Attn: Construction Gurus

So, I'm about ready to put an offer in on this house. It's in a neighborhood we thought we'd never be able to afford, but now the times right. The only thing holding us back is that we would like to have more than 1 room to hang out in. My plan is to turn the sun room into a "family room." I was hoping someone might be able to tell me what kind of money its going to cost me. The sun room is 15' x 8'. I'd like to take it out to about 15' x 22'. I'm not very versed in construction and I have no idea what it might cost. Basically, we want to just extend it out, wall it up, and put a few windows in. I think I can do a lot of the grunt work myself. You may need some more specific details from me, but here's the link.

http://www.talktotucker.com/propert...R_RecordCount=42&noheader=&CEQ_AgentCode=308a

depends on the options and a job site, you looking 3000-8000$.
if you going to extend it to the yard, you will need to do a foundation and new roof for a addition!
if your roof is old i would recomend re-doing it main roof on the house when new roof instaled on the new room.
your chepest bet is to keep the way it is just frame walls for a windows and doors.
ones you start re-doing roof and foundation than when its will get expensive!

Yeah, I want to extend it out into the yard about 12'-14'. I know I'll have to pour more concrete. I was hoping that since the roof to the sunroom is already started we could just tie into it. I wanted to make it bigger so I didn't really want to just wall it in. It's already 15' wide, I just want to extend it out away from the house. I figure we pour more concrete, tie into the existing roof of the sunroom and wall it up. Add a few windows. I don't know about the existing roof. Haven't had an expection yet.

well if you want to tie to a old roof you will need some kind of suport NEW AND OLD roof eather a header with colums or a wall. wich way you want to add new roof, to a GABLE( THATS A FRONT OF "TRIANGLE") or RAKE( thats a SLOPED SIDE)? its hard to see on that pic!

You'll have to figure me bohdan, because I'm not sure what you're talking about. Partly because I'm clueless about construction and partly because I've got Apfelwein on tap. What I want to do is extend the roof of the sunroom out towards that tree you can see. Perpendicular to the house. I know the picture sucks but I want to come out perpendicular from the house. To me, it looks like the sunroom is an "addition" already. Somebody built that sunroom onto the existing house. It's 15' wide by 8' out, perpendicular, to the house. All I want to do is, cut that tree down. Extend the "roof" of the sunroom so that it is still 15' wide, but make it about 14' farther out. Toward the tree aka into the backyard. The 15' dimension will stay the same. I want to make the room "longer" and wall it up. Not so its an extension of a sunroom but so that its more like an additional room. ???? Prost.

It can certainly be done, but it won't be cheap. The existing roof is a gable-end, so that's good, but you can't just "extend" it - because the rafters sit on something - (essentially a 'top plate') and that can't just be butt-joined to the existing top plate. It won't be strong, a good wind would knock it down. You need overlap, and with that short a distance, I'd reuse the the lumber, but I'd start over with that gable off the main roof once I had the walls handled. And you'll need a good concrete man - you want your floors to match in height - look seamless. (it can't be "seamless", you'll have to do tile or something, but they have to be exactly the same height). You need an expert. Someone in your area who does additions. Tell them you're good to provide manual labor and want a discount for that, but the engineering of the thing needs more than a sack of concrete and some studs. - the good thing is you can usually get free estimates...

I know it won't be cheap, but "cheap" is a pretty relative term. I was hoping that the existing roof and partial walls, plus half the floor already there, would save me quite a bit of money. I was just looking for someone knowledgable about prices to give me a ballpark.

I is really hard to give even a "ballpark" estimate on your proposal because there are so many things unknown. I would ask these questions:

Is the existing sunroom on a foundation or a slab?

What is the structure under the gable end of the roof - is it a load bearing truss that would allow you to remove the support posts- or will you need install a load bearing structure there?

Will you be getting a permit for this? This can really add to the cost.

I think this is why bondan987 gave you a range of $3,000 - $8,000. One thing is for certain - it will cost you more than you think in the beginning.

