Q. Thank you for your response but we have been living in the addition for almost 5 months we were given the ok to move in:(?

A. Yes it is you should have five inspection on the addition to the end. theen the finel one at the in to let you know if it was done the right way . that one you went to have a leg to stand on if somthing is not right

Q. We have a home in San Jose and wanted to add a master suite as a second floor addition and maybe even a den. Has anyone had an addition put on or are there any contractors out there who can answer this. I know you can't give me an exact without all the details, but a ball park figure would be appreciate. I was guessing 100K.

A. Sarah, there are way too many variables inherent of such a home addition project of yours, so what you really need is to get a local home remodeling contractor to give you the local rate for such a project. Ask for rough estimates doesn't get you any closer to truly understanding the costs involved, but may actually cause you to abandon a perfectly feasible project due to inaccuracy. Having a local contractor would permit you to better take advantage of being able to more accurately assess the situation in person. Fortunately, there are plenty of local remodeling contractors seeking to give free estimates with no obligation, and taking advantage of this is the consumer-smart way to go about finding an accurate answer to your question. It's important that you get a local estimate and not rely on guesses found here on Yah, as a lot of factors really bear on the cost of such a project, including the following: The cost of material and labor greatly varies by location. Definitely get estimates to start your exploration of the cost, as contractors would be delighted to give you free estimates anyway. A local remodeling contractor can easily assist you in this project of yours. If you negotiate well with the contractor and he buys the building materials for you, you may try to have him pass the discounted cost of the materials to you, as usually contractors get discounts (called "contractor's discounts") when buying from home improvement stores because of the many purchases they make as required by their jobs. As I said, Free estimates from local remodeling contractors are the key to your success in this home improvement project of yours. Here's a great link to a handyman site that offers free very resourceful information to assist you in determining the cost of your project, and, ultimately, selecting a local remodeling contractor in an effort to get the best deal for you: REMODELING CONTRACTOR INFO: http://yourhandymanzone.com/Your_Handyman_Zone_Free_Estimates_Additions.htm I'm sure you'll find the information you need, specifically the tips, useful as it relates to being treated fairly by contractors and exploring the consumer-wise approach of getting free written estimates to find the best contractor in your area. . . Source(s): The Internet is what I use. I'm pretty knowledgeable about the Internet. I have a firm belief in helping people with what I know, including from my development of sites, such as the one cited above. Sharing really is caring, and I wish those who I help can reciprocate by sharing what they know.

Q. HVAC installers are tight lipped on product. So I never know what is product and what is labor. Please, someone help! @SandShark - Then what would you price an installation of G60UHV-60C-090 and XC16-048? I have found an australia price list, done the conversion, and it seems like the 2 pieces would cost roughly $4K @SandShark That's good to know, again, i'm going off a slightly different price list. I'm being quoted roughly $9K for the full install. Seems like I'm getting taken for a ride.

A. The reason being is because of how the invoice you don't see is itemized. You will never get a Lennox dealer to tell you equipment costs. Additional Details Response: I don't have a price sheet with me, but I'd say $4K for those two pieces of equipment is probably low. That's a 17+ SEER two-speed condensing unit. They're not cheap. That furnace isn't cheap, either. I believe it's a two-stage 95% efficient variable speed furnace. That is some high-end equipment. Additional Details Response 2: It's hard for me to say if $9K is too much. What all are you having done? Is it a retrofit (taking out old equipment) or a completely new installation (duct work, sheet metal fabrication, refrigerant lines, electrical, etc.)? The only way you'll know if you're being taken is to get a couple of more estimates from other contractors. We've put in many systems that cost as much and more than $9K. Plus, every job is different. No two installations are the same. Some are more difficult to install than others. Time of year will affect price, too.

Q. I paid 2K to an atty plus other fees to deal with a bed tenant. I paid this in 12/07. The fees were for sherriff's to serve notices, in addition to the atty. Would this go under professional services? Or, another tax category?

A. "4. Professional Fees: The costs you pay to an attorney for eviction, a management company, engineer, CPA etc are deductible as they relate to the rental."

Q. The house was built in 1920; the walls are very damp and I'm sure there's mildew. I would really like to create a living space downstairs, and I was wondering how much it would cost to waterproof/refinish? Any ideas? Tips?

