Most Frequently Asked Questions I Get about Renovating a House in Detroit

By Nick Virkus Learning Center

We’ve been renovating houses in the City of Detroit for over a decade. These are the most frequently asked questions I get about renovating a house in Detroit in order of a typical project timeline.

Permitting the project

Should I pull a permit? The simple answer is yes… It protects the homeowner as the Building Inspectors’ confirm the work was done right. It also protects the Contractor for the same reason.
How do I pull a permit? It’s very easy to pull a permit on line through the “BSEED” on line permit application. You can also visit the building department and pull the permit in person at 2 Woodward Ave Ste 401, Detroit, MI 48226.

Demolition

How hard is it to “self perform” the demolition portion of the project? As most of the houses in Detroit are historic or simply old properties, the demolition work is significantly more extensive than a house in the suburbs. So don’t believe what you see on HGTV. For example, the bathroom tile is typically wet set on pored concrete. So demo is not just chipping away tile from drywall. The tile needs to be removed with a sledge hammer… Another example is demolition of a wall. In the suburbs you are pulling down drywall in large sheets. In a Detroit home the wall is typically plaster. Plaster is wet set on wood lath. The wall comes down in little pieces. Bottom line demolition work in a Detroit home is 200 times more difficult than a home in the suburbs.

Rough Carpentry

Once demo is complete do you typically find a lot of structural issues? The answer is yes. The main reason is so many of the Detroit homes have been DYI renovation projects and simply just not done right.
What types of structural issues can you anticipate? The most common is cracked ceiling joists causing sagging in the floors. Once an issue like this is exposed, the common fix is to jack up the damaged joist to get as much of the sagging out as possible and then sister up new joists to repair the structural issues. Here is an example of sistering up damed joists. Click here to read our article on What Structural Issues to Look for when Restoring a Historic Home in Detroit.

HVAC

How do I get A/C into the house? As most Detroit houses have some sort of steam heating, there is no duct work. So you cannot install a forced air A/C system as you would in the suburbs. If the Detroit home does not have duct work, the easiest way is to install A/C is to install a Split HVAC system. Click here for a description of how a split system works.
If the existing steam heat system is no longer operable and cannot be repaired, what should I do? In this situation it’s best to upgrade the house to a forced air system with duct work. The way we typically do this is by installing a system in the basement to service the basement and the first floor. And then install a second system in the third floor to service the third floor and second floor. By installing two systems, it allows you to minimize how much wall dem work is required to get duct work to the various rooms of the house. And changing over to a forced air system, you are able to easily install A/C to the entire house.

Plumbing

How do I get better water pressure in my old Detroit home? Most Detroit homes have galvanized plumbing. The issue with this is galvanized piping gets significant corrosion over the years reducing the flow of water. So to get better water pressure, you need to replace the existing plumbing with “Pex” or copper piping. We always suggest replacing any plumbing once the walls are open to help with this issue.
What are the chances the main line to the sewer main is damaged? The short answer is probably… The main in a Detroit home is typically clay which over the years becomes compromised from tree roots and has the tendency to collapse. We always recommend you get the sewer line scoped by a professional to identify any issues prior to buying a house in Detroit. If it does need to be replaced this can run between $6,000 and $20,000. So it’s something to take very serious when considering a house in Detroit.

Electrical

Do I need to replace the knob and tub wiring? The short answer is you should always upgrade wiring if you have the ability to do so. The issue with knob and tub wiring is it can become a fire hazard if you are overloading the system with modern day appliances. We always make a practice upgrading wiring whenever we open up walls.
How expensive is it to replace all the knob and tub wiring in a Detroit home? If you chose to replace all a home’s knob and tub wiring without the walls being open it can run anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000.

Finish Carpentry

When renovating a Detroit home, how do I find the exact same historic trim to be consistent with the rest of the homes trim? You typically will not find historic trim profiles in the big box stores (i.e. Home Depot). In this case you will most likely need to have a millwork company “cut a new knife” duplicating the existing trim. This can be pretty expensive if you are only replacing a small section of trim. In this case you may consider go through what the millwork company has in stock and find something close to keep costs in order. A great millwork company servicing detroit is Public Lumber.
Can I replace the existing windows in a Detroit home located in a historic district? The short answer is maybe. In the case of Detroit, you need to apply to replace the original historic windows rather than repairing the existing windows. In your application you will need to prove the existing windows cannot be repaired. If you can prove this, the historic commission will allow you to replace the existing windows with a replacement window that has the same characteristics of the original windows. Click here to visit the Detroit Historic Commissions site for more information.