Welcome to Glenbrook Remodeling’s new informative series – Remodeling Survival Skills. In this regular series, we want to share our industry-insider knowledge to ensure your next remodeling project goes smoothly and turns out beautifully. To begin, here are some insider-approved ways to vet a remodeling contractor.
Have you been contemplating a new kitchen or bathroom? Inviting a remodeling contractor into your home certainly requires trust. Knowing whom to trust is where many people get stuck. Safeguard your home – and happiness – by vetting any remodeling professional you invite into your home before hiring their company to begin work.
Here’s a checklist for vetting any remodeling professionals you are interviewing for your project, based on our over 20 years of experience in this industry.
1) Check References
Ask for three or more references. You want a mix of recent clients as well as clients with similar projects to the one you’re contemplating. So if you’re building an addition, you want to talk to others who worked with this contractor on that scale of project.
Ask these clients the following questions:
- How clean did the project crew keep the worksite?
- How did the crew protect the rest of the house from construction dust?
- Did you receive at least weekly project status updates?
- Was the contractor available for questions via phone call and email during your project?
- Were there any snags in the process? How did the GC resolve them?
- Was the GC’s written estimate adhered to or exceeded?
- Was the project completed in a timely manner? If not, what caused the delay and how did the GC resolve it?
2) Ask for Proof of Insurance
Ask for proof of:
- General liability insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Property damage insurance
You also want to know the dollar amount limits of these policies. Request a COI (Certificate of Insurance) on each policy for your project file. The insurance companies provide these to their insured companies free of charge. If the contractor seems unwilling or unable to produce these documents in a timely manner, that might be a reason to pause.
3) Ask About their Process
Managing a remodeling project requires many moving parts. Any contractor you consider hiring should have a clear and well-documented process for approaching your project. What are the steps taken and in what order? How do they keep track of scheduling your project? How do they keep track of all the product ordering for your project – lighting, plumbing fixtures, countertop slabs and fabrication, etc. Ensure the contractor you ultimately choose has an organized back office behind them to keep your project’s administrative tasks on track.
4) Personality Fit
Beyond whether you feel comfortable with the contractor’s style, also pay attention to the rest of their staff. Observe how the contractor’s team interacts – is there mutual respect evident in how the team interacts with one another? A team that runs smoothly internally ensures a better outcome for your project.
5) Project Budget Accuracy
Does the contractor provide a budget for you after a one-hour meeting with them? There are so many variables in a remodeling project. Without a complete understanding of how you wish your new space to function, as well as the level of fixtures and finishes you would be happiest with, paired with some detailed knowledge of your home’s current construction, how can they know your project budget?
At Glenbrook Remodeling, after you’ve shared your desired budget range for this project, the next phase of any project is to sign a Planning & Design Agreement to allow for time for us to really understand what you wish to achieve in your remodel, look for any hidden budget busters in your existing home (Will you have to bring electrical work up to code? Will you need to add to your electrical panel in order to power the new appliances and electronics? Or is the current water line into your home able to handle an additional bathroom?), create architectural drawings, and obtain labor and materials quotes for everything outlined in the drawing set.
At the end of this phase (4-6 weeks later, depending on the size and complexity of your proposed remodeling project), Glenbrook Remodeling will present a design that provides the solution you’re after, as well as accurate pricing for the total scope that fits within the agreed-upon budget range. This method keeps Change Orders to an absolute minimum.
6) Communication Timing
Pay attention to how long it takes the prospective remodeler to respond to your emails and phone calls. If there’s a lag time before you hire them, there will likely be lag times after you’ve signed the contract.
Following this checklist before your next home remodeling project is the homeowner equivalent to “Measure twice. Cut once.” Prior planning and preparation always leads to a better experience and result.
Do you want to see more posts like this one? What are some topics you’d like us to cover? Email your suggestions to sales@glenbrookremodeling. Ready to plan your design-build kitchen remodel? Give us a call today or stop by our showroom.
