Choosing
The Right Contractor: One of your biggest investments is your home. Hiring the right company to work on that
investment is a crucial step in protecting it.
We go to great lengths to research, hire, and assign financial advisors
with growing retirement and investment accounts that will hopefully grow to
fund retirement, lifestyle choices, education, weddings, etc. Well, why not put the same care and diligence
into researching and hiring a firm to work on your home? We have been in business for many years and have heard some horror
stories when it comes to clients hiring contractors. We have heard everything from contractors
sitting on living room furniture watching television, to contractors stealing
money, jewelry, and even cars (yes cars!), to contractors taking money and
vanishing. In a climate where more and more people are looking for work and new
home builders are slowing down, the remodeling and renovation market is
becoming saturated with people looking to make ends meet. This flooding of the market has caused a dip
in quality due to a cutthroat bidding process where contractors are trying to
underbid each other to secure work. But
buyer beware, the cheapest price usually ends up being the most expensive while
the middle to high prices generally tend to stay accurate and end up being the
greatest return on your investment. Homeowners
are often hooked by the low price, sign a vague estimate, and then hit with
numerous upcharges. We end up dealing
with this cycle on an almost daily basis.
We have made the decision to use high quality materials, provide clear
and detailed estimates, work with high integrity, provide superior
craftsmanship, and develop a strong customer/contractor relationship built on
trust and communication. We have heard
on numerous occasions that our bid was one of the highest that a person
received, but that contractor they ended up hiring ended up being more
expensive than our quote even though they were initially the lowest. In fact, we have actually been hired to come
in and fix work that was done by the contractor hired instead of us
initially. One of the things we try very
hard to do is provide an extensive estimate that covers every aspect of the
project. Change orders are a natural
part of the renovation and remodeling process.
Materials and projects change as work is completed on a project. Additionally, homeowners may choose to add or
eliminate items throughout a project.
One thing that can’t be taken into consideration during the bidding
process are any “unforseens” that may arise throughout a project. For instance, if we remove sheetrock from a
ceiling and find a cracked joist, the right thing to do is fix the joist, but
there was no way that the crack could be seen during the estimate process. This
would be corrected and added to the scope of the work through the change order
process. By providing a detailed “work
order” style estimate, we are able to provide a clear list of materials being
used and the work being completed. This
helps to eliminate speculation and misunderstandings as to what tasks should
have been completed and what materials were going to be used. This ultimately
helps us to provide a quote that does not fluctuate due to things that should
have been thought of during the initial walk through/estimate. So while the quote might seem overwhelming at
first, it’s important to look at the overall project to see if every aspect of
the remodel is accounted for. If you are
dealing with a contractor who offers a quick/low price or a general estimate
like “remodel bathroom and tile shower,” you will most likely find that the
overall price will increase as the project moves forward. The lowest bid is not
always the best. By requesting a written description of the materials necessary
for the job, it will allow you to compare apples to apples to see if the higher
price really is a higher price. A low
bid may indicate that a contractor uses sub-par materials, is desperate for
work, or has underbid the amount of work necessary for a project. One of the things that we have found is that
potential clients tend to compare bids based off of price first when in
reality, the scope of work and materials used should be compared first. By comparing that first, it will give you a
proper gauge as to if the prices are, or should be comparable. In construction and remodeling, there are
countless ways for contractors to cut corners and decrease their price. This is unfortunately becoming more and more
of a reality with the increase of contractors in the remodeling industry. We recently bid an exterior painting project
where our bid was slightly higher than the bid the homeowner ultimately went with. The homeowner did hire us to complete some
carpentry and during the prep and priming portion of the project, the homeowner
sent me some photos of additional areas that needed some carpentry. In the pictures, I noticed one major painting
difference. In my quote, I had stated
that we would prime the entire home with oil based primer. Oil base primer tends to penetrate and bond
well onto wood surfaces. The contractor
they chose, spot primed the areas that they scraped down. The house did not get a full primer
coat. Although our price was higher, we
were also offering a more comprehensive paint job which required more time and
labor and would have the potential to last a longer amount of time. Recently, I was shown some pictures of a renovation in
progress where a heating and air conditioning duct needed to be moved because
it was located in a wall that was being removed. The room being renovated was located on the
first floor of a two story house, where living space was located directly above
the room being worked on. It was a
complete kitchen renovation project and the contractor did not pull any
permits. Permits are REQUIRED for a
renovation like that and often, contractors do not pull permits because they
want to cut corners and save money which ultimately makes their bid cheaper
than other contractors. In this case,
the contractor was cutting a huge corner, and in my opinion, put the structure
of the house at risk. The duct needed to
be moved to a different area in the ceiling and the contractor cut out a
u-shaped notch from the structural ceiling joists above so that the rectangular
duct could be sunk into the ceiling. Out of a 2x10 ceiling joist, a cut of
about 12 inches in length by about 7 inches high was cut into 5 total
joists. The cut was made toward the
middle of the room at the weakest part of the joist. This ultimately decreases the structural
integrity from a 2x10 down to a 2x3. I
cannot stress enough how big of an issue this is and the worst part is that the
homeowner was unaware and was in a position where they needed to trust what the
contractor was doing. The contractor
took complete advantage of this and abused the relationship he had with his
client, thus leaving his client in a house where the second floor structure was
compromised. I’m sure that on the
surface, the remodel looked “fine” when the contractor was finished, but as
time progresses, I am confident that the above floor will sink causing major
work to be completed in the future. In
this case, the cheap price the homeowner received will ultimately come back to
cause a greater expense in the future. In addition to creating comprehensive “work order” style
quotes, we have chosen to not double book our projects. One of the biggest pieces of feedback we get
from our clients is that they have had unpleasant experiences with other
contractors showing up at random times throughout a project, leaving for days
at a time, showing up again for a couple of hours here and there, and taking
far too long to complete projects. We
have taken this to heart because nothing can be more invasive than having your
home torn apart for a major, or even minor, renovation. We understand that it is completely
inconvenient and stressful. What we have been doing since this company was
started is booking one project at a time.
