Contractor needed for major renovation

[Lakewinnigirl]

Hi I'm looking to have a home that's currently on post and piers lifted foundation added as well as remodeling and potentially putting on the second floor.

The home is in Moultonboro.

Thanks!

[RLW]

Lakewinnigirl, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.
I am sure you will find a reputable contractor to do your work either by suggestions from the membership or through someone who nows someone. Best of luck in your endeavors.

[Sunrise Point]

Hi

We had a foundation and major construction done by Mark Phelps of Winni Construction. He has great subcontractors too. His phone is 603-768-9966.

I don't know if he will travel to Moultonborough, but he is definitely worth calling.

Good luck with your project.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Sunrise Point

Hi

We had a foundation and major construction done by Mark Phelps of Winni Construction. He has great subcontractors too. His phone is 603-768-9966.

I don't know if he will travel to Moultonborough, but he is definitely worth calling.

Good luck with your project.

Mark and Earl went there seperate ways a few years ago and Earl has all the equipment now so not sure Mark could do it. If he can't I can give you Earl's number.

[songkrai]

Not posting to distract from your ambitions.

If this is a camp you might think about a whole new house.

I had a small summer camp moved to a foundation. All went well. But the end result is a camp made out of 2 x 4. The whole interor was gutted. Upgraded most. New wiring. New pipes. New furnace. Depending on age of building. Not much was square. Dimensional lumber in the old days is different from dimensional lumber today. R value of insulation related to 2 x 4 thickness of walls. Lots of nit picking issues.

In the end I would have been better off constructing a new home.

[Lakewinnigirl]

The house is in great shape built in 1989. New plumbing and insulated well. Just the floor/lack of foundation is the only issue. I'd love to hear more advise!!! Thanks...

[ghfromaltonbay]

Check out the website for Bayside Concrete: www.baysideconcretenh.com

They are located in Alton, but their site shows their work area extends around the lake. I have seen many examples of their work, and the owner Bob Burton is a great guy.

[scomptonbuilder]

Originally Posted by Lakewinnigirl

Hi I'm looking to have a home that's currently on post and piers lifted foundation added as well as remodeling and potentially putting on the second floor.

The home is in Moultonboro.

Thanks!

Hello,

My name is Scott Compton of Scott Compton Builder. I am currently working on a project in Moultonboro on Eagle Shore Road ( 3 houses before Black Cat Island) and would be my pleasure to discuss your project with you. I am a general contractor and can provide references and other project that you can view. I can be reached at 603-279-1029.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by ghfromaltonbay

Check out the website for Bayside Concrete: www.baysideconcretenh.com

They are located in Alton, but their site shows their work area extends around the lake. I have seen many examples of their work, and the owner Bob Burton is a great guy.

I to will vouch for the company. They also work with a great building mover and excavator that does both companies excavation work.

[Belmont Resident]

I sent you a P/M with contact info for one of the contractors I work closely with.
If you need a painter check out my business link
www.bobpowellspainting.com
Good luck with your project.

[songkrai]

Originally Posted by scomptonbuilder

Hello,

My name is Scott Compton of Scott Compton Builder. I am currently working on a project in Moultonboro on Eagle Shore Road ( 3 houses before Black Cat Island) and would be my pleasure to discuss your project with you. I am a general contractor and can provide references and other project that you can view. I can be reached at 603-279-1029.

I have zero connection with this contractor. I have never met him. I have never set foot on property.

But I have driven by this building project on way to visit folks on Black Cat Island.

I have viewed this job since early earth work to building construction.
This contractor - as a drive by viewer - seems to do excellent work. From the ground up to finished roof.

I wouldn't hesitate to hire this contractor.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by songkrai

I have zero connection with this contractor. I have never met him. I have never set foot on property.

But I have driven by this building project on way to visit folks on Black Cat Island.

I have viewed this job since early earth work to building construction.
This contractor - as a drive by viewer - seems to do excellent work. From the ground up to finished roof.

I wouldn't hesitate to hire this contractor.

I have seen some beautiful houses on the outside that have terrible fit & finish on the inside.
I've seen work from someone that you would think was a drunk pulled off the street that was 2nd to none.
Do not base a decision on street appeal.
There is a saying putty and paint is a builders best friend.

