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Q: Why should you remodel
your home?
Q: Why do I need to hire a
general contractor (GC) for my remodeling project?
Q: How do I choose a
qualified general contractor (GC)?
Q: Will I need to get a
building permit?
Q: How much should my project cost?
Q: How long should my project take,
and when can you start?
Q: What is the difference
between an estimate, a bid, and a contract?
Q: What should be included in
the contract?
Q: How do I prepare my home for
the project?
Q: What should I expect from my
contractor during construction?
Q: What will my contractor
expect of me during construction?
Q: Why should you remodel
your home?
A:
Your life is constantly changing, maybe your family is
growing, maybe you are ready for the sunroom you’ve always
wanted, or maybe it is time for an update from those
outdated style that were so great back when. Most people
remodel their homes to create more living space. Others
renovate just to update the look of their home, such as a
new kitchen or bath, or adding a deck, sunroom, or other
exterior alterations. No matter what the reason, you should
carefully plan and weigh all options and issues before
beginning any remodeling project. There are many factors
that can affect the feasibility of a project such as,
budget, zoning regulations (surveys), engineering (How your
new project fits in with what you have), taxes, etc
Q: Why do I need to hire a
general contractor (GC) for my remodeling project?
A:
Hiring a qualified GC will bring their expertise into
the preparation, building, quality control, and completion
of your project. It is the best way to ensure your project
will proceed in a timely fashion, and with the fewest
possible “surprises”. Homeowners that run their own jobs
tend to not get the same attention and service from
subcontractors and suppliers that the qualified GC will
get. Remember, the homeowner represents only one job for
the subcontractor or supplier, while the GC represents many
jobs. While you may save a little money trying to GC your
own job, it will be an enormous amount of work, and will
most definitely take longer to complete the project
Q: How do I choose a
qualified general contractor (GC)?
A:
In today’s world, there are many “Joe the plumbers” out
there who are experienced in construction and feel they can
take on projects that are over their heads. Choosing the
right GC is the most important decision you will make during
your project. It is very important when hiring a GC to
verify that they are both licensed and insured. There are
too many horror stories out there of unlicensed contractors
incorrectly doing the job or just not finishing the job
causing the home owner thousands of dollars and many hours
of loss.
An experienced GC, such as CK
Construction & Roofing, will provide a complete selection of
services including design, surveys, engineering, and
expediting services (permits, material selections, etc.), in
addition to the actual construction.
Q: Will I need to get a
building permit?
A: Many jurisdictions only require permits & plans if you
are changing the actual size and structure of your home.
Others will require permits for just about any type of
work. It is best to begin by contacting your local building
department in your jurisdiction to find out what the
requirements are for the type of project you are
considering. CK Construction & Roofing will be an integral
part of the permit process. The GC must be identified on
the permit, and have the proper proof of insurance on file
with the jurisdiction. CK Construction & Roofing prefers to
be responsible for the permits and will be named as the
applicant on behalf of the owner.
Q: How
much should my project cost?
A:
We understand your concerns about budget and keeping costs
under control. We have the same concerns ourselves.
Different projects costs will be as wide-ranging as the
projects themselves. No two projects are exactly alike
therefore there can be no overall set cost. Before any job
can be estimated or started a scope of work must be
determined and/or a set of engineered plans (at a cost) must
be drawn and must obtain your approval. With this being
said, there can be costs associated with your project (i.e.
surveys, engineering, permitting, etc) that will be required
to be completed before you even know if your project is a
reality.
In order to sell the job, many
contractors will provide a generic bid not knowing what the
job completely entails because they did not do their due
diligence up front and obtain a full scope of work or set of
plans. Whereas quick pricing in the sake of an estimate is
acceptable in most cases to see if the customer has the
means or desire to move forward, but to go into a contract
at that point is both foolish and irresponsible to the
customer. The GC has not taken into account the myriad of
other costs and upgrades that crop up in every project, let
alone the cost that could have been accounted for if the
proper steps were taken up front. This in turn causes
numerous issues after the job starts. The homeowner is
often presented with a lot of additional work orders with
the excuse, “it wasn’t on the plan/contract”. Either way
the homeowner still pays, but without the benefit of knowing
up front what the complete costs should be.
With a complete scope of work and/or
set of detailed plans, a qualified GC should be able to
provide you with a detailed breakdown of the costs for all
phases of the job (i.e. demolition, framing, electrical,
plumbing, trim work, etc.). If you do not get a detailed
cost breakdown, comparing quotes from different contractors
will be difficult, since you won’t know if they both include
the same things.