A. My tip/idea: You know, the easiest thing you can do is to call home remodelers in your area--or instead of calling, use the link below--and get Free estimates from them as to the cost involved in refinishing the basement. (Home remodelers usually do all trades in general related to your basement, etc.) This is the only true way of assessing the cost involved, as the cost of material and labor greatly varies by location; so what one person says on here does not get you any closer to understanding what costs are involved in this project without the use of local contractor estimates. Here is a handyman site I use often, which has a section devoted to home improvement articles, where you'll also find towards the far left bottom of the following home improvement page a bright, kind-of-orange home-guru Bob Villa-endorsed ad that offers up to four (4) Free estimates that can be given to you very fast from local remodeling contractors in your area (again, this free-estimate offer is towards the very left-bottom of the following linked page): http://yourhandymanzone.com/Your_Handyman_Zone_How_To_Pages_Home_Improvement_Zone.htm Like I said, get a hold of some local remodelers. In exchange for giving them work, you also might be able to get a good deal on the material from the remodeling contractor, since, usually, they have access to wholesale pricing on building material given the great amount of installations they do. That's the way to go. Good luck with your project!

Q. I've heard horror stories about contractors promising to do a job (i.e. remodel a kitchen or a bathroom or a deck, an extra room addition) by a certain time and at a fixed price. But as time goes by, they need more money to finish a job. Usually, the home owner goes broke and/or job never finished. My parents remolded their entire home. The work was promised to be finished w/in 6 month. It's been a year and the house is still uninhabitable. We have a contract and everything has been paid for as scheduled. We have a lawyer now. But what can cause an established contracting company to fail on their word/contract? Is there a legitimate reason?

A. The situation your parents have found themselves in is awful. Unfortunately, we hear more of these stories than of the ones where homeowners are totally thrilled with the outcome, and the process taken to get there. Here are some of the most common reasons for these renovation nightmares: 1) Project was too large or complicated for the contractor and he is having a nervous breakdown or depression of sorts. 2) His workers are not properly skilled or he does not have enough skilled workers on his team. 3) He has very poor organizational skills & now got himself into a jam he doesn't have the faculties to get himself out of. 4) Domino effect -- the project prior to your parents' home took much longer than expected & instead of telling them he would have to start 6 weeks late he tried doing a balancing act and any project that runs longer than planned for costs more (workers have to be paid by the hour, not by the job) so money from your parents' job went toward finishing the previous job and he is now stuck in a catch-22. 5) Personal problems -- death or serious illness in his immediate family, or maybe even he himself is facing medical problems. Many people feel ashamed to admit to a client that they need 2 weeks (or whatever amount of time) to grieve or recover their own health. None of these things are excusable; contractors are supposed to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, but it is easier than most people would imagine for them to land up in these types of situations. Often it takes one bad client (for instance a homeowner holding back $5000 because a door doesn't operate smoothly) to put a contractor into a bad situation that can require months to recover from. Not everyone has what it takes to get through this type of mess without making it worse. You mention your parents hired a lawyer. Make sure the lawyer has experience with this type of case because construction law is quite different from other civil matters - a case like this, if it goes to court, will delve into issues beyond contracts not being respected. Depending on your location, there is probably an association for licensed contractors, and this association might have mediation services available for a minimal cost to your parents, information about such situations and how to handle them, or at the very least a department where a complaint can be filed so that this contractor doesn't put another family into the same situation your family is going through. Good luck!

Q. My brother is coming to live with me, so i need to make a Room Addition and remodeling of the bathroom; I live in Hialeah, Miami Can somebody help me? My friend told me about http://www.remodelinghomemiami.com but he haven't used them...

A. I used Miami Home Improvements last year, they had really good prices if you do the kitchen and bathroom remodeling. We also made a room addition with a new bathroom and painted the living room. It was really fast too, i recommend it http://www.remodelinghomemiami.com/kitchen_remodeling_miami.html you can see also they do free estimates

Q. Facts This guy is a self-employed CPA earning a living providing accounting and tax return preparation services in a small town in the Midwest. He is also an avid amateur race car driver. He owns and operates his own race car, when he drives in approximately 15 races per year in locations within 100 miles of his residence. hsi race car bears prominent signage advertising his accounting business. In addition, at each race in which he participates his wife and children distribute flyers advertising his business. When he wins a race, he takes out an ad in the local paper with a picture of himself and the car, listing his business as the car’s sponsor. Required Can he deduct costs associated with the race car as advertising expenses of his accounting business?

(No Chosen Answer)