior rehabs (facia, trim, paint). I just got 2 estimates back at very different prices, 17k and 36k. What price range seems realistic for this kind of job.
More detail: the house is 2 story, 3800 sqft, roughly 35ft by 55ft and the bottom level is all brick so I only need siding on the second story.
BP, I am conducting due diligence on a 4-plex that I will house hack and hope to BRRRR. Prior to my offer, I had roughly budgeted 10k for siding an all other exterior rehabs (facia, trim, paint). I just got 2 estimates back at very different prices, 17k and 36k. What price range seems realistic for this kind of job.
More detail: the house is 2 story, 3800 sqft, roughly 35ft by 55ft and the bottom level is all brick so I only need siding on the second story.
Cost to install should be around $350 - $450 a square including trim. This is turn key all labor and materials.
@Matt Groth the estimate is for Smart Side. Is that 2000 the sqft of the floor plan or the siding. Roughly I think our siding is around 2000 sqft.
Both, actually. The corner boards and trims are really expensive. 17 just seems too cheap. By the time you remove all of the existing, and dispose of it, there is hardly any money left for labor. To do smartside correctly, you need to paint every cut, and caulk everything. 37 seems a bit high, but not crazy. It is also a second story, which adds. Standing on the ground is easier,
Investor · Rockford · Member since 2019 · 46 posts · 46 votes
6y
Look into vinyl or steel. We install lot of siding every year, lp and Hardie aren't maintenance free even though there marketed that way. If it was my rental I would be doing vinyl. It's maintenance free and affordable. ( I don't have to look at it every day and it's serving it's purpose as water proofing building) that's just my opinion though
Rental Property Investor · Navarre, FL · Member since 2019 · 913 posts · 640 votes
6y
I like hardy plank. It will last forever....but should be painted. I don't like the vinyl siding because I've seen it distort as the hot sun burns down on it. And the lawn mower dude usually carves it up with his brush cutter.
Rental Property Investor · Navarre, FL · Member since 2019 · 913 posts · 640 votes
6y
As a former electrician in Australia, when I bid a job I really didn't want to do, there was always a price that I would do the job for...as in a lot higher than it should have been.
Hello. On the second storey I don’t think you have to worry about the lawn mower hitting it.
I like hardy too. But it’s defiantly more money that vinyl. The old vinyl just to change color looks in the sun exposure to it. The new vinyl products don’t have that problem anymore. So you may reconsider vinyl.
Rental Property Investor · Amityville, NY · Member since 2018 · 351 posts · 441 votes
6y
What's wrong with the siding that's on their now? Cant it just pe prepped and painted??
if you HAVE to replace:
i know it may not be popular in your area but vinyl will be less money then hardie or LP. The materials are cheaper and the install is much faster. You can do vinyl shake on the front to make it look sharp.
Rental Property Investor · Amityville, NY · Member since 2018 · 351 posts · 441 votes
6y
@Gregory Schwartz
can you post pics of the other sides?
that looks like Crappy T1-11 siding. But still looks like this could be a pretty easy siding job. Good thing about that crap is that it will come off easily and in sheets.
Real Estate Investor · Williamson County, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 961 votes
6y
That looks like T1-11 which is not bad stuff. Even if it is the 1970’s Masonite type stuff, around here you see a wide band of cedar where the two stories meet. As a rehab vs reside. On nice sfh as well as multi. I don’t know how they flash but I would guess just a beveled line of good sealant, not painters caulk. Maybe they cut a miter at the top so there is no ledge for water to sit on. Nail the siding back in and caulk the nail holes. Spackle. Paint. Sincerely, Think about the functionality of siding. Will it function? Think about whether your tenants will pay extra if the siding is new, adorable white board and batten with black trim just like Chip & JoAnna? Not a red cent, so get over the “new” aesthetics and get a good painter who either repairs or has a guy who repairs and get a bid! Then decide. Also, they can side right over the old stuff. No need to tear off if not rotted...especially if T1-11 ...it is structural. So that isAlso a good substrate for vinyl if you want a new look and permanent paint job. Siding guys will always recommend new. And windows while doing it. Think like an investor not a decorator.
Rental Property Investor · Navarre, FL · Member since 2019 · 913 posts · 640 votes
6y
If that's the same stuff I'm thinking of, in 8x4 sheets, termites love that stuff. I had a house in Houston, the first house I owned in America, and termites had a field day on it.
Flipper/Rehabber · Miami, FL · Member since 2019 · 29 posts · 14 votes
6y
when it comes to construction work, you can have it good, fast, or cheap. Pick two.
If you want it fast and good, it won't be cheap.
If you want it fast and cheap, it won't be good.
If you want it good and cheap, it won't be fast.
Not all bids are equal. If some guy is going to show up with a crew or professional carpenters, give you top material, and warranty his work...that bid will be different from the guy that shows up with a couple people he just picked u from Homedepot and cheap materials.
Get more than one bid, also try to learn as much about the contractor and maybe check out some of their work. See if you can get reliable client experiences from previous clients.
Sometimes its not all about the money. Sometimes you want to be sure than the company wont go out of business in a year. You want to be sure if something goes wrong 6months down the road, you can expect it to be fixed.
Sometimes the customer experience is also important.
and sometimes its all fluff. For example, My phone and your phone could be the same. But one says Apple and the other says Tracphone. One cost $1200. and the other is $100 from walmart.
Try to figure out what it would cost you to do the job yourself, if you purchased all the materials needed, maybe hired one or two skilled labors, how long it would take you and add 10-20% markup. You can probably get your job done with 10k if you self performed it. But to get someone out there to deal with your wants and demands, and back his work, pay guys and also be responsible for any mistakes, they will probably put an easy 5-7k profit on top.
Developer · Houston TX · Member since 2018 · 423 posts · 400 votes
6y
You should find out what materials you would need and price it using HD or Lowes Commercial Dept. Sometimes if your order is large enough you can get a discount from their backroom. You should have contractors price only labor so you can see who is giving you best price for doing the work. Some contractors will give you one price because they will mark up on the materials. Others get cheaper materials like the cheap caulk, materials from side shops.
Pm me and I can send you a contractor that I spoke with in CS who seemed knowledgeable and had good pricing.
On side note..... How far are you from the campus? Were you looking to attract college kids for the other units? My son goes there and bought a condo but found competition with the newer multi-family can be challenging but doable. They get people to sign leases and renew so much sooner than what I am use to.
