How do I find a general contractor for a very small job in NYC?
December 31, 2018 10:20 AM Subscribe
I have a very, very limited job I need done in my apartment, ASAP. It involves plumbing, electrical work, and afterwards, wall repair. My building has suggested hiring a contractor instead of three individuals, but so far, the problem is that this job is too small for a contractor to be interested in doing, or at least that is what the feedback so so far.
The job is readying the master bathroom for a washer/dryer installation--and that's ALL. We can't do a full renovation of the bathroom at this time (the reason we're doing this now is because i am 7 months pregnant with twins and we were told we would be very unhappy to not have a washer/dryer in the apartment once they arrive). We actually thought all we needed to do was buy the washer/dryer and have someone from the store install but. But no. It's more involved...but not $15k involved, which seems to be a popular minimum for contractors in this city.
Has anyone hired a contractor in NYC to manage such a wee project? Any recommendations on where to find someone? Or am I doing this entirely wrong and should I hire an electrician, plumber, and wall repair person separately (my fear with this is that I have no idea what to tell them to do when they get here, or what order things need to be done in. Our building has told us what has to be done for this, but has not been otherwise instructive aside from "hire a contractor" and "said contractor needs to be licensed and insured.")
The job is readying the master bathroom for a washer/dryer installation--and that's ALL. We can't do a full renovation of the bathroom at this time (the reason we're doing this now is because i am 7 months pregnant with twins and we were told we would be very unhappy to not have a washer/dryer in the apartment once they arrive). We actually thought all we needed to do was buy the washer/dryer and have someone from the store install but. But no. It's more involved...but not $15k involved, which seems to be a popular minimum for contractors in this city.
Has anyone hired a contractor in NYC to manage such a wee project? Any recommendations on where to find someone? Or am I doing this entirely wrong and should I hire an electrician, plumber, and wall repair person separately (my fear with this is that I have no idea what to tell them to do when they get here, or what order things need to be done in. Our building has told us what has to be done for this, but has not been otherwise instructive aside from "hire a contractor" and "said contractor needs to be licensed and insured.")
If you can't find one company/person to handle this the order would be plumber > electrician > wall repair though you might want to consult with electricians first to ensure there is room in your panel and that the cost of running the wire for the dryer isn't prohibitive. No sense getting the plumbing done if the electrical can't be completed.The electrician may have to make holes in places other than your washroom.
posted by Mitheral at 12:02 PM on December 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 12:02 PM on December 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
With the exception of the electric component, the rest should be regular adult survival abilities for most people. So basically, if you don’t want to do it yourself and want to know who to hire, I would get a handyman to do either all of it, or just just the plumbing and wall work and have them come in with their electrican.
posted by MountainDaisy at 10:56 PM on December 31, 2018
posted by MountainDaisy at 10:56 PM on December 31, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies so far.
I'm going to gently push back on the notion that removing tile from a wall, removing part of a wall, and knowing what to do about rerouting pipes to serve a washing machine falls under the category of "regular adult survival skills for most people." I'm replying because that reaction is so absurd that I realized perhaps I wasn't clear: the plumbing is not currently in place for a washer/dryer. It's doable but it has to be set up.
posted by millipede at 9:27 AM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm going to gently push back on the notion that removing tile from a wall, removing part of a wall, and knowing what to do about rerouting pipes to serve a washing machine falls under the category of "regular adult survival skills for most people." I'm replying because that reaction is so absurd that I realized perhaps I wasn't clear: the plumbing is not currently in place for a washer/dryer. It's doable but it has to be set up.
posted by millipede at 9:27 AM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Sorry, yes I misunderstood it to mean you just had to do a small wall opening and add a couple of connectors.
I do still think a proper, basic, handyman will be the most efficient for you, then. If they don’t do electrical they can get it mostly all in place for an electrician to come in, which may save you some money as electricians tend to be more costly than handymen. Also, having a single person do it will make the turnaround time sooo much shorter for you.
posted by MountainDaisy at 11:19 AM on January 1, 2019
I do still think a proper, basic, handyman will be the most efficient for you, then. If they don’t do electrical they can get it mostly all in place for an electrician to come in, which may save you some money as electricians tend to be more costly than handymen. Also, having a single person do it will make the turnaround time sooo much shorter for you.
posted by MountainDaisy at 11:19 AM on January 1, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
The Dept of Consumer Affairs handles handyman licensing in NYC, I think. If you haven't been able to get a recommendation from anyone you know and don't want to just blindly Google, I would suggest you post a description of your project on Angie's List, and see who is recommended. Service providers listed there are licensed and insured, passed background checks to participate in the site, and usually have many reviews you can read. Ask for a written estimate and photos of similar projects/references, if the person you talk to has done similar installations before. I have had a good experience with vendors I found through Angie's List when I didn't have a recommendation for anyone.
posted by zdravo at 10:55 AM on December 31, 2018