PLANNING YOUR HOME CONSTRUCTION
My husband has over 20 years experience in the construction industry which is why we felt confident in tackling such an extensive fixer upper. Growing up his father owned a construction company and Reed learned the ropes at a very young age. Naturally it’s what he was passionate about when it came time to pursue a career. He’s been the General Contractor on our entire house reconstruction and we’ve had the privilege of hiring some incredible sub-contractors.
I know so many people who have been screwed over by contractors and sub-contractors, so I wanted to share some tips on hiring people and companies when it comes to home remodeling and how you can hopefully avoid being taken advantage of.
GET MULTIPLE ESTIMATES FOR A JOB
First things first — We CANNOT stress this enough!!!! Always, always, ALWAYS get multiple estimates for a job. Regardless of the type of work that you’ll be needing, it’s important to have a handful of companies send their estimates for the project. Cost can vary by location, so it’s hard to know cost for a project in your area until you get bids. These will likely vary as well but it should give you a good idea of the cost range to expect. It’s a good rule of thumb to get AT LEAST three estimates for each project.
QUALIFYING YOUR BID
More important than price, is qualifying your bid (I’ll list examples of what we mean by this below). In addition to this, it’s important to understand and be able to relay the scope of work involved for the project. You need to make your expectations incredibly CLEAR! We have each prospective company come out to our house BEFORE hiring them so they can get a clear visual of what the job will entail. Does this take time, yes, but it’s IMPORTANT! This also gives you the opportunity to meet them face to face and establish a relationship. Spending money on your home involves a lot of trust so it’s important that you jive with the person you’re hiring.
Here are examples of what we mean when we say qualifying your bid:
Does this include clean up?
Does this include labor AND materials? What exactly is included in this cost?
How long will this project take? Are they charging hourly or is the cost project inclusive?
Will they get the necessary permitting and consult structural engineer (if necessary for the work)?
Reed’s favorite question to ask them is — What did you NOT include? - you make them tell you what they don’t have. The point is you don’t want ANY unknowns here.
TIPS ON HIRING WORK OUT
TIP 1: WORD OF MOUTH
The number one recommended way to hire speciality work, such as abatement, plumbing, electrical, drywall installation and finishing drywall, is word of mouth! Getting a recommendation from a friend, family, coworker or neighbor who has used the company and can vouch for their work is priceless. This is the surest way to know the quality of work you’ll be paying for.
TIP 2: RECOMMENDATIONS
Once you work with a company and you’re happy with them, asking for their recommendations for other specialty work is helpful. This goes right along with word of mouth and as you work through your home construction, you’re able to build a Rolodex of people that are recommended by other industry professionals.
TIP 3: QUALITY WEBSITES (WARNING INCLUDED HERE)
Next - Home Advisor, Angie’s List or Bluebook can be great tools in finding sub-contractors. You’re able to see reviews and hear what other industry professionals have to say about their work. *We have used these websites to get extra bids, in addition to the “word of mouth” recommendations above. You do need to be careful however because you can’t always trust an online review. Extra research on google and asking around is recommended.
TIP 4: LOCAL SUPPLIERS
Last ditch effort if you can’t find anybody is to call local suppliers to ask for recommendations. Just as an example, calling Ferguson and asking what plumbers they recommend in the area. Suppliers are always happy to recommend companies they work with consistently.
OTHER TIPS & THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
A reputable company will not make you pay the full amount for a job upfront! This is a red flag, in our opinion. It’s very common for companies to require a deposit (40-50% of the total project is typical). A second installment mid-way through the job and the final payment once ALL work is completed.
GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. Your project estimate, the timeline, the scope of work. You want this in your contract or estimate when you hire them for the job so everything is crystal clear. If I haven’t said the word expectations enough, I’ll say it again - MAKE YOUR EXPECTATIONS CLEAR, dammit!!!!!
If you’re reaching out to someone and they’re not a good communicator from the start (read: flaky) then you probably don’t want to work with them. Communication throughout the project is important. You need to feel confident in how YOUR hard-earned money is being spent.
When you like a company and the work they provided, leave a review. AND when you DON’T like a company or the work they provided, leave a review. This is just good karma and you’ll be helping the next person out.
GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Last but not least, when they finish the project and you’re not super satisfied with the work…this is always a bummer but it happens. What should you do? We recommend communicating your unhappiness with the final outcome before leaving a review. Give them a chance to make it right. Reputable companies care about the work they provide and most care a lot about reviews.
About Reed:
Within the construction industry, Reed has worked in Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Food & Beverage and Heavy Civil. Reed has a degree in Construction Management and was previously a licensed GC in Florida. Over the years, his titles have ranged from Assistant PM, project manager to project estimator and construction manager. In Lacy’s words - he’s really freaking good at managing projects and people.
About Lacy:
Lacy is ahead of Reed in the chain of command in their household and those are the sum of her credentials! 👍She’s also good at putting his words to paper, so you’re welcome and good luck.
