What type of contractor do we need?

October 21, 2011 7:59 AM

What kind of contractor(s) would one need for these kinds of projects?

- Removing iron bars from exterior of a house (attached/screwed into white brick)
- Permanently patching up the holes where the bars were screwed into
- Replacing deteriorating tall wooden posts that are supporting a finished sunroom attached to house (current ones are about 20 feet tall)

posted by raztaj to home & garden (5 answers total)

Well the brick work sounds like a mason, but the other stuff may just require a general. I'd be sorely tempted to just hire a general and let him deal with finding the right subs.
posted by valkyryn at 8:08 AM on October 21, 2011

Yeah, I'd be sorely tempted to get a GC that specializes in maintenance and reno; I typically use a GC that focuses mainly on apartment renovations. He's got access to a lot of guys with odd skills like patching. The masonry aspect could be done by a handyman type, but I would not let someone without structural construction knowledge do the posts supporting the sunroom.
posted by SpecialK at 8:25 AM on October 21, 2011

Seconding specialK, a GC. The only thing on this list that requires experience and know-how is replacing structural members on your sun room. Removing the bars and repointing the brick is well within DIY territory.
posted by bfranklin at 8:29 AM on October 21, 2011

Thanks, all. I (with my siblings) was hoping to head a bunch of renovations on our dad's house, but you guys are probably right - a GC might be best if we want to do things right. If anyone has any recommendations for general contractors in the DC area, I would appreciate if you could kindly pass them on!
posted by raztaj at 8:54 AM on October 21, 2011

GC is a good call, but you could also hire a mason for the brick-related work and a builder for the sunroom stuff.
posted by that's candlepin at 1:20 PM on October 21, 2011