I’ve had a variety of experiences with contractors, some good - some bad.
When I've run into problems, it's normally been for one of the following reasons:
The project ends up over budget.
The project ends up taking too long (there's even been one time when a contractor stopped showing up).
The work isn't done well enough.
I was just curious to get some advice on the main three or four things I can do to maximize the chances that my experience working with a contractor is successful.
Be honest with your Contractor about your requests and your Budget.
alot of the time a client will withhold their budget due to Pride, or just because they feel Contractors are here to take all that they have.
also Clients need to be realistic as to what they are expecting from their selected budget & try not to go with the cheapest Contractor.
alot so the time certain companies put out alot of bids on remodeling projects in hopes of getting several at a time, you want to be Leary of these companies as they usually are the cheapest & care more about the money than the client or project, interview the Contractors as if they were your house sitter & select 1 based on your feelings on their honesty, integrity & proven workmanship & you will generally have a great experience.
It is best to have a realistic budget. A good contractor will be able to adjust you wants list to conform to the funds available. Don’t base you decision on low bid. There are many factors to consider. Among them are quality and type of materials used , code compliance, job scope, checking licensing, referrals and general trust in the contractor.
A realistic time frame for the job is also important along with ability to foresee potential problems.
Good contractors will know what is going to work well structurally and what will be the best way to do things.
If he challenges some of your ideas so much the better.
The best General Contractors have and army of qualified subcontractors and know the limitaions of their direct employees.
Some contractors will try to save money by doing too much themselves and thus drag out the project.
Most important of all is to deal only with responsible people who do what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it.
The most important thing to get correct is to hire the right contractor. So many people are looking strictly at the numbers and hiring the cheapest contractor only to pay later in time, aggravation and redos. Get referrals and check the work of the contractors that you are considering. Make sure that type of project you have is the type that the contractor has experience with. The cheapest way to do something is the right way the first time with the right team! A contractor who works out of a home office, pays little or no workman’s comp, doesn’t pull permits and uses a pickup crew for each job is operating from a completely different position of integrity and financial strength than one who carries all of the required insurance, does things correctly, retains employees all year long and has a strong reputation with BBB and other similar rating agencies. The latter invests a significant amount of time and money in establishing his/her firm with a long term view for success. The former will be cheaper upfront but cost the most in the long run.
Start off with the right working relationship, one based on clarity, fairness, mutual respect and trust. This may sound idyllic; however these goals are very achievable and sets the right tone upfront. A contract is meant to capture the spirit of a transaction but can never cover all contingencies. Be as specific as possible with the details in your specs and drawings. But when it comes down to gray areas or changes, a good working relationship will help to resolve issues fairly and promptly. When you send your job out for bid, be fair to the contractors that you are soliciting. There is a significant cost to the contractor in producing a quality proposal. Invite just your top 3 or 4 to bid. This will be much appreciated by the contractors and start things off on the right footing. Like any relationship, give one another the benefit of the doubt and work toward the common goal.
When comparing estimates, be sure to compare apples to apples. I strongly recommend a common bid sheet for each contractor to submit their proposals on which will illuminate the differences between one contractor’s approach and another. It will also demonstrate each contractor’s experience and their knowledge about the scope of work. Big differences in cost items are important indicators so pay attention to them and understand what’s behind them.
Be realistic about your objectives and budget. It may not be the case that you can get everything you want within the budget that you are working within. Clients are often reluctant to reveal the details of their budgets. The fear is that the contractor will inflate his/her bid to fit the budget. The contractor’s problem is he/she will price in everything discussed on the wish list and then show the client a number that is too far from their expectations. Being upfront about budget objectives and wish list priorities allows the contractor to value engineer by suggesting other options and/or materials or different phasing for the project. This allows the contractor to provide a much better service to the client. Finally, certain aspects of the project may have to wait if they are just not feasible within the current budget. But the scope of work that you do proceed with will at least be realistic in terms of time and money.