Right, I figured that much. I will take some pictures tomorrow. Post them, and see if that helps. I really don't know. I put an offer in tonight, anyway. Still, we want to do the room one way or the other. Just don't know if I can afford it right away or not. I know the house is on a foundation. Don't know about the sunroom.

constraction crew will need to tie in to the top plate at least 6 feet overlap. original roof needs to get striped 8 feet back and rafters removed. if you have a 1 layer on that roof its a good thing if there is a 2 layers all roof on that screen porch will need to be striped.
Hang glider is right you JUST CAN'T ADD TO THE GABLE strong overlap is needed. if you have a good crew its not a big deal because if they get a exactly same hight on the walls as a original walls, than one of the rafters will be a template for a new roof.
i would leave that gable end wall in place untill framed and tied walls and foof rafters are in and naled, than i would take it out! this way you not going to need waste time on a temperary syports or a wall.
agree, concrete crew need to know what the hell they are doing because you want a "seamless" floor. if they screw up it be almoust inposible to have a "seamless" floor there.
one time i was doing some thing like this for my side job and concrete crew screwed up foundation 4 inches off square and 2 inches on the hight. let me tell you it was a most pain in my @$$ job that i ever did. it coused alot of problems, rafters had to get cut one by one because all had to be different, walls were off square it was a HELL but we had it done!

bohdan987 said:

depends on the options and a job site, you looking 3000-8000$.

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My interpretation of what he is asking is basically tearing the existing structure down.

#1) Sun rooms are often un- or under-insulated and often have cheaper windows
2) Extending foundation and tying it in to existing.
3) Framed walls, new windows, new roof and rafter structure, drywall/mud, flooring, lighting and electrical.

If anyone quotes you $8000 bucks on this job, I think it is likely to be shoddy workmanship.

JMO, but this is a bigger job than that in all likelihood (although I do think it is subject to the pictures and a better description of what you're trying to do).

Randar said:

My interpretation of what he is asking is basically tearing the existing structure down.

#1) Sun rooms are often un- or under-insulated and often have cheaper windows
2) Extending foundation and tying it in to existing.
3) Framed walls, new windows, new roof and rafter structure, drywall/mud, flooring, lighting and electrical.

If anyone quotes you $8000 bucks on this job, I think it is likely to be shoddy workmanship.

JMO, but this is a bigger job than that in all likelihood (although I do think it is subject to the pictures and a better description of what you're trying to do).

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I don't think he is talking about tearing it down since he asks about extending the roof. If you look at the picture the room actually seems to be a "screened in porch" or has very large windows.

I think the reason for the upper end $8,000 estimate was that he stated he was going to do a lot of the work himself.

Again, I don't know how this works but I can't think of a reason to tear it down and start new. The roof is already half done. The concrete is half done. I understand there would need to be overlap. That's what I meant by "tie into it." Rather than "build a new roof." I took some pictures. Now if I can just figure out how to post them...... And, I guess the real key is to find the right contractor. I'm sure 3/4 of the quotes I'll get could be easily done for 1/2 the quoted price.

Get as many quotes as you can and only quotes that come with references. Pick one in about the middle and be money smart during the project.

With house prices in the range they are there I can't imagine construction would cost to much.

BWRIGHT said:

Again, I don't know how this works but I can't think of a reason to tear it down and start new. The roof is already half done. The concrete is half done. I understand there would need to be overlap. That's what I meant by "tie into it." Rather than "build a new roof." I took some pictures. Now if I can just figure out how to post them...... And, I guess the real key is to find the right contractor. I'm sure 3/4 of the quotes I'll get could be easily done for 1/2 the quoted price.

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Don't be afraid of doing the work yourself. There are some good books out there that will guide you through what you need to do. HD has some code guide books that will help you with that. The nice thing is there would be no time pressure on this project so you could learn as you go.

I wish I was in your area - I would come over and help you with your construction - I work for home brew.

Yeah, I'd like to do as much of it myself as possible. Just to save money and get some experience with this. I just know a lot of people that have got ripped off one way or another. I'd post the pics but apparently I don't know how to do that either. I've got plenty of homebrew on tap. So, just fly on over.

Here they are:

I would figure at least 60 dollars per sqft. Rember you are adding foundation, roof, doors and windows which tend to be some of the bigger cost of plain square footage(no plumbing cabinets etc) also you will have to finish the existing structure, new floor coverings back to the next room, roofing at least far enough to tie in, insulation and paint. There may also be code issuse that require you to upgrade the wiring as a family room will require outlets and lighting where a screen porch does not.

Not saying it is not possible or not even a good thing but it will not be cheap.

Randar said:

My interpretation of what he is asking is basically tearing the existing structure down.

#1) Sun rooms are often un- or under-insulated and often have cheaper windows
2) Extending foundation and tying it in to existing.
3) Framed walls, new windows, new roof and rafter structure, drywall/mud, flooring, lighting and electrical.

