If you’ve got a home remodeling project in mind, chances are you’re thinking that the time to get the work done won’t come until winter is over.
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But the truth is remodelers work straight through the winter months, so there’s no reason to plan for a spring project start. And even if you want the work to be done in the spring, now is the time to start looking for a contractor.
With a little effort, you can increase the chances that you have a good remodeling experience.
Start by outlining exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. Jot down a list of what the improvement must do. Then list what you’d like it to do. Then list what you would like to include in the improvement if money, time and space were no object.
You might find out some of the things on your wish list are more affordable or easier than you think. And a good contractor may suggest ways to get similar results at lower costs.
Once you’ve decided what your needs and desires are, start polling friends and acquaintances about contractors they have used. Get lists of contractors who do the kind of work you want done from the Better Business Bureau, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, the Remodelers Council of the Home Building Association and other groups.
Both remodelers groups have certification programs for contractors who want to stand out from the crowd. The certification programs require that the contractors have a certain level of experience and that their employees go through continuing education to keep up with changing techniques.
Narrow your list of potential contractors to a few and set up preliminary interviews. Have them bring a list of past customers with jobs similar to yours. They should also bring proof that they are insured and covered by workers compensation.
Based on the interviews with the contractors and some of their past customers, decide on a few to ask for formal bids. For relatively small jobs (under about $20,000), two bids is probably enough. Three bids are about right for a bigger job.
Getting at least two bids might encourage each of the potential contractors to keep their prices as low as possible. Also you might get ideas in the bidding process that you can incorporate into your final plans even if you don’t hire the contractor who had the idea.
Getting more than three estimates probably won’t improve the final price you pay. It takes a lot of work for a contractor to make a formal bid, and a contractor who knows he’s one of five or six bidding on a job may not put in a lot of effort because his chances of getting the contract are slim. Some contractors will refuse to bid if too many competitors are involved.
Bidding procedures
Make sure each contractor is bidding on the same basic work and promising the same materials, such as particular model numbers of cabinetry and specific faucets. When possible, design your job to use standard-size materials, and buy from existing stock rather than ordering custom-made components.
Compare the bids carefully and recheck that each of the contractors is bidding on the same work. If one of the bids is especially low or high, it might reflect a misunderstanding between you and the contractor.
Choose a contractor based not only on price but also on your comfort level. Spending a few hundred dollars extra to hire a contractor you really trust and can work with is probably worthwhile in the long run.
Once you’ve chosen a contractor, study the contract before signing it and ask questions on anything that is unclear. Contractors typically get a down payment of about one-third of the contract costs as they start the job, particularly on bigger jobs. The rest is paid when construction milestones are reached and when the job is completed.
It’s a bad idea to pay in full before work begins; the payment schedule should be spelled out in the contract.