Get some plans.
Having approved plans
and permits in place, will ensure a more accurate estimate
from whichever contractor you choose. No contractor will be able to guarantee
an accurate price without them, since they are subject to modifications up
until the minute they are stamped "Approved" by the city. Until you
actually get to this point you can expect little more than a ballpark
figure--and as we all know, ballparks come in every price range imaginable,
from your humble sandlot to Yankee Stadium
Be prepared with extra
copies.
Select a Contractor:
He should be licensed
and bonded. He should also have a good liability policy in effect, (At least 1
Million dollars) along with workman's comp. Look up his name on your Contractor's
State License Board website. This will verify if his license and bond are
up to date. While you're at it, make sure the name matches the license number.
If not, find out who the qualifying contractor actually is. You have a right to
know if the person you are dealing with is using that license legitimately.
Check his references. A good, qualified legitimate contractor will even encourage you to do so.
Get a Contract:
Get it all down in
writing. You're
entering into an extremely important business transaction involving a major
purchase and you should be well informed regarding your rights as a consumer.
Your CSLB website can again offer guidelines as to what you should see in a
contract. The days of single-page Remodeling contracts are gone the way of the
Dodo--although we still see a Dodo now and then trying to present one.
Don't be surprised--or even intimidated--by a Remodeling Contract that may be
fifteen to thirty pages long, depending on the details specified therein.
Although many honest professionals will attempt to follow through on the
smallest details--even if only agreed to orally--for your own piece of mind,
you should have as much details as possible as to quantities and qualities of
materials, fixtures and finishes. A good contract doesn't just protect the
contractor, it protects you the consumer as well--and it will stand up to
scrutiny by any attorney. It's a good idea to work with a professional interior
designer who can help you make the decisions which often take a project from "…ho
hum," to " Oh, WOW!" Otherwise, you should be well
aware that…
Change Orders are
Inevitable! Although a normal part of the construction process, too many Change
Orders throughout the job can be frustrating. Oftentimes, the contractor may
have been picturing, based on the budget discussed, a project using
construction grade materials and fixtures, which are found at the local
builder's superstore. The homeowner on the other hand may have envisioned a
project utilizing such upscale items as granite, marble, hardwood,
special-order fixtures, and high-end doors and windows. If it hasn't been shown
on the plans or specified in the contract, it can result in more than the usual
amount of Change-Orders as the job progresses. At a minimum, the homeowner
should expect them now and then anyway for such simple reasons as, "I
changed my mind on the color, model, etc..." or, "It looked better in
the window display!" But they can also be written for such things as
correcting an existing code violation discovery. Your contractor should explain
these clearly at the contract stage.