Remodeling Contractors

I always find this question a little disconcerting. My view is this is your home.

• It is where you are living spending your time, raising your family, replenishing and enjoying life in both body and spirit.

• I do not think of your home as a mere investment but as an extension of yours and your families being.

• I believe if a client would like or needs a new master bedroom suite, extra bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, great room or any other improvement that they should not base the decision to build the addition or do the remodeling on if they are able to recover the money spent at the time of sale.

The remodeling/addition will pay for itself in the sense that the client will receive from the improvement the enjoyment in the present and it will fulfill their needs. If you should sell your home in the future the market will dictate the future value. None of us are fortune tellers.

Make your remodeling decisions for the proper reason and you will be endlessly happy with your decision.

Your Contractor should be able to provide you with plans from your rough ideas.

The Contractor should be able to build anything that he designs for you and he should be able to build from plans that you might provide for him.

Your Contractor should be flexible and be able to build changes that you request into his plans and contract.

Your Contractor should be able to work with you, his subcontractors, and inspectors in a coordinated fashion.

Also your Contractor should be able to meet the schedules that the two of you have agreed upon.

Finally the Contractor should be able to provide you with quality work. After all, this is the real reason that you hired him in the first place.

We try to match the original architectural intent of the building unless the client wants to make a major change.

This means roof lines and styles should be consistent with those existing on your home unless you are looking for a major change.

This also means using materials that will match as close as possible to those existing on your home.

Clarity helps you get the final product you want. Know what you want before you contact a contractor. Do not “spitball” with a contractor. They are there to help you design and build what you want. We can explore a variety of ideas, but because you are paying for the development of the plans, we want to make the process as efficient as possible. Here are a few thoughts in addition to knowing what you want –

• Financial – be sure you have the means to pay for the project, whether your funds or with a bank.
• Planning – if you have a design, that’s great. If you don’t, know what features you want in your new project.
• Logistics – be sure you can accommodate the schedule your contractor provides for your project. This is especially true for larger projects. More coordination between the work crews and family is needed.
• Clear the areas where work will be done. Don’t leave furniture, boxes and other items in the way. Be sure adjoining rooms do not have wall hangings, shelves or other things that can be knocked down.
• Be prepared for noise and dust – Even with negative air flow, zip walls and other precautions, dust will be everywhere.

There are number of things to consider when looking for a remodeler with which to work. The following items are things that should be part of any remodeling contractor decision

• Length time they have been in business
• References from past customer – can you contact them
• Qualifications of staff – what training and industry certifications do they have
• Membership in Associations – what Associations are they a part of
• Insurances & Licensed – be sure they have proper insurances
• Offering to do permits – the party that pulls the permit is responsible for inspections, work site injuries and other legal obligations relative to the project
• If you install products, you are responsible for proper installations or warranties will not be honored with products.

The biggest thing is understanding what you want. From that point the following items should be part of your process.

• Select a contractor you trust
• Plan your budget and timing
• Get a design together that can be bid upon
• If the project is larger, be prepared to live off site as long as needed
• Be as flexible and tolerant as needed.

The answer is “it Depends”.  To do so, you must have a designer committed to working closely with a builder. Part of the issue is how complex is the project – an older property may have inherent challenges in finding matching building materials. For example, an 1850 brick farm house will require a search for the appropriate brick. Make sure you are clear when sharing your expectations.

Look for as much transparency as you can. That shows itself in an itemized bid.  Look for the following things –

• Projects itemized by task
• Individual costs to be noted can include:
  • Labor
  • Materials
  • Management Fees
  • Planning
  • General conditions
• Dates & schedules
• Terms for work done and payment
• Details about specific tasks by sub contractors
• Scope of work – includes exclusions and assumptions