When we begin a project, we stay on that project until it is
completed. We show up consistently at
7:30-8am every morning and work diligently throughout the day until
3:30-4:00. By not leaving to go to
another remodel during the middle of an already started remodel, we are able to
run our projects efficiently and organize our subcontractors to come in and
work with us so that the project can proceed without issue. It greatly shortens
the duration of projects and our clients always end up being amazed at how
quickly and proficiently the work is completed.
Over the past few years, we have developed a strong
reputation on the consumer site Angie’s List.
We have earned numerous awards through the site based off our reviews
from satisfied customers. Angie’s List
has provided a comprehensive list of tips for hiring a home improvement
contractor. Here is the list, but please
click the link to read in depth the description of each point:
Connect with
your contractor: They should be easy to relate to and strong at
communicating with you throughout the bidding and renovation process.
Understand that
price reflects quality: Contractors who rush cut corners and use sub-par
materials. Also, putting the time into a cohesive estimate can help
eliminate extras in the long run.
Know your
contractor’s credentials: Are they licensed and insured? Will they pull
permits?
Get it in
writing: Get a detailed estimate in writing that shows the work to be
completed along with specific materials.
Be upfront about
your budget: It helps the contractor appropriately price your renovation.
It helps us determine how elaborate a renovation can be and allows us to
guide the customer in a direction that enables them to remodel within that
budget.
Educate
yourself: Ask questions about the process and make sure you are on the
same page with your contractor.
Be prepared:
Have your material selections made prior to the beginning of the
project. In fact, have them made so
that the materials can be factored into your quote. By waiting to select materials, it will
delay the renovation process.
Wait to
demolish: Wait for the contractor to begin the project. Construction delays happen and the last
thing you want to do is smash all of your cabinetry and then find out the
contractor had to delay your project start by two weeks!
Be courteous of
your neighbors: This goes for your contractor as well. Make sure that your contractor is not
making a huge mess of your property and letting their materials or debris
get onto your neighbor’s property.
Also, make sure that reasonable work hours are being followed.
Keep your eye on
the prize: Renovations can be disruptive, but are worth it in the long
run!
Ensure that the
project is complete before signing off and paying the final payment: Make
sure that the work is completed to your satisfaction and that every aspect
of the contract has been fulfilled.
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/11-tips-hiring-home-improvement-contractor.htm Here is another link that can help you find the right
contractor for your job: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0242-hiring-contractor It is also important to hire a company that has the
capability of taking the project from start to finish. Let’s be honest, we all have too much going
on in our lives. We work, raise
families, have multiple obligations, and barely have time to decompress at the
end of the day. Why as a homeowner, would you want to manage an entire group of
people that you hire to work on your home?
What is unique about us is that we are sort of a hybrid company. We are contractors yes, but we are also a
General Contractor. We do the majority
of the work on our remodels by ourselves, but we have aligned our company with
a group of tradesmen that can efficiently handle certain tasks on our projects
with a high level of quality. We have
one plumber, one electrician, and one sheetrock company that we integrate into
our projects. Unlike many General
Contractors, we don’t look for the cheapest price when it comes to having
subcontracted trades get involved on our projects. We would rather pay for peace of mind that
the electrical or the plumbing is going to be done the right way, with permits,
and be done cleanly. The relationships we have developed have given us an
advantage in that we are able to schedule these people to come into a project
when we need them. If we come across and
“unforeseen,” our guys will do whatever they can to help us resolve the issue
as quickly as possible. It helps us keep
the project moving forward and shows our clients that we truly are invested in
our projects. We often hear stories
where homeowners are tasked with hiring outside contractors for each individual
trade. That creates stress on the homeowner
and often contributes to longer duration projects. You should never feel pressured by a contractor. Take your remodel or project at your own
pace. Look for a contractor who is
willing to work with you throughout the process and offer suggestions relative
to your project. It is highly important
that you feel 100% comfortable with the contractor you choose because you need
to be able to trust in your contractor and rely on them to do the best work
possible. The relationship between
contractor and homeowner is incredibly important not only through the planning
and bidding phase, but also throughout the project. If a strained relationship
is developed, the project may be filled with tension and you may find that the
level of care and attention being put into your project isn’t what it should
be. A good contractor wants repeat
business and a contractor who values that is not going to rush you or cut corners.