How to Deal with General Contractors?
Let us all deal with the fact that to execute a successful home remodeling project, you have to invest significant sum of cash. Basically, it is the job of the general contractor to hire tradesmen, find and bring in subcontractors, monitor everything, buy materials, ensure that the remodeling is done in line with the budget and preference of the client and so on.
As for the success of your project, you must closely work with your general contractor and in order to do that, the following are tips that you should be aware of.
Tip number 1. Avoid allowances – allowance is basically a budget element that is separately identified in the contract estimate in place of something that’s not been yet finalized. For an example, if you haven’t decided on what accessories to get for your new baths, your contractor may then add allowance budget instead of sticking to the actual price.
On the other hand, there’s huge collection with varying prices for these products and the estimated budget can be lower than the cash you’d need to spend down the road. The best thing you can do here is to pay a quick visit to the material selection before letting your contractor make a bid.
Tip number 2. Have an open communication with your contractor – between you and your contractor, it is imperative that communication is a habit. You for example contact your contractor via chats, calls or texts, meet him before you proceed to work etc. Anyways, a good general contractor will return the favor by making you feel comfortable in asking questions and voicing out concerns without hesitation.
Tip number 3. Put everything in writing – having a journal of your project is one of the best alternatives in preventing problems from happening. This is going to help a lot in noting down your order numbers, seeing the progress of the project, delivery dates etc. Jot down everything on your journal from new ideas, questions you want to ask and such.
Tip number 4. Inspect the work area – you have to be proactive and check the work of your contractor on a regular basis. The perfect time of doing this is when the crew has gone home. This way, you will know if the material’s model number that were bought has matched your records to verify if it is the correct ones, do comparison of the doors and windows location to the blueprint and make sure that the work has met your standard. If you have doubts, your general contractor is always open to help.