I recommend the following to everyone that has an upcoming remodel project.
1. What do you want to do and why?
Knowing what you want in a project and why you want it is the first thing you should do when contemplating a project. Unfortunately most people just get a thought and pull out the yellow pages or internet and start calling contractors. This is a huge mistake, no one but you knows what you want and how you want it. Without a plan in mind and some idea of whats available you will get wildly different bids and your project will be a headache from the start. So how do you come up with a plan that will fit you? There are several options, first hire a designer or architect to work with you. This is a great option, as a designer or architect will spend time with you to develop your project with the proper materials and firm plans to build from so that your project will be completed as you wanted. This option is often expensive though and most clients find it to be out of their budget range. Another option is to pick up some home design magazines that you like and keep a scrapbook of pictures and articles that interest you in an effort to develop a list of materials and designs that you find appealing, this will put your contractor on the right path from the first meeting you have with them.
2. Develop a realistic budget
I have not met a client yet who wasn't shocked at the costs involved in a remodeling project. The reality is any remodeling project is more involved than the average home owner can understand. You can get a lot of bad information from people outside of your project. One good resource is Remodeling Magazine and their Cost Vs Value report which you can find on remodeling magazine's website. This is a great way to research "average" costs for projects like the one you are thinking of. Click to your region and scroll down to the project type you are looking for, descriptions are provided with materials and sizes. Don't get discouraged if your budget does not exactly fit what you see on that site, your project is unique, and a good contractor can work with you to get to a price and project that fits for you, both in price and quality.
Once you have figured out what you want and what your budget is its time to call some contractors.
3. Find at least 3 contractors to give you an estimate.
Where do you find names of contractors to call? The best way is to ask your friends and family. Nothing is better than a referral from someone you know, who has experience with a contractor. They can let you in on the good and bad about someone, use their experiences. If you cannot find a contractor that way its time to hit the internet. Unfortunately this really is a crap shoot. There are websites claiming to have "pre-screened" and qualified contractors, but in my experience they are not any better than calling names out of the phone book. Depending on which service you try, you may get 3 names they pick at random from their lists of contractors, or you may be bombarded with over 50 contractors when they send your name to every contractor on their list in your area. Neither of those scenarios is ideal. The best way to find a contractor on the internet is also the most time consuming. Most contractors you would want to work with will have a website. A Google search with the type of project and your location in the search box will likely bring up several contractors' websites. Do not limit yourself to the first page, you will miss out on many great people who are not paying Google to get to the first page. Click through to their website and read the opening page, if it sounds ok then look at their portfolio. Hopefully you will see many beautiful projects that look similar in size and scope to what you are looking for, if so send them an e-mail or call them to come take a look and give you an estimate. Show them the space you want remodeled and tell them your budget, show them your scrapbook and be as through as possible about what you want. The more specific you are the better your estimates will be and the more you minimize any surprises as you move forward. You MUST get at least 3 contractors to estimate your project, otherwise you will not be able to get the best value and verify that the contractor has the project scope correct.
4. Review the estimates
Undoubtedly you will have 3 or more different numbers, don't worry too much about this, hopefully you have 3 good contractors who included a list of what they bid on, including all the project details you discussed with them. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples on the bids, if not call the contractors back and get them to fix their bid. Your bid may contain "allowances" this is typical at this stage and is used when some item or material is not specifically selected. Make sure any and all allowance numbers are comparable across your bids. If one of the bids seems abnormally high or low in comparison to the others and you cannot figure out why call that contractor and discuss it with him or her. They may have a different idea of the project and may need to adjust their bid. Once you have all the bids covering the same project scope, its time to check their references, or go out and take at look at their current jobs. If a contractor did not provide references ask for them, but know sometimes they may want some time to warn those prospects about the impending calls or limit your ability to call them to certain periods of time, there is nothing wrong with this as no one likes surprise calls during the dinner hour. Talk to their references about their previous dealings with that contractor, ask specific questions like "what did the contractor do that was great? what wasn't so good? did they complete the project on time and on budget? did they make efforts to minimize their impact on the rest of the house?" Once you have a good understanding of the contractors' former clients you can choose the one that gives you feel will give you the most value. Notice I did not say lowest priced, price is only one aspect of value, and honestly not the most important. You will run into problems and delays and other very frustrating issues during your project, having the right contractor will make these tolerable, the wrong one will make them hell.
5. Meet with the selected contractor and confirm his bid.
This often involve a design contract and some work to firm up all the materials and doing final project drawings, from which a final price will be established and the project can commence.
131shapes, based in Pittsburgh, PA is an award winning remodeling company specializing in uniquely designed remodeling solutions. http://www.131shapes.com
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