Drawings describe the house you intend to build. They can only guess at what is inside the walls you are about to open. Every renovation carries some of this risk, and older houses carry more. Here is what it has looked like on four of our projects, and what we do about it.
Four things we did not expect
Framing that could not be kept
Molino, in Mill Valley, was originally a Sears home that had grown through piecemeal additions. The plan was a modest front addition, a new interior stair and a reorganization of the living spaces. Then demolition revealed substantial deficiencies in the original framing. Much of it was impractical to retain, and the project needed more extensive reconstruction than anticipated.
A wall that hid a much bigger job
The client on our Richardson project, also in Mill Valley, described the moment this way: “It didn’t start out that way, but we encountered the nightmare scenario where we opened a wall, found a million issues, and realized we had to do a major gut job for safety reasons.” (Andrea M.) The same account lists a new foundation, an entire floor effectively torn out, and black mold.
A pipe in the wrong place
Not every surprise is large. On Addison, in San Francisco, the clients wrote: “When a bathroom wall was opened up, we discovered a pipe that hadn’t been anticipated. This caused the bathroom to be a foot or so smaller than anticipated. Phil suggested using part of the lost space for a cabinet that is almost floor to ceiling. That cabinet is beautiful and the room is more interesting than it would have been without it.” (Becky T.)
A stair that gave way
At Monte Mar in Sausalito the hidden condition showed itself early. Shortly after buying the house, one of the clients was injured when the deteriorated exterior stair collapsed beneath him. Its replacement became a significant part of the renovation.
What can be done before construction
Some unknowns can be made known early. That is the purpose of pre-design: site analysis, feasibility studies and the right consultants, such as surveyors and geotechnical engineers. Inadequate information about a site is a common source of costly mistakes and delays.
What is inside a finished wall is harder. It can sometimes be investigated by opening a small area first, and the age and history of the house tell you where to look. A house that has been added onto several times, by different people, deserves more suspicion than one that has not.
It also bears on how the work is priced. A fixed scope assumes the house will behave. An older house often does not, which is one reason we cater each contract to its project.
What we do when it happens
- We are on site. During construction we make weekly site visits and are available by phone.
- We adjust the drawings. A surprise usually needs a decision before the crew can continue. The clients on Addison wrote: “He is very flexible and has a good eye for design. That makes him great at making the adjustments to plans that are necessitated by changing circumstances.”
- We look for what the problem offers. The Addison cabinet exists because of the pipe. The Monte Mar stair widens toward the patio because the old one had to go.
- We bring in the right engineer. A structural engineer is part of nearly every project team, and a soils engineer joins when the site calls for one.
What you can do as the owner
- Tell your architect everything you know about the house’s history, including work done without permits.
- Keep part of your budget in reserve for conditions nobody can see yet. Ask your architect and contractor how much is sensible for a house of your age and type.
- Ask how changes will be priced, by the architect and by the contractor, before the first wall is opened.
- Decide quickly when a decision is needed. Delay on site is expensive.
Questions and answers
What are hidden conditions in a remodel?
Things that could not be seen when the project was designed and priced: deficient framing, an unexpected pipe, a failing foundation, mold. They are found when walls, floors or ceilings are opened.
Can an architect prevent surprises during a renovation?
Not entirely. Pre-design studies and consultants reduce the unknowns about the site and structure. What remains is handled by being present during construction and adjusting the drawings as conditions are found.
Do surprises always make the project worse?
No. On Addison an unexpected pipe led to a nearly floor-to-ceiling cabinet that the owners prefer to the original plan.
See the Molino, Richardson, Addison and Monte Mar projects, or contact us about an older house of your own.
