Remodeling your current home can give you a great deal of flexibility. If your family is growing, you can increase your square footage. If you’re an empty nester, you can increase convenience and safety. In every case, you can add more value to your home with upgrades. There are many terrific reasons to update your home and working with a top quality remodeling expert will make your process a lot easier.
What Is a Remodeling Contractor?
A remodeling contractor is someone who can study what’s currently going on in your structure and help you plan what is possible with your desired changes. For example, there are many ways to open up walls if you want to create an open concept design, but your construction expert can let you know if you need extra beams. Many Houston remodeling experts also have a detailed knowledge of construction style and history in the area; if your property is older, they can help you maintain the style while updating your house.
A quality general contractor has connections with:
- Architects and engineers who can help design and ensure it is structurally sound
- Plumbers, who will move gas and water lines if needed
- Electricians, who can re-route wiring, rewire your house, or upgrade your electrical panel
- Carpenters, who can protect the structure of your house
Be ready to make some tough decisions. For example, you might love the idea of an open concept space, but if the structure of your property will require a great deal of beaming, the cost may be off-putting. Your remodeling professional can help you find other construction styles that will give you a sense of space without high carpentry costs.
You may choose to take care of some of the final finishing on your home improvement; for example, you may want to do your own painting. The right remodeling professional can help you get your living space to paint-ready.
How Many Remodeling Quotes Should I Get?
It’s a good idea to get at least three quotes from different home remodel contractors. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples; take the time to have a conversation about what you want, the timeframe you expect and the level of finish you expect when the professionals are done.
During these detailed conversations, you’ll get an idea of their current workload and their experience. More experienced and established general contractors may be booked out for some time and may be at a higher price point. A new contractor may be hungry for work, may be able to start immediately, and may have a lower price. Additionally, your remodelers may be in your home for quite a while, depending on your projects, so make sure you’re comfortable with them when you collect quotes.
Should You Tell a Contractor You Are Getting Other Quotes?
Absolutely! You should be as transparent as possible about collecting other quotes. This message should certainly be followed up by what you expect; if your timeline is especially tight, your renovation professional needs to know.
Once you make your choice, be transparent in your communication with the chosen remodeling expert and those who didn’t get the work. Your decision is good feedback for those contractors not chosen.
Should a Remodeling Professional Ask What Your Budget Is?
Absolutely! Budget is a critical concern for both you and your remodeling team. It can also be a good question to help you understand whether or not you’re really ready. If you’re renovating your bathroom, you should really have a good idea of what you want in terms of shower surround, tub, toilet, vanity and sink.
Once you have a vision, you’re ready to hire a remodeling expert. Be sure you hire your remodeler before you order the supplies; not every dream item may fit in your bathroom and your remodeling professional is the expert who can help to adjust your expectations if things need to change.
Once you and your team of experts get on the same page about what you want, where you want it and when you want the work done, the conversation about budget will come naturally. Your remodeling professional can also tell you what aspects of your renovation may need to be altered or pared back to meet your budget. All of this information is incredibly helpful, so be ready to share your budget information!
How to Select a Contractor for a Project?
Be comfortable with the scope of work
Be ready to have long conversations with your chosen remodeling expert. The challenges and change orders will crop up when the details are ignored. Is your contractor paying for the materials or will you be ordering them? Will that make a difference as far as the price? Can you finance materials through your own vehicle and gain points or miles or whatever bonuses you can get?
Check out their website and social media
Study up on the images on their website. Be aware that if you’re hiring a new remodeler, their website may simply be a Facebook business site. Some contractors may not have a website at all. There’s nothing wrong with hiring a new remodeling expert if you can get verified reviews.
Ask for Reviews
Google reviews should be available for any established remodeler. Make sure you also ask for information from projects they’ve done in your neighborhood; you may be able to see examples of their work while you walk your dog.
Do you get along with the contractor?
Challenges are going to come up. Backorders, change orders, weather issues and many other delays are going to get in your way. Not all of these challenges are going to show up on your best day; your reaction may not be the most patient.
Make sure you can effectively work with this remodeler on the tough days. Understand that your tough days will be different from their tough days. Stay flexible and patient but be sure the contractor has your best interest in mind.
What Are the Typical Steps for a Home Remodeling Project?
Planning and designing
If you really need to renovate your master bedroom and master bathroom, it’s a good idea to talk to an interior design expert. The end result of any property improvement should mesh well with your existing house. If your new master bathroom makes your secondary bathroom look shabby, you may not find satisfaction in the process.
The planning and design of any renovation is going to take a lot of thinking. If you want to update your back patio so you can get more use out of it, consider why you don’t use it. Do you avoid it because it’s cramped, or because it’s baking in the sun when you’re home from work? The first update may be a canopy to give you some shade so you can linger out there!
Consider also the things about your house that really bug you. You may long for a beautiful backsplash, but if storage is so limited that you really can’t see your current backsplash, you will want a storage update as well.
