"Hire a bad contractor and your project is sunk before it is even launched."
- Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, June 1995
For most people, a large renovation or addition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience requiring a substantial investment in one of their largest assets, their home. Selecting qualified remodeling professionals who can simplify the remodeling process and deliver home improvement value is vital to the success of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. In this section we will discuss the various remodeling professionals and how you should go about selecting the right pro for your renovation.
Types of Remodeling Professionals:
Who are the professionals who can help you do your project and what do they do?
Architect: Designs your project to be structurally sound and develops detailed floor-plan and elevation blueprints that a contractor would use to build a project.
Interior Designer: Selects finishes, fixtures and furnishings and may design floor plans, particularly furniture placement plans. Interior designs complement the work of an architect.
Landscape Architect: Develops a design for your home's exterior plantings and hardscapes (patios, pergolas, sidewalks and other exterior features).
Trade Contractor: Trade contractors, also commonly known as sub-contractors, perform one type of construction service. Plumbers, electricians, painters and carpenters are examples of trade contractors.
General Contractor: Manages trade contractors to build a project according to the blueprints prepared by the architect or interior designer.
Design/Build Firm: Provides both architectural design and construction services.
Gardner/Fox is a full-service design build firm that provides architectural, interior and landscape design along with full construction services.
Now that you know the different types of remodeling professionals, you need to determine the type of professional you need for your home improvement project.
- How extensive is your renovation or addition? Is it mainly a redecorating or maintenance project? Does the work involve one tradesman, such as a painter, with little or no construction? These types of projects generally don't require an architect or a general contractor and can usually be easily done by contracting directly with a trade contractor, potentially with the assistance of an interior designer.
- Do you plan to have walls moved or removed or do you think that moving walls could improve your space? Does the improvement involve more than one trade, e.g., does the work require the coordination of carpenters and plumbers? Do you plan to add rooms? Do you plan on completely renovating one of your home's more complicated and important spaces, like your kitchen or bath? These types of renovations are more complex and will greatly benefit from the knowledge and experience of an architect and general contractor, or design/build firm.
If your renovation plans requires the help of a design professional, you have two general ways to approach the project.
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How to Proceed
Traditional Architect and Contractor Process
The first option is the traditional process of first hiring an architect or designer and then hiring a separate contractor once the design is finished. With this option you would be working with two separate companies to complete your project.
In this traditional process, you would work with an architect to design your renovation and ask one or several general contractors to give you a bid on the construction. The homeowner signs a contract with an architect, and then a separate contract is signed with a general contractor.
Design/Build Process
The second option would be to work with one design/build firm that provides both design and construction services. The design/build process is a convenient "one -stop shopping" experience developed to allow homeowners to work with one dedicated team to design and build a project.
What to Look for in an Architect
The first step toward a successful project is developing a functional, attractive and cost-effective design; exactly what architects are trained to do.
Architects are licensed professionals who listen to your ideas, make suggestions for the most effective design based on your needs and budget, and develop all these goals and ideas into a realistic plan for construction that is documented in a set of blueprints that tradesmen can build from.
Quite often, particularly with smaller projects, people question the value of paying an architect to design their project. In our opinion, not hiring an architect for a project of even minimal complexity is a mistake - a big mistake. Going through a formal design process with an architect will allow you to truly develop and analyze your project on paper when things are much easier and less expensive to change than during construction.
Think of your work with an architect as the planning stage and, as with most things, prior proper planning prevents poor performance. If you don't think an architect is necessary for your project, look around your neighborhood or at friends' addition and renovation projects. Chances are you will notice a difference in the quality of projects where design professionals were involved: the parts of the project "fit together" better, details match better, or the new details add charm to the project. They say that God is in the details, and, in the construction process it is the architect who does the detailing.
OK, now that you're convinced you should hire an architect, what should your look for?
First, ask for references from friends for experienced professional architects specializing in residential renovations and additions. Insist on architects who specialize in the type of project that you have planned since architects specializing in other building types may not offer the type of experience necessary for residential work, particularly residential remodeling which has unique challenges.
Then, ask the architect to show you examples of their work, and not just examples of their designs. Ask to see examples of their designs that have actually been built as this is a good way of helping you understand how drawings relate to actual construction and also shows that the architect has been successful in helping clients get their project constructed. Architects who can show you a lot of designs but can't show you many built projects may not be good at creating practical spaces that meet client's budgets.
You also want to look for someone with whom you would be comfortable working. You will be working with your architect closely for potentially a period of months. Make sure the person (and the backup person in their office) is someone that you can work with.
Keep in mind some practical issues, too. Is the architect close by so you can easily meet with them? Do they have an office with support staff that can help with different aspects of your project, like interior design? Are they working full time on residential projects or are they trying to do your project "on the side" while during the day they are working somewhere else?
