All Forum Posts by: Ryan Normand

Have a GC come out if your worried that it was built in an unsafe manner. It's very possible that they built it unpermitted and just called it a shed/storage building so they didn't have to deal with all the bureaucracy and costs that come with permitting it as an ADU.

If it was me, I would just continue calling it a shed and let the value of the property reflect that. The selling agent should not be counting it as livable square footage. You can use it as an office space or personal gym off the record if you want, or you can just use it as storage space as it was originally intended. As long as you dont try to rent it out, run a business out of it, or disturb the neighbors with it you will probably never have any issues. Don't go to the city unless the inspector says something. You don't want to open up that can of worms unless you absolutely have to.

I've never heard of anyone doing this either, but I also live in AZ where almost everything is slab on grade. Still, I would imagine it would cost a pretty penny and may not be worth it. Remember it's not just a patio slab - it's the foundation for the whole house above it. The city is probably going to make bring it up to modern code which may require additional shoring, footers, etc. Don't cut corners or go with the cheapest bidder on a job like this either. It could destroy your entire house. That liability alone will drive up the bid prices substantially.

Also, like a previous comment said, old basements are notoriously damp and were never intended to be finished living spaces. You will have to take additional steps for moisture mitigation, egress, etc. which will drive up your costs even more.

I would go talk to the city and a local architect/engineer/GC and see if you can get a better idea of how much would be involved with something like this. I think you will be surprised. 

Everything beyond the service mast literally belongs to the utility company. Your neighbor, slumlord or not, has nothing to do with this issue. Call the utility company. 

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I've heard 2nd hand that it can be difficult if not impossible. Many developers view their plans as intellectual property and do not want local governments handing them out to anyone who asks. What do you need the plans for anyway?

I wouldn't sweat it for cosmetic stuff like flooring and painting. Yes, you are supposed to have a license for any work above $1000, but most cities around PHX do not require permits or inspections for cosmetic work anyway and are unlikely to enforce that rule IF you're only doing cosmetic work. Just make sure you know what you're doing. Believe it or not it is possible to screw up painting, flooring, etc. so do the future homeowners a favor and call a pro if you're not 100% confident you know the proper materials and protocols for installation. 

HOWEVER, if you plan on doing anything beyond cosmetic work (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.), you should be using licensed contractors, especially if you're doing work that requires a permit. This absolutely will be enforced. In most cities, you're required to list a ROC# just to pull the permit.

PS That law isn't ridiculous. It's there for consumer protection. In your case it seems petty because you're just painting one house, but imagine if there was an unlicensed painter running around doing 100+ houses per year, 100's of thousands of dollars worth of revenue, all without proper licensing, liability insurance, backgrounds check, no warranties, etc. See how that could become a problem?

PPS The fact that you're familiar with these laws and asking these questions puts you ahead of 95% of the flippers out there. I just finished a job where 2 of the houses across the street were flips-in-progress. Major plumbing, electrical, and structural modifications with no permits and probably not a single licensed contractor in sight. Absolutely butchered by the looks of it. Keep exercising due diligence and use common sense and you will be fine.

I would plan on at least a grand for an architect, assuming you can even find one who will look at a job this small. You may be able to save time and money by going to a draftsman instead. Just make sure they are familiar with your local building codes and IRC. 

For simple projects I just do the drawings myself in SketchUp because it's a lot more user friendly than AutoCAD and looks a lot better than pencil and paper drawings. Again, you'd still need a very good understanding of building codes. It doesn't matter how pretty the pictures are if your calculations, dimensions, and/or details are wrong.

For future reference, I don't recommend breaking ground until you have City approved plans and permit in-hand. In my experience, what the city says over the phone and what they say during your actual plan review are two completely different things.

Ditto on what everyone else is saying. Technically nothing wrong with having multiple trades on site at the same time IF (and that's a big if) you understand proper sequencing of trades, workspace and material staging requirements, etc. If mess this stuff up you'll end up doing everything twice and the contractors will charge you for that.

FB marketplace, Offer up, and Craigslist are probably your best options. Used cabinets can be tricky to sell because they're usually designed for a specific layout, so unless you find someone with the exact same floorplan you'll probably have to mark them down quite a bit.

The other option would be to donate them to a nonprofit like the Habitat Restore. While you don't get paid, you will save a little money on dumping fees and you can use the donation as a tax write off at the end of the year. Keep in mind these places only accept cabinets that are in good condition. 

That price doesn't seem out of line to me. Drywall is a lot of manual labor and it's always in high demand. Price will also depend on the finish you select. Something quick and dirty like Orange peel will be cheaper than say Level 5.

Is the property in need of a remodel? If you're strapped for cash, you can DIY some upgrades to the unit you're currently living in to make it more desirable. Then when the current tenant moves out you can rent out the newly upgraded unit for a higher rate, move into the non-upgraded unit, and repeat the process over again. By the time you're done renovating the second unit you'll have built some equity and savings and be in a better position to expand.

Of course, this all depends on the current condition of the property, what other units in the neighborhood look like, etc. You'll also have to be somewhat handy, but if you're willing to put in the time and sweat-equity most of the basics can just be learned on YouTube these days.