Building Planning Tips

Once you have met with a builder/contractor and decided which companies are a good fit for your project, get some bids and estimates. You can ask for a few different options that may be more or less aggressive and involve different kinds of materials. Remember that you get what you pay for but you must be happy with the estimate of both the work and the budget.

Once you’ve come to an agreement on cost and scope, you will then sit down with the builder/contractor and go into greater depth in terms of actual design plans and specific colors/materials. The builder/contractor can help you decide what is best from both a structural and design perspective. You may also walk through the space and handle material samples for a more tactile understanding of the plan. This is also the time to discuss any requirements set by the township or your HOA. In our case we recommend materials that come from sources we have found to be high quality and reputable over the years. We can help you with design and materials that fit your space best. The ultimate choice is yours of course, but we are happy to advise you on the best and most high quality products.

After the details are hammered out, it’s time to get to work! The contractor will by now have given you an estimate of time it will take to complete and what to expect in terms of your home environment during renovation. The contractor should be clear about both the work that will be happening and the clean-up process that will be on-going during the work.

Communication is essential to a successful project and happy clients. Should the project change in scope during the work, your contractor should discuss what this entails and if required, create a separate bid, change order or proposal to reflect the new expectations.