How much for this reno in NYC?

11 years ago

I would like to hire a handyman who can take care of some miscellaneous reno and am wondering what to expect quote-wise. My apt. is about 750 sq ft and I would like the quote to include both labor & materials, except the baseboards & light fixtures, which I will provide. Please note I live in NYC where prices are jacked up! So it would be great if someone who knows NYC pricing could comment.

Minor drywall repair + paint whole apartment (except kitchen & bath)
Demo existing stair rail (drywall to be fixed here too)
Install baseboards
Install two mini slab "cafe doors" in existing swing-out door frame
Sand / paint existing window trim of 4 windows or replace with new trim, prime & paint
Sand / polyurethane steps; paint risers
Several minor handyman jobs (replace 2 ceiling light fixtures (labor only), fix marble threshold, add carpet runner, a couple others)

In the past, I was quoted $1000 (which I know is on the low side) for the paint / baseboards, which are the most time-consuming work, and I expected quotes for the whole job to be maybe $3-4K. The one quote I've received so far is $6K. I kind of feel that the contractor is jacking up his quote because the task list is pretty long, but all the work (except paint / baseboards & maybe staircase) is not difficult nor time-consuming. Any thoughts?

Comments (3)

millworkman
11 years ago
removed as Mike is correct!!

This post was edited by millworkman on Tue, Feb 5, 13 at 10:05
mike_kaiser_gw
11 years ago
It's impossible for anyone to accurately provide an estimate without seeing the scope of the work. The best method is to get several estimates from reputable contractors.
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Jen K.
Original Author
11 years ago
Mike & millworkman, thank you for your responses, but I have to respectfully disagree with you here. I think it goes without saying that I do not expect to get a "real quote" online that I will hold someone to. I am looking for an 'idea' of what to expect, a 'range,' and I think I've given enough information to get this, but if not, feel free to ask for more detail and I am happy to elaborate and send pictures.

FYI the contractor who gave me a quote did not look at ANYTHING (other than a quick glance around the apt) except the door frame where the cafe doors will be installed. I was a little surprised by this, but he is reputable and so I assumed he did not need to inspect everything up close because my apartment is in overall good condition and the list of work is straightforward.

In any case, I am leaning towards doing half of the work myself. I have called several contractors, one has been a reschedule then no-show and two others were supposed to call me back and never did. I have spent hours thus far and in hindsight, I could have spent this time more productively doing the work myself! Such a shame as contractors tell me how tough it's been since the recession and I was very willing to pay someone so I wouldn't have to do the work myself.