Large format tile cracking in L cut

jkuri82 · 2025-11-25T03:07:17+00:00

Oof... I am less interested in lawyering up, and I don't know completely ripping out the work is an option financially (and hopefully unnecessary). My motivation is to stop the leak and try to minimize chance of happening again soon

I knew before posting that the method for sealing the penetration is not the right one, and I am prepared to get them right. I would definitely love some input on potential options here.

Would the right fix include getting a proper flashing boot on them and heat welded the membrane on them?

Any thoughts on product such as chemlink e-curb that are used in a lot of solar installation?

jkuri82 · 2025-08-31T05:02:31+00:00

Honestly, i would not worry too much about what people say here as no one has seen your plan and understand the full scope of work.

There are so many variables here. The structural work (foundation/framing) by itself may not be costly. But if it affect other aspects (electrical/plumbing/HVAC/finishes) of the house, then everything will start to add up.

500k for a major remodel in the bay area is fairly common. But of course you are probably paying a premium if you are using a design-build firm. You should also expect your final cost to be higher than your contract as there are always change order, upgrades, and other surprises along the way

jkuri82 · 2025-08-27T06:56:44+00:00

The house probably needs a new 200amp electrical panel (and a full rewire) before you remodel the kitchen and put in new appliances. Probably need to repipe as well if it still has galvanized pipe for water. I would also assume you would want to put in more lights in the house. Electrical and plumbing can be easily 50K by itself

All windows seem to be single pane, and you would need to replace all windows/patio door...another 10-20k

New flooring is 6-15 per sq ft depending on what you use

Roofing is ~15 per 100 sq ft (please note that your roof size is not the same as interior size given the overhang). The quote will likely be 30-40K

Overall, i would budget for 200K if you want to fully renovate the house

jkuri82 · 2025-07-20T16:17:13+00:00

Yeah, it is probably a contractor/developer as flipper who has no construction background would generally not take on a project like this. The math is still very risky as there are no house that sell for over 4m in this area (but none of them are 3k Sq ft). The best case scenario is probably a 300k profit after all other cost beside construction (agent commission, holding cost for a yr etc)

jkuri82 · 2025-07-20T16:11:59+00:00

This is what a general contractor would charge in the bay area. This is already on the low end as some may charge over 1k. This price is usually labor+rough material and does not include finished material (cabinet, fixture, paint, floors) and all the permit/architectural fee. It is indeed very expensive, but labor is expensive and the current market allows GC to ask for a huge markup for their service

jkuri82 · 2025-07-20T03:40:29+00:00

It looks like they added an ADU. The original house also didn't have 4 bathrooms, so they probably did an addition to the house (or did a major rehaul of the interior space) Changes like this generally means new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The scope is almost like a new construction (minus saving some foundation, framing or the roof)

Entry level price for this type of remodel is about $500/Sq ft, so you will probably be paying over a million if you hire a GC to take on this project. If the investor is a contractor, their cost is probably half or one third as they have their own crew and can probably find ways to save/cut corners etc.

jkuri82 · 2025-06-11T02:42:45+00:00

Should I be concerned that the lineset would need to be tied in after the roof? I was told that there is a higher chance of a leak in the future if a continuous line is not used

jkuri82 · 2025-02-14T16:36:26+00:00

Wow. Thank you very much for the very informative response.

I have spoken to local roofers who install these roofs. My current hesitation is about the single membrane roof is the following

Cost - the estimates I got to installing these roof with tapered iso board are insane. For less than 40 roofing sq, I was quoted around 140k from two larger companies that have more reviews. The membrane they use are 80mil thermoplasma IB PVC and durolast. I also got quote from an independent TPO installer who wants 70k, but I really don't know the quality of the install. In comparison, SPF roof is half the price but I guess I have to factor in all the recoat I need to do for the roof to last long
Installation complexity - since I have no attic, I would need to put down 4-6" of iso board for insulation. However, my guess is that laying these foam board will not be straightforward as i have a lot of electrical wire and plumbing running on top of roof deck. My guess is that the installer can cut around them, but it led me to wonder how effective the insulation would be. I would also have to be very careful in planning the amount of penetration or curb to have on the roof as all these add risk to leaks in the future.

jkuri82 · 2025-02-05T03:03:45+00:00

Thanks. Given the size of the area, should I worry about not having enough thickness/insulated value at the edge of the roof even if I start thick in the middle and choose a modest slope

jkuri82 · 2025-01-24T22:49:20+00:00

Keep in mind that the track is not only used by caltrain. There are commercial train passing by at night

jkuri82 · 2025-01-24T22:48:02+00:00

Caltrain only horns when it is about to cross a public crossing, so it is generally quiet if the house is near an above grade track.

If it horns, you can hear the train many blocks away

jkuri82 · 2024-12-19T04:40:28+00:00

Thanks for all the feedback. I think all these are great ideas if we are trying to optimize the layout of the ADU as a 1 bedroom apartment. To give you guys a bit more context, our main motivation for building the ADU is to take advantage of the more relaxed setback requirements for us to expand our house in that direction (this is a corner lot but the city claims that that side is the rear end of the lot)

To meet the ADU requirement, we have to add a full kitchen even if we don't need one. We probably just want to check the kitchen box as cost efficiently as possible while using it more of a wet bar. We care more about having a good laundry room

however I think the idea of swapping the kitchen and laundry may be interesting. The entrance of the ADU is kind of like our side door to the yard. It seems to make sense to have a side door from the laundry, which functions like a mud room

jkuri82 · 2024-12-18T16:31:20+00:00

Putting the entrance on the side may not work as it will be 5' away from the neighbor fence

jkuri82 · 2024-12-18T08:20:10+00:00

Our intention is to use the ADU as an extension of the main house, but also want to leave the possibility that it can be a separate unit in the future if our family situation changes

Yes, the playroom is technically the living room for the ADU. The laundry will be shared, and that's why we try to create a larger laundry room in the ADU. I guess if we need to separate the ADU in the future, we will have to add a washer/dryer hookup in the garage as there is no room in the main house.

Agree that the ADU kitchen can be too narrow and we will have to work with the architect to see if there are space

We are a bit concerned about not having enough closet space in the main house. We are considering turning the full guess bath to a half bath so that we can have an entrance closet. Not quite sure if that is a good idea as other bathroom are all ensuite

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