The roof is leaking and the cost estimates for a new one may make you feel like the sky is falling, too.
A natural inclination is to go with the lowest bid. But how do you know if it`s realistic? You really can`t be sure.
Marshall & Swift, the leading supplier of building cost information to the real estate, construction and insurance industries, is attempting to ease the estimation guesswork. Its ”Real Estate Repair & Remodel Guide,” a pocket-sized book available for $69.95 with a money-back guarantee, provides comprehensive price estimates for the most common home renovations, including kitchens, bathrooms, basements and roofs.
Robert W. Crine Jr., vice president for marketing at Marshall & Swift, said the guide makes it easy to estimate the cost of hundreds of the most common repair jobs and renovations. Marshall & Swift has a database of labor and material costs for more than 700 cities nationwide.
The 139-page guide, designed originally for real estate agents and other industry professionals, is a useful tool for homeowners as well, Crine said.
”Homeowners will find a full range of costs to enable them to price renovations in economy-type homes as well as high-value and custom homes,” he said.
For example, one section of the guide provides an area that breaks down costs for having interior doors installed, including labor and all materials. Hiring out
”This is not meant to be a how-to book for homeowners to do the repairs themselves,” said Crine. ”This is meant to be a guide to understanding the costs that will be incurred for (professionally done) repairs or
renovations.”
The guide also breaks down costs into three ”quality” categories:
economy, standard and custom.
For real estate professionals, the guide is a ”credible reference tool of data” when negotiating with a potential buyer or seller, Crine said.
”Real estate professionals are asked questions all the time about work that has been done to property and how that can be figured in to sell the property,” Crine said. ”This guide can be used for questions that come from buyers or sellers.”
For copies or further information, write to Marshall & Swift at 1200 Route 22, Bridgewater, N.J. 08807, or call 800-544-COST.