Finally, take some time to focus on usage. If you love to cook and can foods for preservation, quartz countertops may not be preferable to granite; granite offers more heat tolerance. If you love the look of quartz countertops and don’t do a lot of bulk cooking or food preservation, enjoy the sleek look of quartz!
HOA approval (if applicable)
Remodeling will change the look of your home. If you live in a condo or a planned community, there may be requirements that you need to complete before you can start your house improvement project. They may have a list of recommended or required remodeling companies. You can save yourself headaches by reaching out to your HOA leadership for information on recommendations or restrictions before you start asking for quotes.
Permitting
Building permits are crucial to an effective renovation; many steps may need to be inspected before the next step can occur. For example, electrical updates will need to be inspected before walls can be closed up.
Demo
Demolition can be quite messy. If you’re home during demolition, be prepared for disruption. A quality general contractor will monitor the demolition and mask your property as much as possible to avoid a great deal of mess throughout your entire home. It’s a good idea to schedule big cleaning projects after your renovation is done. If you get your carpets steam cleaned once a year, wait until your kitchen remodel is complete before you steam clean your living room carpets.
Demolition can also be noisy. If your children are very small and your house is feeling very tight, it may be best to get demolition done while you’re out of town. It might also be best to book time away from your house with family or friends for just a day or two to keep everyone calm.
Mechanical / plumbing / electrical
There are a lot of terrific home remodel ideas that look terrific on the Pinterest page that include a lot of “behind the wall” work. If you need to get your walls opened up for plumbing, gas or electrical changes, make sure you also consider other changes you can do at the same time. If you’ve been limping along on an electric stove but you really prefer gas, your kitchen renovation may be the time to get a gas line routed for your new and preferred stove.
City inspections for permits
Before the walls can be sealed up, the work your remodelers did will need to be inspected. Be aware that the requirements imposed by building codes can change quickly. Your experts should be able to incorporate these changes into your remodel. If something fails inspection, it can cause delays. It’s unlikely that the changes required will add to your total bill, but they may have an impact on your timeline.
Sheetrock, tape, float, and texture
When it comes to remodeling projects, sheetrock, tape, float, and texture are crucial steps to achieve a polished finish. Sheetrock, also known as drywall, is used to create the walls and ceilings, while taping involves applying joint tape to the seams. Floating smoothens out these joints using joint compound, and texturing provides a decorative touch that not only enhances the room’s overall aesthetic but also helps conceal any imperfections.
Flooring, trim work, cabinets, finishes
No matter what kind of interior remodel you’re investing in, the trim work is the final and most visible step. Take the time to study these trim pieces to make sure that you’re entirely happy with the result. If you had a bathroom remodel done, are you happy with the tile work? Do the cabinets in your kitchen makeover function well and fit tightly into the wall recesses?
Your general contractor professional can help you note any issues that you’re not happy with and schedule action to fix the problem. Experts in remodeling services understand that small issues can come up at the end of the project and are prepared for final touch-ups.
Final inspections to close out the permit
The final inspections can encompass many steps. For example, there may be rules about debris removal that your remodeler needs to meet. If you needed a new breaker box for an electrical upgrade, an electrical inspector may need to visit more than once.
Inspections can feel intrusive to both you and your remodeler, especially if you’re excited to move in to your new living space. However, building codes are created to maintain your safety and the value of your property. A delay of a day or two will not matter in the next five years.
Set up times for personal inspections
Renovations can be stressful events for property owners. Talk with your remodeler about scheduling a walk-through of your property. If you’re not living in the property during a large renovation, it’s a good idea to set a time to meet your project manager at the house for a walk-through. For example, it’s pointless to appear unannounced for a personal inspection if the electricity is shut off because the lighting is being updated.
Is It Normal for a Contractor to Ask for 50 Percent Up Front?
It is absolutely common and necessary for a remodeling professional to ask for a deposit of 50%. When the job is halfway done, you may be billed for another draw of 25%. When you are able to walk through your finished Texas property, you will be billed for the final 25%.
Deposits serve several purposes. First of all, these funds let your remodeler know that you’re ready to put up with the mess and disruption of a renovation to your Cypress property. Your deposit allows your remodeler to get your project on their calendar, order materials, and have money to pay their crew.
Milestone payments are crucial to discuss before you get to the milestone. What’s really a halfway point for the remodelers may not look like one to you. For example, the halfway point of your project for an open concept kitchen may mean that you’re looking at bare sheetrock, waiting on cabinets and looking at new appliances in your garage. Your remodeling expert still needs to pay subs and employees for the work done thus far.
It is crucial that you and your general contractor have a written, signed contract. Do not make payments to anyone without a signed contract. As you make payments to your remodeler, make sure you’re also getting lien releases from your general contractor.
Renovations require property owners to make many decisions. Working with a skilled team of remodeling professionals on your Houston property can help you ask the right questions and make the best choices for your needs, now and in the future. Reach out to the experts at Elevation Construction for a quote and a conversation about your vision for your property.