Just saying, I also know nothing of this contractors work but to base a statement on what you can see from the road can be very misleading.
I also am working out on BC and drive by this building daily, it looks to me like a shell and only has vapor barrier with no siding as of yet.

[songkrai]

Whew !

Been in the building trades for 30 years. I know good work when I see it.

Gosh.

Post was only a suggestion. One asset. Meet with the builder. Talk to builder. View builders work. That's all.

Good gosh already.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by songkrai

Whew !

Been in the building trades for 30 years. I know good work when I see it.

Gosh.

Post was only a suggestion. One asset. Meet with the builder. Talk to builder. View builders work. That's all.

Good gosh already.

I was not saying anything negative about you or the builder.
However your original post only STATED as a drive by viewer.
I only stated that as a drive by viewer you really cannot see any details of the job.
Please do not take what I said and make it seem as though I was suggesting anything besides what my point way.
Thank you.
BR
FYI I have been inside and worked on some very high end homes that have what I would call terrible fit & finish work. However to the average homeowner the work looks great. But if you take the time look at all the caulking and filler that was used to make it look great you may be surprised.
On the other side when your in a home look at all the trim work, do you see gaps between the trim and the walls? Those are things that will always be fixed by a good painter and things you will never see after a good quality contractor signs off on a job. Things many homeowners never even take the time to look at.
Details, details, attention to is what makes a good job look great!

[songkrai]

Back to the original post.

To me, one of the most important items in any such endeavor is the foundation. You want the foundation solid and no leaks.
You also want the earth work contractor to do correct parimeter drains.

I recently viewed a home contstruction where drains were placed on bottom of concrete/cement floor in basement. Inside drains and outside drains. Learn what rebar is wire mesh and poly thickness, and fiberglass reinforced concrete.

If near lake you may not be able to get a full foundation. Some suggest a built in drain on basement floor. And a slope away from where electrical furnace placement.

[songkrai]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

.
Thank you.
BR
FYI I have been inside and worked on some very high end homes that have what I would call terrible fit & finish work. However to the average homeowner the work looks great. But if you take the time look at all the caulking and filler that was used to make it look great you may be surprised.
On the other side when your in a home look at all the trim work, do you see gaps between the trim and the walls? Those are things that will always be fixed by a good painter and things you will never see after a good quality contractor signs off on a job. Things many homeowners never even take the time to look at.
Details, details, attention to is what makes a good job look great!

Yes, I completely agree.

I have mentioned here before many problems with nice looking lake homes constructed by a well known builder in Lakes Region whose company name begins with the letter "S". One of his homes down the street had to have all of the sheetrock removed because of imporper installation of windows and resulting mold. Another one of his homes in Hauser Estates the entire roof had to be replaced because of leaks. After the one year guarantee. At homeowners expense.

So yes, looks are not the sole recommendation.

My recommendation still stands from what I have viewed. Attention to detail. Solid construction.

[Sunrise Point]

Earl Leighton did do our site work and foundation. Mark from Winni Construction coordinated the project and stubbed the foundation work to Earl.

Keep in mind that this is the Granite state and you won't know what is under your house until they start digging. We considered ourselves lucky that only one area of bedrock was discovered in the back corner. It took 3 attempts with bentonite (spelling?) to break it up.

It was a fascinating process to watch them jack up the house and support it with I beams and cribbing.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

FYI I have been inside and worked on some very high end homes that have what I would call terrible fit & finish work. However to the average homeowner the work looks great. But if you take the time look at all the caulking and filler that was used to make it look great you may be surprised.
On the other side when your in a home look at all the trim work, do you see gaps between the trim and the walls? Those are things that will always be fixed by a good painter and things you will never see after a good quality contractor signs off on a job. Things many homeowners never even take the time to look at.
Details, details, attention to is what makes a good job look great!

I agree 100% with BR, when I was on the market for a high end home, many were built way below what I consider standard quality. I did not mention this to the owners but I at times mention it to my realtor buddy and he agrees with me. He have seen too many new construction that he would not put a dime in.
I had a number of home owners ask me for advice when they are at their wit end with a builder/contractor. My advices are usually scoff at by contractors but are sound advice with quality builders.