If anyone quotes you $8000 bucks on this job, I think it is likely to be shoddy workmanship.

JMO, but this is a bigger job than that in all likelihood (although I do think it is subject to the pictures and a better description of what you're trying to do).

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why i would tear down existing stracture for, so i can charge him more money???? NO, i take pride in my work i do it ones and forget about!
this was estimate only for FRAMING! because iam carpenter but i can figure out total general contractor estimate but i dont have anything to go off so why i would do a total projest price baces only on picture?
FRAMING ONLY IS A 3000-8000$
DO YOU THINK THAT I NEWER SEEN A SCREEN IN PORCH BEFORE, and i dont know about windows and insalation?
shoddy workmanship(now iam wryly pissed off) WTF, dude my crew and i used to build a 7 milion dollars houses, you didin't even dream of stuff that we did!
80% of the time we were the ones who went back and fixed shoddy worksmanship!
that porch roof needs to be taken out so you can run a "top plate" like it syposed to be, rafters can be saved!
just nail old and new "top plate" to echader with a huracane bracket, thats a shady worksmanship!
why i would tear down existing walls for? they can be framed to "R.O" of the windows!
DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME A SHODDY WORKSMAN!
just remenber this:
FAST+CHEAP= NO GOOD
NO GOOD+FAST= CHEAP
thats why you newer pick a lovest bitter!

Man, I appreciate you guys trying to help out but this is ridiculous. I don't know wtf you are talking about, but now you got yourself in a pissing contest. Even I know it won't cost $8,000 JUST to do the framing. I was hoping that someone that knew what they were talking about might chime in here. I know someone in the same neighborhood that converted a sunroom 3 times the size of this one for $20,000. It doesn't matter anyway. We bought the house. I'll get some estimates. Now, you guys can get back to destroying the english language. Proceed.......

bohdan987, you need to settle down, chief. I didn't call you anything or challenge your workmanship or knowledge, just offered a different opinion.

BWRIGHT, even though half the structure is there, the fact that you are basically reconfiguring it (if I understand you correctly), means you will be physically removing most of what's there to begin with.

"I know someone in the same neighborhood that converted a sunroom 3 times the size of this one for $20,000."

I think that's the kind of number you're going to be talking about and you will probably get a wide range of quotes. Converting an existing structure (not moving roof, siding, foundation, brick, etc) is different than adding onto another. The foundation work, matching the new brick or siding to the existing, basically building a new roof for that section of the house, and as someone else said, windows, electrical, roof... these are generally some of the highest cost items in a project.

When picking a contractor, I want to hear exactly how they are going to do A, B, and C... (for example, describe to me how you're going to tie the new foundation into existing, or the roof into the existing structure, etc)... ask the same questions from one contractor to the next as sort of a sample of their knowledge.

I think you understand what I want to do. And I know it won't be cheap. I just thought there were many factors that would make it cheaper. For example. Instead of starting with no structure, I already have the roof tied into the original roof and extending out about 12' already. Instead of having to pour "x" amount of concrete, I've already got half of it there. Demo I can do myself. A lot of the framing I think I can do myself, with some supervision, etc. Hell maybe I can just get Ed Wort and his neighbor to swing bye! In my ignorance, I figured I could save maybe 40% or so compared to if I was just adding a room off the back.

BWRIGHT said:

In my ignorance, I figured I could save maybe 40% or so compared to if I was just adding a room off the back.

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Will you be able to save some money? Yes. How much? Depends. I have had work done in my home and done electric, plumbing and structural and didn't save nearly what I had hoped, and those are some of the most expensive aspects of a big project.

As for your situation, I would get the contractors to come in and give you an estimate should they do everything and then work with them to try to figure out how you can make it cheaper by doing certain aspects of the job yourself.

Some GC's will not want to work this way since homeowners are often times in over their heads or their ideas of how long it will take them to do certain things are not achievable (thus interfering with a GC's other projects and schedules)

So work with the GC to find the parts of the project that you feel comfortable tackling and the GC is comfortable in you dealing with and try to come up with a number of how much you would save for doing those parts of the project. Some aspects of the job you may save a lot and others may not be worth it for the time and effort you have to put in. You might elect to do the excavation yourself and bust your hump with shovels for a whole weekend when a contractor would come in with a bobcat for an hour or 2, set the forms and tie ins, and be pouring the foundation the next day.

JMO, but pick your battles carefully, especially if you're inexperienced.