However, even with the most thorough
and detailed plans and bids, additional work can still
occur. Additional work usually falls into two categories:
1) additional items asked for by the homeowner, which is
known as an in progress change order and; 2) work that could
not have been foreseen prior to starting the project. An
example of this might be that after demolition, structural
problems are discovered that require repair prior to
continuing the project. You should allow for at least 10%
of the contract price for additional work, especially when
dealing with older structures.
Q: How long should my project take, and when can you start?
A: The GC should be able to
provide you with an overall project schedule. This may be
included as part of the payment schedule. Milestones are
generally identified for certain payments to become due
(i.e., start of work, start of plumbing, installation of
sheetrock). Although approximate start and end dates for
the project may be provided, they cannot be considered to be
absolute. There are many factors that can cause delays in a
project, such as weather conditions, availability of
materials, and additional work requests or change orders.
Constant communication between the GC and the homeowner is
vital for keeping a job on schedule. If there is a delay,
the homeowner should be informed. One of the most important
things a homeowner can do to help prevent delays is to make
sure that they make their material selections early so they
are ready for delivery when they are needed.
Q: What is the difference between an estimate, a bid,
and a contract?
A: An estimate: is a tentative
evaluation or rough calculation and is a statement of the
approximate cost of work to be done. It is a cost based on
impressions and opinions and not based on a complete scope
of work or set of engineered plans. An estimate is used as
a quick overview of the project to determine the feasibility
of the project moving forward.
A bid:
is an exact calculation and statement of the cost of work to
be done. Engineered plans, if available, have been obtained
and a complete scope of work and a detailed breakdown has
been expressed. It is an offering from the GC for
acceptance from the customer for work to be done. Once a
bid is accepted it goes to contract.
A
contract: is a formal agreement between the GC and the
customer that is written and enforceable by law. A contract
solidifies the scope of work to be completed and the
responsibilities of all parties involved. At the time of
contract a deposit of 10% - 50% is required and soon
thereafter the building process starts. The law requires
that a cancellation notice be provided. This allows for the
homeowner to cancel the contract without penalty within
three business days of signing it.
Q:
What should be included in the contract?
A: The contract should include
detailed specifications for all work to be completed broken
down by phases. A detailed payment schedule should be
included. Most GCs will require a deposit, which can be
anywhere from 10% to 50%, and is usually due at the contract
signing. Any items that are the homeowner’s responsibility
should be clearly defined. Both the homeowner and the GC
should get a signed copy of the contract. Once the contract
is executed there can be additions and/or subtractions to
the contract known as in progress change orders. All change
orders require the signed approval of the customer and GC
and most will include a 10% change fee.
Q:
How do I prepare my home for the project?
A: Any renovation project is
disruptive and stressful for the homeowner who has to live
through it. Most people do not have the option of moving
out of their home during a major renovation. For extremely
large projects affecting the entire house, this may be the
only option, but that is rare. The more preparation done
prior to start of the job, the easier it will be to deal
with it. In most cases there is no preparation needed on
the home owners end in regards to preparing the home for the
project. If there is any responsibility on the home owners
end it will be clearly defined in the contract.
Q:
What should I expect from my contractor during construction?
A: The most important thing a GC
can do is to keep an open dialog with the homeowner. This
will ensure there are no surprises. A Project Manager
should be assigned to your job, and should be available to
handle any questions or issues you might have. You should
be receiving constant updates on project schedules,
additional required work, or other issues that crop up. You
should expect all workers and subcontractors to be
courteous, professional, and helpful. You should expect the
jobsite to be cleaned daily, with debris gathered together,
and all walkways clear. You should expect the work areas to
be as contained as possible, and to protect the non-work
areas as best as possible. You should not expect there to
be workers on your job everyday. There will be days that,
due to scheduling, contractor availability, and material
deliveries, there will be no workers on site. You will be
aware of this if the GC is properly communicating with you.
Q:
What will my contractor expect of me during construction?
A: You should consider your GC
and Project Manager a partner in your project. You will
need to work together to coordinate and schedule the vast
array of tasks that need to be completed. There will be
many things that the GC will need from you, the most
important being the timely selection of materials. The last
thing you want is to have work stop because materials aren’t
available. Some materials may be special order and will
require long lead times. This process should start even
before the actual construction begins. The GC will also
need full access to the jobsite. The best way to do this is
to give the GC a key to your home, or some other means of
entering, like a garage door access code. Many customers
feel uncomfortable allowing a GC into their home while they
are not there. This is understandable, but unless someone
will always be home, limiting the GC’s access to your home
will cause delays in your project. The bottom line is if
you can’t trust you GC to be in your home unattended, you
have picked the wrong GC.
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