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What to Look for in a Contractor
Over the years, contractors have gotten a bad reputation - sometimes for good reason! But, regardless of the industry reputation, you can find quality contractors that can provide good value and service by doing a little homework.
Before we get into the details of selecting a contractor, though, keep in mind that when you are trying to select a contractor, you should be looking for the contractor that you feel will provide the best value for your remodeling dollar--- not necessarily the lowest price. Your goal should be to find the most qualified, reasonably-priced contractor for your project.
Cars make a good analogy. Remember the Yugo? In the late 1980's the Yugo was by far the cheapest car you could find in the U.S., but it turned out to be a terrible driving, trouble-prone car with a lot of unhappy owners. Yugo owners didn't spend much---at first-but the car ended up costing them much more than the original purchase price and was nearly worthless when they tried to sell it!
Here are some thoughts, suggestions, and questions to consider when choosing a contractor.
- A good place to start is by asking friends and neighbors for recommendations. People love talking about their houses and will gladly tell you about their remodeling experience.
- Ask the contractor to provide you with three client references and contact those references.
- Chose a contractor with a proven track record. Make certain that the contractor has been in business for a number of years under the same name and that they have completed projects similar to yours. Ask to see a portfolio of projects similar to yours. You could try to visit a project, but keep in mind that contractors may shy away from that request to avoid bothering past clients.
- Construction can be a lengthy process. Choose a contractor you would feel comfortable talking with on a daily basis for a number of weeks or months. Make sure the contractor listens to your questions and concerns and communicates with you in a courteous and professional manner.
- Only use a fully insured contractor. At a minimum, the contractor should have general liability, workman's compensation and umbrella liability insurance. Ask the contractor to have a certificate of insurance sent to you directly from his insurance broker and let your insurance broker or attorney review it to make sure that the contractor has the correct and proper amount of insurance to cover your interests in the event of a problem.
- Avoid contractors that demand large up-front deposits. Ask the contractor to explain their payment terms to you and try to select a contractor that expects payment as work is installed.
- Look for contractors that have trained staff that can help you select any materials that may have to be chosen during construction or can help with any design changes that you may want to make during construction.
- Find out how the contractor handles changes you may decide to make during construction. The contractor should be willing to accommodate the change, price it reasonably and have the staff to help you accomplish your new goal.
- Ask the contractor how he schedules his work and if his contracts include start and end dates. Ask to see an example of a printed schedule that the contractor has given to a client in the past. The contractor should be willing to give you a solid start and finish date and give you a printed schedule for completing your job.
- Ask the contractor about his warranty. Make sure the warranty is in writing and you review it before you sign a contract.
- Make sure the contractor is easy to get in touch with, particularly in the event of an emergency. You should be able to reach your contractor 24 hours/day, 7 days/week for emergencies. Find out what the contractor's emergency procedures are.
- Find out how the contractor handles inclement weather and how he protects your home from inclement weather.
- Contact your township and ask some questions about a potential contractor. Do they work in the township regularly? Have they ever been fined? What is their reputation?
- Contact the Better Business Bureau. Has the contractor ever been reported? If they have been reported multiple times, shy away.
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What to Look for in a Design/Build Firm
A quality design/build firm should be able to provide all the services that a separate architect, interior designer and general contractor can provide. Consequently, you should use the same guidelines for hiring a design/build firm as are outlined here for selecting an architect and contractor.
In addition, you should find out how a design/build firm functions since many design/build firms use outside architects or outside tradesmen in a type of joint-venture arrangement. While this process can be successful, Gardner/Fox is a design/build firm that uses its own staff of architects, designers and craftsmen to ensure project quality.
Questions to Ask References
When selecting a contractor and architect it makes sense to check with their references to see how they performed on projects similar to yours. Here are some questions you may want to ask.
Please explain the type of work you had done on your home (addition, renovation, etc.)
I would like to find out if this company has done work on homes similar to mine. What is the age of your home? The style?
Were you happy with the quality of the work?
How well was the design phase coordinated with the construction phase?
Did the contractor stay within budget?
Did you trust the contractor (or architect)? Did you feel comfortable having them in your home?
Did they complete the project in a timely manner?
Did they make efforts to keep the job site as neat as possible and to protect your property by minimizing dust and dirt within your home?
Did the project manager maintain appropriate communication with you and treat you well?
Were there any problems? What were the most frustrating or disappointing aspects of your project?
What were the most satisfying aspects of your project?
If you did this project all over again, what would you do differently?
Did the contractor complete the punch list in a timely manner? Were there any issues the contractor had to address after the project was completed? If so, were they addressed in a timely manner?
How did they handle any warranty issues that came up?
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