Repair of floor joist cost

Kelly williams · 08-16-2012, 06:14 PM

We have one damaged floor joist the Inspector says needs repaired (not replaced) . The crawl space is easy/ accessible. Any ballpark pricing on what this cost? We are trying to negotiate a lump sum with owners so we can fix things in our own time.

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Kelly williams · 08-17-2012, 03:41 AM

Here are some pictures.

Thank you

**Dom D'Agostino** · 08-17-2012, 05:32 AM

It all but impossible to give quotes based on a few photos. The sub-floor looks like it needs to be replaced, and of course, whatever is leaking needs to be fixed. Notice it has been "repaired" in the past.

Your local labor rates will dictate the cost. Anywhere from $500-$2000, or more, depending on what isn't in the photo.

**Scott Patterson** · 08-17-2012, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by Kelly williams

We have one damaged floor joist the Inspector says needs repaired (not replaced) . The crawl space is easy/ accessible. Any ballpark pricing on what this cost? We are trying to negotiate a lump sum with owners so we can fix things in our own time.

Repair/replace are just semantics and when you really get down to it the inspector should have said that it needs repair or replacement.

OK, it looks like somebody has already attempted to make the reaper by sistering new lumber to the old damage! Then they never repaired the leak that was causing the problem....

If it was me, I would have it properly corrected before you move in and by the owners instead of trying to get a "lump sum" from the owners. The owners are not going to give you the money, if anything they will take some off the price of the offer that you made. And then you will be left with the repair that will cost you money that you will most likely not have after buying a new home.... Unless you have some deep pockets, money is tight for most folks after they buy a new home. Get the repairs done before you close on the property. It is a mess and something that I do not think you want to tackle as a new homeowner.... Get the current owner to properly correct the problem!

The cost of that repair could escalate to more that you would think. All of the old and new lumber needs to be properly removed and then new joist installed. Now if you have tile or wood flooring on the floor above that area, that cost just increased! Then we have to also talk about repairing the leak that caused the problem! $$$$

**Mark Fisher** · 08-17-2012, 09:34 AM

I agree that the joist is only part of the problem. The leak, the mold, and the highly attractive-to-termite environment present are of greater concern.

**Jim Hintz** · 08-17-2012, 10:26 AM

$10,000 off the asking price of a $200,000 home @ 6% interest equates to a $1142.08 per month payment instead of a $1202.04, excluding taxes and insurance... For $60.04 per month, have the seller fix it and whatever else correctly - up to $10,000, before you buy the place and be sure to get receipts !!! JMO....

**thaddeus cox** · 08-17-2012, 10:58 AM

I had a similar dilemma when buying my home (not wood rot but sewer issues). The advice I received was to negotiate a price break and fix it (or have it fixed) yourself.

The logic here is you don't want *them* "fixing" it... you can already see their idea of "fixed". You want it fixed to your standards, not theirs.

But you can't go off of what some guy on the internet says... get real, in-writing estimates from actual contractors... that was the other mistake I made. I went off of the ballpark figure the sewer inspector/contractor gave me, but his ballpark didn't include a sufficiently thorough investigation of the required work, so it turned out to be more expensive than he "estimated".

**Scott Patterson** · 08-17-2012, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by thaddeus cox

I had a similar dilemma when buying my home (not wood rot but sewer issues). The advice I received was to negotiate a price break and fix it (or have it fixed) yourself.

The logic here is you don't want *them* "fixing" it... you can already see their idea of "fixed". You want it fixed to your standards, not theirs.

But you can't go off of what some guy on the internet says... get real, in-writing estimates from actual contractors... that was the other mistake I made. I went off of the ballpark figure the sewer inspector/contractor gave me, but his ballpark didn't include a sufficiently thorough investigation of the required work, so it turned out to be more expensive than he "estimated".

This is why you have the seller/owner to do the repairs properly; the true repair cost can be all over the place once you start digging into the issue. By properly that means no short cuts or substandard work. You write this into the repair addendum and you then hire your home inspector to go back out and inspect the repairs that were done.

Tony Coelho · 08-17-2012, 04:21 PM

Kelly it is very difficult to be accurate in this scenario because as Scott has stated, once you start removing and taking things apart there could be and often are more surprises and issues that could significantly cost more to repair and replace. Have the seller hire a professional to first of all repair the moisture problem causing the damage and then repair or replace what has been damaged. Don't take a lump sum because once you start digging in you might be in for an unfortunate surprise and that lump sum might not be enough. Bottom line is, If they want their home sold...correct the issues. You'll be glad they did.