[Rusty]

BREAKING NEWS!

We have good builders and we have bad builders...we have good painters and we have bad painters.

Anyone else want to say that also?

Sorry for the sarcasm but why can't we just reccomend someone and leave the "I know it all" part out of it.

[sky's]

Originally Posted by Rusty

BREAKING NEWS!

We have good builders and we have bad builders...we have good painters and we have bad painters.

Anyone else want to say that also?

Sorry for the sarcasm but why can't we just reccomend someone and leave the "I know it all" part out of it.

ohhhh the EGO'S EGO'S EGO'S are flying. Must have been along winter for some.

[Rusty]

Fenton W. Varney - Builders
PO Box 427, Melvin Village, NH 03850
Office: 603-544-3495 Direct: 603-344-3495

http://www.fentonvarney.com/

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by songkrai

I have zero connection with this contractor. I have never met him. I have never set foot on property.

But I have driven by this building project on way to visit folks on Black Cat Island.

I have viewed this job since early earth work to building construction.
This contractor - as a drive by viewer - seems to do excellent work. From the ground up to finished roof.

I wouldn't hesitate to hire this contractor.

If I can maybe speak a little on behalf of what songkrai was trying to say is if you go by a building lot and you see nice equipment with his fill piles and loam piles all near the lot lines and his equipment all line up at the end of the evening the wood stacked nice and neat, the scrape pile of wood all in the dumpster. Everything basically looking clean,its a contractor who cares about every little detail and some might call him a little "anal" then the rest of the house will come out just fine. If its clean on the outside it will be just as clean on the inside. Just my 2 cents, I always required my subs to do that and never once had a complaint.

[Little Bear]

Originally Posted by ghfromaltonbay

Check out the website for Bayside Concrete: www.baysideconcretenh.com

They are located in Alton, but their site shows their work area extends around the lake. I have seen many examples of their work, and the owner Bob Burton is a great guy.

I can also recommend Bayside Concrete. The picture of the foundation on their home page is the foundation of my house in West Alton. I can also highly recommend Tradesmen Builders of Laconia for your renovations. They did the finish work on my house in West Alton, and have also done many other projects at my house on Little Bear and also at my business location. Their website is www.tradesmenbuilders.com The picture on their home page is my house in West Alton finished. Contact Rich or Larry at Tradesmen.

[jsn]

Mountain Top Builders, Sanbornton, 603-286-8144
We had an addition and dormers put on, a stunning fire place built, a new roof, all new windows and siding done by the company. They are excellent; come on schedule, come in at cost, immaculate work-site, easy to communicate with and beautiful workmanship! I would definitely hire them for future projects.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Lakewinnigirl

Hi I'm looking to have a home that's currently on post and piers lifted foundation added as well as remodeling and potentially putting on the second floor.

The home is in Moultonboro.

Thanks!

LakeWinnigirl,

I have read through the posts in this thread so I am up to date as much as I can be. I have some questions, about this house you want to raise and put a foundation under.

1-- How big is the home?
2-- How high currently is the home sitting on top of the piers?
3-- have you thought about a budget at all?
4-- Would I be correct in assuming you will also be installing a heating system? if so what type of system would you be looking at?

I am sure I can come up with some more questions given some time. But that is a good starting list of things for now..

I ask these questions because they are of relative importance. If you have a simple camp at this point that is only say 1000 square feet. You might find that you are better off doing as previously suggested and start from scratch.

In order to get a foundation in underneath your home, it is going to have to be jacked up and supported, this alone is not cheap. The foundation plan is going to have to incorporate the ability to set the house back down and remove the jacking infrastructure. Once again this is some more added cost. If you need a heating system installed you might find that there is a lot of remodeling that has to go on to accomplish this anyways.. Once again more cost.

My family gave consideration to winterizing our camp on the lake... We went as far as to talk with contractors and put together an estimated ball park of what it was all going to cost. In the end we decided that we would be better off leaving the camp alone, and buying a second property off the water that was year around. We still haven't bought the second property, but someday that will happen. Most people here me say this and think, that all the environmental and permit issue drove up the costs as well as this was waterfront property... And quite honestly we hadn't even gotten that far, when we decided it would be better to just find another home in the area. It was the cost of all the pieces I have previously mentioned that just added up. We realized we would never get our money back out of the property, even with it being waterfront.

