website load speed test Over the past thirty years in the remodeling industry, we have configured a list of very helpful hints and suggestions. Helpful hints Here are some answers to those challenges:
- Make sure your contractor will supervise the job daily; remodels are very detailed and require constant supervision; create a schedule and stay on track as much as possible. Revise if the schedule changes, and keep current as possible.
- Make sure all decisions are made before you start; if you have to order special materials, know when they are going to show up.
- Make sure trade contractors or employees show up on time and produce planned work. The most frequent complaint is “job took too long.”
- Owners: if work has been done according contract, pay your contractor as agreed; if work is not done according to contract, do not pay. You should have a detailed, written agreement your contractor along with owners’ signatures, detailed pay schedule, and all changes should be documented and signed. You do not want to get to the end of the project and start discussing all the charges. Additional work or change orders are considered a “new contract agreement,” so have it in writing as a signed agreement before doing.
- Owners: trust your contractor, and if you don’t trust him, don’t hire him. Consult with the contractor about your decisions or hire professional help when you go outside of your team for advice.
- Do as much research and decision-making on the front end as possible and you will stay closer to budget and not be delayed. Have a signed and dated selection sheet for each room.
- When selecting a contractor, interview several past clients/references which should be readily provided for you; check their work, certifications and Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) registration. You should feel that your contractor is a good match and that they truly are concerned about your needs and end product. From contractor’s point of view, if owners would do their homework and select who they would be comfortable with, it would save a lot of time. Most contractors don’t mind spending time if they have a commitment from the client.
- Always invest time and resources to develop detailed set of plans. This puts everyone on the same page and takes a lot of guesswork out of the process. When hiring an architect/designer for plans, you should talk about your budget. You will find your contractor will be help with approximate estimate, as he is aware of current costs.
- Owner and contractor need to remember this company is going to “move in” for a while; if the courtship is rocky, the marriage could be worse. Both parties need to make sure it’s a good match before committing.
- Always remember both parties need to be reasonable; the contractor needs to be understanding of a client’s needs and concerns; the owner needs to understand things will happen when you open walls up in a house. Nothing built by human beings is going to be perfect; every owner only expects to get the value for what they have invested.