These are the reasons a design/builder is the better type of professional to hire for planning your home improvement project:
This type of builder is more in tune with your remodeling budget and can therefore create a design that will be best able to stay within it.
An architect tends to be somewhat detached from the building part of the project; a design/builder, however, because of his intimate familiarity with the building process and materials, will tend to do a better job.
The architectural plans from an architect can sometimes be vague or unclear causing conflicts between the architect and builder.
A builder who bids the job from a set of architectural plans will potentially cause conflict with the owners for missing data and will use this to add extra charges to the homeowner.
A qualified design/builder will save the owner money from preventing any architect/builder conflicts.
A qualified design/builder will simplify the design process since only the drawings that are necessary for that specific job will be done.
A design/builder’s drawings are more understandable since they use a standard medium for the drawings that everyone in the house and field is familiar with.
The design/builder is not only interested in the design, but has responsibility for the final product.
A design/builder process saves money since the homeowner does not have to pay the architect a heavy fee to oversee the project once a week, which is oftentimes 10% of the construction contract price.
A qualified design/builder is very likely to have an in-house architect who oversees the process.
Be realistic about your budget and time. If you spend a lot less money, you will get a lesser result is one way or another - if not in quality, it could be time or process.
Don’t be an experiment. If the contractor has not done a build-up addition before, it is not a good idea to be the first. Let him experiment on someone else.
Insist on getting permits, and if the project requires sealed plans, know that the only legitimate way to get them is to hire an architect. If he hires a drafter and finds someone to illegally seal them (plan stamping is illegal and foolish), you should run, as he will likely do other illegal things in the project as well. Does paying off an inspector ring a bell? I know of a case where the contractor stood in front of a code violation while glad-talking the Inspector, who signed off not seeing the issue. That will come back to bite the homeowner.
If the project would be best done with you out of the house for some or all of the construction period, find a place to stay and preserve your sanity.
Have a detailed contract with reasonable provisions. Some homeowners will spend $50k with the vaguest possible contract. There are standard AIA Contracts which protect everyone. Have a construction attorney review the contract if the amount is significant, but do not let him write a one-sided contract to make you feel good but make unreasonable demands on the contractor which may not be enforceable but make you look like the proverbial “client from hell”. That is a sure way to delays, bad feelings, and a high probability of litigation. A good architect can help you be sure the contract agrees with the drawings and is fair to everyone. That is what makes a successful project and you wanting to recommend the Contractor when all is said and done.
In order to prevent going over budget you would need to put everything on the contract and make sure all the work you want to do is included. Sometimes contractors give you a low price in order to get the job and then tell you that certain things are not included once they are in the job. Prevent this by making sure everything is included in the initial contract and compare it with estimates from other contractors you met with. Do not approve any other work orders. Also make this clear to the contractor prior to signing.
Regarding the length of the project, you can incorporate a timeline in the contract and state that if the contractor goes beyond a certain date they will pay penalty fee. Sometimes there are unforeseen events that hold up the project, such as certain inspector requests, or natural events. Unfortunately there is nothing to do to prevent this.
The quality of the work depends on the contractor you choose. Many people go for the lowest bid and end up with bad quality. Make sure you go to the contractors projects and speak to their previous customers to get an idea of their previous jobs and how their customer’s experience was.
First, try to make a short list of your needs, wants and wishes in regard to your home. Needs are those items in your new floor plan that you absolutely must have. For instance, if your bathtub is old and leaking then a new tub or shower would be a need.
Make another list of those things in your house that bother you and that you don’t like. Discontent and discomfort is one of the primary motivations for remodeling. Simply put, what aspects of your home don’t you like?
Avoid verbal agreements. All too often projects get delayed because of the “buts” – “But I told so ‘n so.” or “But remember you said.” Avoid the “buts” and make sure all decisions are in writing and agreed to by both parties.