In short as you start down this path, make sure you fully inform yourself. Costs add up quickly. I am not suggesting you buy a second home, but you may just fined that you are better off starting from scratch and demolishing your current structure. Demolishing our current structure was out of the question, as it had sentimental value, and was something we had remodel ourselves.

For us the thought of having a second home close by, allowing for us to have more sleeping space etc. when we where all at the lake just made sense. The extra property tax write off will be nice too.

[songkrai]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

If I can maybe speak a little on behalf of what songkrai was trying to say is if you go by a building lot and you see nice equipment with his fill piles and loam piles all near the lot lines and his equipment all line up at the end of the evening the wood stacked nice and neat, the scrape pile of wood all in the dumpster. Everything basically looking clean,its a contractor who cares about every little detail and some might call him a little "anal" then the rest of the house will come out just fine. If its clean on the outside it will be just as clean on the inside. Just my 2 cents, I always required my subs to do that and never once had a complaint.

Thanks. Couldn't have stated better.

[songkrai]

The original post I think was about raising a home and placing a foundation under it.

The short answer is.

Ambrose Brothers - earth work.
Doug Murphy - to lift house.
Randy Bickford - concrete work.

But alas, all can be much more complicated.
Is there too much water in ground?
Ledge that has to be blasted/broken up.
And some contractor to unconnect the electricity/plumbing - then reconnect.

I think that the original poster is seeking a general contractor to arrange and oversee all of this.

I think estimating such has the potential to be difficult because of all of the variables.

[Lakewinnigirl]

Yes, I'd love to have a GC to handle the work, but if needed, I could do the foundation and lifting myself and then bring in a builder.

Home is about 1400 sq ft and about 4ft up on piers.
It currently has electric heat as well as a monitor heater.
It has brand new pex's plumbing installed last year.

I'm having an architect come out next week to give me some advise. Thanks for all the tips! I'm sure ill have more questions soon!

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Lakewinnigirl

Yes, I'd love to have a GC to handle the work, but if needed, I could do the foundation and lifting myself and then bring in a builder.

Home is about 1400 sq ft and about 4ft up on piers.
It currently has electric heat as well as a monitor heater.
It has brand new pex's plumbing installed last year.

I'm having an architect come out next week to give me some advise. Thanks for all the tips! I'm sure ill have more questions soon!

Already being up 4 ft is a good start, dependent on the machinery used to excavate the amount the dwelling will need to be lifted should be minimal.

Having the heat set up as detailed takes that concern out as well... There might be some connections for the Monitor Heater that need to be dealt with but the electric part is easy.

The Plumbing should be straight forward as well.....

Having an architect come out is a good step....

Something else I am going to through out there is why do you want a foundation? Because you do have some other options... You could just poor a slab underneath the structure and build a insulated skirt down from the house to the slab. This would insulate the underside of the house, and make it more usable in the cold months... You can also find ways to heat the space, or more specifically the water lines etc. At anyrate just another option to consider... This would be very akin to having a mobile home which is done all the time in cold climates, with heating tape on the main water line...

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Lakewinnigirl

Yes, I'd love to have a GC to handle the work, but if needed, I could do the foundation and lifting myself and then bring in a builder.

Home is about 1400 sq ft and about 4ft up on piers.
It currently has electric heat as well as a monitor heater.
It has brand new pex's plumbing installed last year.

I'm having an architect come out next week to give me some advise. Thanks for all the tips! I'm sure ill have more questions soon!

Before starting anything I would recommend having Geddes Building Movers come out and give you a quote on what it will cost you to pick up your house and set it back down on a new foundation. Having the house already be 4 ft up on piers means nothing when you are talking about excavating the center of a dig under a 1400 sf home.

When you find out what that cost will be without a GC mark-up on sub labor, then you can have a conversation with your Architect about the best course of action for the home.

Having been an estimator for a high end residential contractor in the Sunapee area for over 10 years, I can hit many of my subs numbers within 2% of actual with an estimate on equal standing with the work completed (minus change orders). That being said, painting, HVAC and the moving cost of homes (3 pickups or moves in 10 years) have never produced any rhyme or reason with my estimating style. To many variables to determine unless you are the contractor performing the work.

