That is just a part of being a contractor. Try and eat the cost without going back to customer and asking for more money. Take pride in your work. The permits will always be a headache. Make the changes the City or County wants and move on. If customer is mean our you get bad vibes move on before you sign contract.
Hello. Well, first you definitely have to have a nice detailed contract written and signed by both you and the contractor. Permits usually happen after you sign a contract, and paid by the client. Sometimes, inspections donât pass for permits, and the contractor has to pay from his pocket to fix them. Thatâs nothing to do with client. Unless, unforeseen situations occur, such as bad pipes etc⌠Thatâs no ones fault and could happenâŚYou really need good relations with your contractor, and good communications. Everything will resolve smoothly then with negotiations. Good luck!
Permits should be inquired through city hall before each project begins. If there is an issue, it has been my experience to be 100% compliant and do whatever needs to be done. If city hall is a stickler, I often refer to a well known builder in the area and ask if they would treat such & such this way.
Communication. Everything in a remodel is an unknown. Unfortunately, it is sort of a âas a matter of factâ situation. For every hiccup, there should be at least 2 options provided, although sometimes this is not possible. Your contractor should be able to provide solutions along with the corresponding pricing for each. âWe could do this, or this, whichever youâd prefer.â
If unforeseen costs arise that must be attended to no matter what, I will try and work out some sort of payment plan if the item is fairly large.
We will address any situation in a clear honest way, explaining additional costs and Labor to complete a project
We are a very transparent firm. Both my husband and I are hands on with all our clients so we know exactly how each project is going. Our PM are also trained to identify issues from the beginning. Most (not all) but most of the latent defects are identified during the demo and rough stage. At this point we immediately access the situation and update our clients on the additional time and cost the defect or unforeseen issue will cost, once the change order is approved we move forward with handling the issue. We have a simple work order that outlines terms and conditions, we have job site and project expectations that is provided to the client on the first day. We also have a more extensive contract for projects that run more than 10 days. All in all it is about communication. For us an informed client is a happy client. The news or update may not always be good but it will be honest and fair. Blessings, Maria Cartage, Cartage Home Remodelers, Inc. Colossians 3:23
On a remodel there could always be certain things that wont show up until job has started. I would advise implementing a unforeseen clause in your contract. There is such a
Wide variety of things that could pop up it would be hard to list just one.
Always include unforeseen incidents and or weather delays in your contract as well.
Advise them of the unforseen problem and submit a bid to fix the problem and be as reasonably price keeping the client informed
All remodeling/renovation projects encounter unforeseen issues. The seriousness is usually determined by the age and condition of the property. At the outset of each project, before a fixed fee is quoted, we discuss the projected work, time-frame, and budget with the owner. Then we review the property and the related building codes. Our fees cover any permitting issues created by our plans, and any changes required are done asap with no additional fees. If problems are found, we generally resolve them with the owner and contractor at no additional fee for our time. If they are critical to the plan or budget agreed on by the owner - severe termite damage, failing foundation, etc, - we discuss the options with the client and resolve them quickly with as little difficulty or expense as possible. These are the types of issues that usually create additional costs for the owner. We work with the owner and contractor to find the least expensive, permanent fix for the problem that doesnât ruin the design.
I always take pictures right away and send them o we can discuss options. Negotiate a Change Order, proceed with the work, and then send photos of before, during, and after so our client is comfortable that all the work was done correctly.
In remodels, it is definitely NOT UNCOMMON for unforeseen problems to arise. Therefore we always recommend reviewing the plans and discussing the project at length before any major decisions are made. But mistakes, confusions, and general problems do happen. So discussing and coming to an agreement on how these future problems are handled is a great idea. Being flexible from the clientâs standpoint as well as the contractors stand point is also very helpful when solving issues that arise throughout the project.
Always be honest.
Answer to #1: If there are permitting issues then those issues have to be addressed and rectified. If all the requirements of the permitting processes are followed, no issues would exist.
Answer to #2: Any problem that may crop up requires time not anticipated and communication is critical to convey the issue(s) and work out the best solution possible.
Answer to #3: To deal with additional cost that may come up during a project requires diligent assessment, communication and accountability. Assessing who caused the increase and or how the cost arrived, communicate how it will get resolved and whoever is responsible to be financially responsible is accountable. C&C Corporation at times, will continue working to get the job done if the additional cost isnât worth slowing down the job to discuss. A good contractor shouldnât nickle and dime a client and a client shouldnât expect the contractor to work for free⌠Working together on how to resolve the cost that nobody expected is vital to the success of the âentireâ project.
Thanks,
C&C Corporation
www.candccorporation.com
There are not really any permitting issues, either your contractor/design professional get a permit or tells you donât need one, the latter is the problem. Always get a permit.
If unforeseen items occur, you as the owner should already be on the same page, we have worked on additions/remodels and found untold problems, identify, work through.
Keep you as the owner informed at every turn. Not everything cost you more, but if more supplies are needed, and more time spent, really not an issue. Just be upfront.
Curveballs or change orders are going to happen in all projects, thatâs the nature of remodeling & renovating old buildings. Building owners should be prepared to build in a 10% - 15% contingency for unknown conditions or client driven changes.
Most changes require additional time & effort to complete especially permitting issues that become apparent during construction. Thoughtful pre construction meetings with architects, engineers, designers, contractors & the sub contractors can help get the project started on the right path. When changes do arise A change order proposal should be written up to include all the associated costs to complete the additional work along with any additional time to be added to the schedule.and presented to the owner for approval before additional work begins.
get fix, make the client happy
It is always better to talk about the permits with the cityâs Department of Building before taking on a project (especially when unsure about the permit requirements)
Unless you have contract clauses that allow you to charge hourly for the contracted work, or the client adds more tasks, you shouldnât try to charge more and accept that you underestimated the time and the responsibility of that loss
When problems and additional costs arise during a remodeling project the best way to deal is to be up front and honest with your customer. We canât see inside walls but as an experienced professional we should have a sense and plan for issues in places we canât see. If itâs worse than expected then meet with your client and find the most comfortable solution for your client. Permits should be researched and dealt with after your client has committed to a project. Keep them informed of potential issues and work with the city or township to resolve the issues in a timely manor.
We are a very fair company, during remodels there very well could be unforeseen circumstances but we will do a thorough job explaining the scenario and make sure that everyone is in good understanding. Communication is key with any project and we take pride in our ability to communicate.
We generally estimate a 10% contingency that I rarely go into. Communication is key here. If I caused the problem I will have to own up to it. If its an external factor I do the best I can to stay within budget. Working with older homes you never know what is behind a wall so I communicate to the customers that we cant know until we open up the wall.
when you get a curve ball thrown your way address the minute it happens . if your problem makes sense explain it honestly and 95% of the time the costumer understands and expects problems to occur during construction