Home Remodeling Contractor Services
Here is a list of the most important home remodeling contractor roles and responsibilities:
Consulting and Planning
The home remodeler will first discuss your plans with you and give you expert guidance regarding design and implementation. While you may only have a general idea or vision of what you want or need, a skillful contractor can help to refine those ideas into a practical solution that is functional, affordable and aesthetically pleasing. During these initial consultations the contractor will takes notes and then transfer those into sketches and written descriptions of the project. Once the drawings and plans are finalized and agreed upon, the contractor will convert them into blueprints. Those will serve as the template and map for the actual execution of the remodel.
Cost Estimations and Specifications
Part of the job of planning is to also make a good faith estimate of the cost and completion schedule for the remodeling job. In order to properly gauge costs, it is necessary to specify what materials are needed and gather lots of relevant information regarding pricing and availability from local or out-of-town building supply companies. Depending upon the quality of items selected - whether you select, for example, standard fixtures or designer models - prices may vary considerably, but the contractor should determine these costs ahead of time with a written estimate. Sometimes your contractor can get discounts, and if they pass these along to you that can mean substantial savings. Weather conditions or delivery times for custom products can delay a project, but an experienced remodeling contractor should be able to reasonably factor these influences into the time estimate.
Handling Inspections and Permit Applications
Most remodeling projects require permission from governing authorities such as municipalities and homeowner's associations. The remodeling contractor should be responsible for securing or "pulling" all necessary permits in a timely manner, and should also schedule to meet with the inspectors for required periodic inspections of the work in progress. Application fees should have already been factored into the overall project budget estimate.
Managing Materials, Deliveries and Clean-Up
Once work begins, construction materials need to be bought and delivered to the work site in a way that does not disrupt the flow of the project but also involves minimum impact on your living space or property. Dropping a load of bricks into the driveway or flowerbed, for example, may cause problems and inconveniences that the contractor should ensure do not occur. Similarly, cleaning up after each day's work is important for maintaining a safe and tidy work environment, especially if you are living in the home while the remodeling is underway. Proper cleaning after a hard day's work takes time, and meticulous remodeling contractors factor that into their work schedules to ensure that the work stops with sufficient time left for tidying up the site.
Coordinating Subcontractors
Most remodeling jobs require more than one kind of building specialist. When adding a room to a house, for example, you may need a licensed electrician, a master carpenter, and a roofing company. The remodeling contractor can act as the General Contractor for your project to coordinate these subcontracted professionals, and can also oversee selection, hiring, and paying if you do not want to handle those aspects of the job by yourself. While you may pay a premium for this kind of oversight and management, it is usually well worth the extra money because otherwise you yourself will have to shoulder that time-intensive and stressful responsibility.