Get a quote on your own for the building move, you will walk into the conversation with a solid idea of cost for the highest variable in this equation.

And not for nothing, don't take your Architects word on what this will likely cost you. They are Architect's, not builders or specialization contractors. Their input is fantastic, just don't take their word on numbers.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by jmen24

Before starting anything I would recommend having Geddes Building Movers come out and give you a quote on what it will cost you to pick up your house and set it back down on a new foundation. Having the house already be 4 ft up on piers means nothing when you are talking about excavating the center of a dig under a 1400 sf home.

When you find out what that cost will be without a GC mark-up on sub labor, then you can have a conversation with your Architect about the best course of action for the home.

Having been an estimator for a high end residential contractor in the Sunapee area for over 10 years, I can hit many of my subs numbers within 2% of actual with an estimate on equal standing with the work completed (minus change orders). That being said, painting, HVAC and the moving cost of homes (3 pickups or moves in 10 years) have never produced any rhyme or reason with my estimating style. To many variables to determine unless you are the contractor performing the work.

Get a quote on your own for the building move, you will walk into the conversation with a solid idea of cost for the highest variable in this equation.

And not for nothing, don't take your Architects word on what this will likely cost you. They are Architect's, not builders or specialization contractors. Their input is fantastic, just don't take their word on numbers.

Do not necessarily believe your architect is going to steer you to the best contractor for the job. I have known more then one homeowner who fired the architects recommended contractor for another. One time it cost him a considerable amount to tear down and rebuild what the recommended contractor didn't do right.
On the other hand I know of someone building a home in Gilford who shunned the recommended contractors, at least two of them are known to be great builders of quality homes in the area. I had the job of painting the new house as I know the homeowner, but after I heard a lot of really bad things about that job and how things were being done from builders and suppliers alike I decided to stay away from it and wished them well on their project. Homeowner was GC on the project. Over the years I have learned that friends and family are the hardest people to work for and it is usually best to recommend they find someone else to do the work.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Lakewinnigirl

The house is in great shape built in 1989. New plumbing and insulated well. Just the floor/lack of foundation is the only issue. I'd love to hear more advice!!! Thanks...

I've been considering the same thing—but with a cottage with a smaller footprint.

There are a few annoyances that could be changed at the same time. Could this be completed without "losing" a summer season?

I'd be curious what number of dollars would bring these considerations to a halt—some round number like $40K, $60K, $100K...

[Coach12]

I wish you luck in making your project a home. It is these types of projects that will give you the greatest of satisfaction. For years you can look at the before and after pictures. Should you need masonry services, my company, Rustic Stone & Garden Design (www.rusticstoneandgarden.com) is available for all your masonry needs. Again my best wishes!!!

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Coach12

I wish you luck in making your project a home. It is these types of projects that will give you the greatest of satisfaction. For years you can look at the before and after pictures. Should you need masonry services, my company, Rustic Stone & Garden Design (www.rusticstoneandgarden.com) is available for all your masonry needs. Again my best wishes!!!

You have a very nice web site. I especially enjoyed reading about your background.....certainly not the typical path a stone mason follows!

[Steveo]

Originally Posted by scomptonbuilder

Hello,

My name is Scott Compton of Scott Compton Builder. I am currently working on a project in Moultonboro on Eagle Shore Road ( 3 houses before Black Cat Island) and would be my pleasure to discuss your project with you. I am a general contractor and can provide references and other project that you can view. I can be reached at 603-279-1029.

Scott did this exact thing for my camp in Alton. Did an excellent job, I highly recommend. I'd be happy to let you see his fine work at my camp.

[Coach12]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

You have a very nice web site. I especially enjoyed reading about your background.....certainly not the typical path a stone mason follows!

Thank you for your comments regarding my website, www.rusticstoneandgarden.com. Yes, my path to masonry was not the norm, but I would not have done it any other way!!

[oldman]

Make sure you get a quote from Tradesmen Builders Corp. in Laconia. They do the best work and have the best reputation. If you want to go with the best and have a great building experience, call them 524-5357