contractors

Dear PoPville – General Contractor for “small” Basement Renovation

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

“Dear PoPville,

My husband and I are looking to turn our already renovated basement into a rental unit. Although the basement is renovated, we would need to make a few adjustments like taking out an interior staircase and adding in plumbing/electrical for a kitchen area. Most of the general contractors we have talked to though said they wouldn’t take on a “small” job such as this, and they only work on jobs in the $50-$100K area. I’m wondering if anyone has worked with a good general contractor they can recommend, or know of any that would take on a job of this size.”

Dear PoPville – Looking for Advice on a Kitchen Renovation

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw

“Dear PoPville,

I am planning to renovate my kitchen soon but I am on a tight budget. I will be replacing all appliances and cabinets. I have a pretty good idea of what I want. I wanted to get help from popville readers who went through this process.

1- Did you get an architect to do the drawing before hiring a contractor?
2- If you didn’t have a drawing, was it easy for your contractor to understand exactly what you wanted, how did you communicate what you wanted?
3- Do I need a permit?
4- Did you work with any contractor you like to recommend?”

From the Forum – Contractor to replace A window

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

Contractor to replace A window:

“I live in a 100 year old rowhouse in Pleasant Plains. I need to a replace a single double hung wood frame window. I’d like to replace it since it’s a rear window, the sash is busted up and it’s pretty drafty. A few of the companies that advertise on local TV and radio have told me that they have an order minimum ranging from 3 to 5 windows. Since I only need one replaced I would prefer to save money and just get what I need done. Do you know of any contractors willing to take on a small job like this?”

You can see all forum topics and add your own here.

Dear PoPville – How do I find the Name of the Builder?

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user NCinDC

“Dear PoPville,

My husband and I put in an offer on a townhouse and lost to higher bidder. The house next door (a shell) is now for sale. We would love to find out the name of the contractor or builder who did the renovation on the house we lost and hire them to renovate that property. We contacted the realtor and she did not know the name of the contractor. Is there any other way to track it down — building permits, etc.?”

Dear PoPville – Pop Up Advice

By Prince Of Petworth

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Ed. Note: Our 4pm post will show how the house above looks today.

“Dear PoPville,

I am in the final stages of design and permitting for a partial third floor addition to my house (yes, the dreaded pop-up, but hopefully the community will like our design).

I’m wondering if anyone in PoPville has personal recommendations on contractors for the work that I should research and/or get bids from. If so, please share!

Also, if you have any tips, suggestions or horror stories for things I should watch out for in doing this project I’m definitely interested in hearing them. I have a great architect but there is always something else to learn and keep in mind.”

From the Forum – Fencing

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

Fencing:

“I’m hoping to add a fence across the back of my backyard (on the sides I share fences with neighbors). Has anyone used a fence company they can recommend? It’s about 13 feet across including space for a gate and the first estimate I got was around $3,000. Hello, sticker shock.”

You can see all forum topics and add your own here.

Dear PoPville – Pest Control

By Prince Of Petworth

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“Dear PoPville,

Does anyone in the DC area have recommendations for a pest control company that can remove squirrels and/ or other wildlife from a DC row house attic? Any best practices to know about? We’ve lived in our Shaw row house for 5 plus years now and this is the first year we seem to have issues (or at least loud scratching coming from the attic).”

From the Forum – Simple cable wiring

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

Simple cable wiring:

“I recently bought an apartment in DC. The cable wire within my walls went bad somehow and I need to get a new one run. I don’t want to use the current wiring because it’s in a poor location and runs through many walls. The building line outside my door works just fine. I just need to push it through the wall above my door, down, and out the other side. Can I do this myself or do I need a contractor to come in? I don’t have experience doing anything like this. I got a quote for $440 by an electrician (no patching or painting) which seems a bit much for such a simple job. Any recommendations?”

You can see all forum topics and add your own here.

From the Forum – Fence and parking pad gate installation

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

Fence and parking pad gate installation:

“After catching someone trying to steal our scooter this morning, we’re going to bite the bullet and get a fence and gate installed for privacy and more protection for our yard and parking pad. Currently, we have a chain link fence along the perimeter and an open parking pad that once had a car port. Anyone have any recommendations for someone reasonably priced? Thanks!”

You can see all forum topics and add your own here.

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