Home Additions and Remodeling Contractors

Planning an addition to your home?

If you´re anticipating remodeling your home or creating an addition, a general contractor, design/builder, or professional remodeling service can offer you the experience you´ll need to bring your design ideas to fruition.

Plan to get several estimates. The number depends on the size of the project. If it´s a small project of less than $1,000, like repairing a garage roof, it´s probably fine to get just a single bid as long as your contractor is licensed and insured. For a your whole house, or for projects of more than $3,000, it´s wise to get at least three bids.

If this is your first remodeling project (or the first you´ve done in a while) the following common questions and answers may help.

How do I compare bids?	To compare apples with apples, you´ll need to ask the contractors to submit bids based on the same specifications. If you know your house needs to be painted, ask for a bid that includes the following line items: powerwashing, including gutters and trim scrape and prime problem spots paint using a specific type of paint (ask at a paint store for the appropriate type of paint) clean-up of job area
What if I don´t know anything about what goes into painting my house?	If you have never painted a house, you may not know what to specify. Ask the first contractor to give you a detailed list of the steps he goes through to paint a house, then use that list to elicit comparable information from other painting contractors. Other contractors may make valuable, cost-saving suggestions. You can either save those as notes to yourself for your evaluation of all bids, or contact earlier contractors for an additional estimate for that work.
Do I have to hire a licensed contractor?	It depends on the type and scope of work. Some work, such as electrical and plumbing, is best left to professionally licensed contractors. While an unlicensed freelancer may be able to do the work, they probably can´t guarantee the level of quality you deserve, and you´ll have no protection afforded by a license which ensures a high level of competency and requires appropriate insurance and bonding. Some projects require permits depending on county or city building codes. Improvements made without permits may cause problems later when you try to sell your home and discover that the "improvements" are not up to code. You may find that you need to correct these before a sale can be completed, and often at a higher cost.
How do I find out if my contractor is any good?	Each state has a contractor´s board that is responsible for licensing, as well as monitoring complaints. This information may be available on the Web and is also listed in the phone book under state agencies. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any outstanding complaints against your contractor. Always check this out BEFORE you sign a contract.
How much money should I give the contractor up front for materials?	Never give a contractor anything until you have a signed agreement that specifies a payment schedule. The amount depends on the type of work and project size. Some contractors, especially smaller outfits, will ask for 30-50% of the project´s cost up front to cover the cost of materials, with the balance of the project to be paid when you are satisfied and sign off. If a contractor asks for 100% up front, alarm bells should start going off. Pass on this guy and go on to the next.
What should the contract cover?	The contract agreement should contain the following: Specifications for the quantity and type of all materials to be used, including allowance items A description of the types of permits required and who will get them A schedule with a start and finish date The total estimated cost with a description of when payments are due and amounts A description of warranties including length and exclusions Cleanup and removal of debris Special requests
What´s a change order?	A change order is a request to alter the original project contract. It can be initiated by the contractor or the client. There are two important things to know about change orders. If it is initiated by the contractor, you need to understand the ramifications of the change, why it´s being made, and who is going to pay for it. The second is to understand that every time you ask for a change, even something as minor as moving a light fixture, you will incur a charge. It may not seem like a big deal when you sign off on it, but client-intitiated change orders are the single largest reason for runaway remodeling expense and they add up really fast.