Preparing For a Remodel

Whether you are remodeling your bathroom or kitchen, if you plan on remaining in the house while construction is going on, plan in advance for any inconveniences that may incur.  To avoid frustrations, misunderstandings or conflicts it is best to:

• Protect and cover all furniture and carpets that will be exposed to the work areas.  A responsible crew should take all the necessary precautions to avoid any damage, however, it is always recommended for you to remove fragile and valuable items from the immediate working vicinity.
• Remove all artwork, mirrors and draperies from the walls of the work area before the work begins.  If you have any valuable items on the walls in the rooms directly behind the work areas, it is always a wise idea to take them off of shelves or remove them from the walls.
• Remove to safekeeping any jewelry, cash and collectibles.
• Remove all plants from the work area.
• Remove your tools and do not offer your tools to the workers.  They should provide their own.  Your tools are not covered under your contractor’s policy so, if your item is used and is damaged in any way, your homeowner’s policy may not cover it.
• Secure all animals.  Curious cats can sometimes become trapped inside of wall cavities  or in kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  Dogs, out of protection for their owners, may cause an unwanted confrontation.
• Also, think about the items that you need MOST and put those in boxes or containers for easy access.  Just remember to keep the containers out of the work area.

Remember, precautions taken ahead of time save time!

The Remodeling Business

Remodeling as a recognized industry has been around for a relatively short time. A handyman or “Jack of all trades” was called in to people’s homes to help with home improvements and repairs. This was often a costly, time-consuming affair.

More recently, many people have gone to small construction/remodeling businesses. The operation of small businesses must factor in many of the same expenses as a larger corporation: cost control, scheduling, purchasing, payroll, insurance, contract construction laws, workman’s compensation, bonds and overhead expenses. But the biggest challenge to the small business is to see that the customer is satisfied.

Remodeling is an art. When a new home is initially contracted, a blueprint is drawn and the building proceeds. When remodeling is done, it often involves lots of dust and disarray from the demolition of cabinetry, counter tops, flooring and tile back splashes. Small construction businesses like ours work hard to assure the customer that he will get quality and dependability from the workers, giving the best possible service, with the least amount of disruption to the occupants of the home as it is being remodeled.

Each remodeling job is unique. All remodeling jobs are custom jobs. There is no situation with the same conditions. Therefore, each job is just as important as any other – big or small.

Before You Hire A Contractor

It is unfortunate that many consumers spend more time selecting a vehicle than choosing a contractor and learning about the process of selecting a reputable contracting company. Most issues arise because consumers are unaware of what their specific obligations are.

One of the biggest mistakes many homeowners make is that they feel that they could save money by hiring each of the subcontractors individually instead of hiring a general contractor to oversee the entire job. Unfortunately, most are not aware that by doing this, they become the general contractor.

This type of project is classified as an “owner/builder” project and it is then the homeowner’s obligation to include state and federal taxes, workers’ compensation, building permits and other legal liabilities. If something is to go wrong, such as a worker gets injured or if your contractor damages your property and doesn’t carry general liability insurance, you or your insurance policy could end up paying for damages, injuries and rehabilitation.

The three key areas to check out before hiring a contractor are:

• Make sure they are licensed
• They carry relevant Worker’s Comp insurance
• They have sufficient general liability insurance

In California, before hiring a contractor you can check their license status, bonding and worker’s comp information by entering their license number on the California State License Board website at https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicense/LicenseRequest.asp