Why Is It Hard To Scope The Cost Of Dry Rot Repair?

7 MIN READ

When selling a house with dry rot, homeowners often face a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, the presence of dry rot can drastically reduce the price of your home and limit potential buyers’ ability to secure a mortgage on the property. Due to the nature of the damage, contractors can only accurately estimate damages associated with dry rot by doing some exploratory work first. It’s always best to work with an experienced contractor with deep knowledge of your home’s structural aspects and how it’s put together so they can communicate the damages accurately and recommend multiple courses of action.

What Causes Dry Rot

Dry rot is caused by wood-consuming fungi that will slowly eat away at wooden structures. This issue is exacerbated in wet climates, like Portland and Seattle, due to increased moisture levels that allow fungi spores to travel faster and further than usual. These fungi can cause extensive structural damage to a house, leading to declining foundation strength and integrity. Potential buyers might shy away from purchasing a home affected by dry rot due to its significant financial implications. Still, they may also worry about the safety of their family should they decide to go forward with buying the property.

You Can’t Rely On A Home Inspection Alone

Homeowners who suspect dry rot should immediately contact a licensed dry rot remediation contractor to develop a remediation plan. Contractors must perform some exploratory work before accurately determining how much damage it has caused. An accurate estimation of dry rot-related costs can only be made by removing the siding around the suspected area and inspecting the wall cavity. A real estate home inspection will not suffice because the issue does not reside on the surface.

Unfortunately, homeowners need to be aware that removing siding or window trim is necessary for contractors to detect dry rot inside walls or other enclosed spaces where visual inspections are impossible or impractical. Depending on the scope of your project, this may add costs to the repair.

Most Insurance Companies Do Not Cover Dry Rot Repairs

It’s also worth noting that most insurance policies don’t cover damage caused by dry rot. So even if proper repairs occur before selling a house, homeowners might still have to spend more money than initially planned due to the extremely high costs involved in carrying out such tasks—again reducing the eventual sale value even further. On the other hand, we receive many calls from homeowners informing us that their homeowner’s insurance company is making them complete dry rot repairs to maintain coverage.

Photo Documentation And A Written Scope Of Work

Comprehensively documenting dry rot repairs for insurance claims or future home buyers is essential in ensuring the home is safe and sound. Documentation should include photos of any repair made within the wall cavity or around windows and doors (flashing). This will help to provide a 3D visual inspection of the repair and ensure that it was done correctly and to industry standards. Additionally, the documentation should also include any paperwork associated with the repair. This could consist of invoices, bills, warranty information, etc. Any written documentation may include what type of materials were used in the repair, how long it took to complete, and who completed it.

Before And After Inspections And Photos

Lastly, having professional inspections done before and after completion can validate that the repair has been done correctly. Skilled inspectors can detect areas where additional work may be needed or if there are signs of further damage. Having this level of documentation demonstrates that all steps have been taken to limit liability for future homebuyers or sellers when making a real estate investment decision. If you plan on keeping the home, it will give you peace of mind that your home will be protected when the next storm or heat wave comes.

Dry Rot Estimates For Realtors to Use For Negotiating The Price Of A Home

It’s crucial for any homeowner looking to sell a house affected by dry rot to understand why this issue can significantly reduce eventual sale pricing. Both directly through buyers’ reluctance towards investing in such properties and indirectly through contractors’ inability (without some form of exploratory work) to accurately estimate damages associated with dry rot before providing repair quotes. More than just relying on visual inspections alone is needed in cases like this, so make sure you hire an experienced professional skilled at dry rot remediation.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair Dry Rot On A Home

When it comes to repairing dry rot, the cost can vary greatly depending on a few factors. The extent of the damage, the affected location, and the professional you hire to do the job, to name a few.

For minor cases of dry rot, such as small patches on wood siding or window trim, it typically costs around $1,500-$2,800. This price can increase significantly if more extensive repairs are needed in structurally significant areas, such as framing, floor joists, and beams—which could range from $4,500 to $12,000. There is no way to accurately provide an estimate on a “sight-only” inspection of the exterior only. The work is exploratory, and most contractors do this work hourly.

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When determining how much it will cost to repair dry rot in your home, it is essential to consider all the factors that could affect your total bill. First and foremost is determining the amount of damage that needs to be repaired—the more significant and widespread the issue, the higher your bill will be. Additionally, specific locations are more expensive to repair than others due to their structural importance and complexity. For example, replacing rotted floor joists or beams can be significantly pricier than replacing trim work along an exterior wall.

There Is No One-Size-Fits-All When Estimating Dry Rot Repair Costs

Another important factor determining dry rot repair costs is who you hire. Professionals with years of experience may charge more than inexperienced contractors. Still, they should also have better knowledge of the issue and use higher-quality materials when working on your home’s foundation or structure. Suppose you’re working with a contractor who needs to be more knowledgeable about dry rot repairs or uses lower-grade materials when repairing it. In that case, you could end up paying for costly problems down the line due to improper maintenance.

Ultimately there’s no one-size-fits-all answer regarding how much repairing dry rot will cost, and it’s next to impossible to estimate repairs accurately. It’s frustrating for homeowners because these repairs can only be evaluated accurately with some exploratory work ahead of time. The exploratory work is necessary for budgeting.

Most qualified dry rot repair contractors only do this type of work hourly. This eliminates the need for change order after change order due to inaccurate bidding up front. By researching and hiring an experienced contractor, you can get a fair price for high-quality work that will last for years!