Introduction
According to Mark Roemer Oakland, hiring a good remodeling contractor is essential for ensuring a good home remodeling that you can be satisfied with for a long time. Unfortunately, choosing a remodeling contractor is not an easy task since you have to consider so many different factors and weigh the pros and cons of each and every contractor and decide what is worth it to you.
The Considerations
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a remodeling contractor for your next project:
- Get recommendations – Asking neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members is one of the easiest ways to find qualified referrals since people only refer professionals who they have been satisfied with in the past.
Ensure you ask what they liked about each professional they referred to and also take note of the one they tell you to avoid and why.
- Check their credentials, references, and reviews – Once you have accumulated a list of recommendations, it is time to narrow down the selections. Looking for an online presence such as having a company website, social media profiles, and online reviews on reputed review sites such as Yelp or Angie’s list is a good indicator of real businesses.
It is also crucial to check whether they have the necessary certifications and licenses to manage such projects. You can browse their official websites or call them up to confirm such details.
Finally, it is also necessary to ensure whether they are a part of professional associations such as the National Association of Homebuilders, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, etc.
- Meet up or conduct interviews – Once you have narrowed down your choices, it’s time to conduct interviews and discuss the important details to decide whether they would be a good fit for your project. You have to ask questions to learn whether they would be willing to handle a project of your size, how many projects they are managing at the current moment, gather a list of previous clients or projects, and more.
It is also important to get a copy of the remodeler’s insurance so that you can confirm that you have no liability in case of any accidents during the project.
- Get the bids and finalize your selection – Once you have eliminated the less desirable options you should be left with a handful of choices. It is important to speak with multiple contractors and get bids from them after showing them the blueprint. Then you have to compare the costs of the bids for several expenses such as cost for material and labor, profit margins, and more. The cost of the material should account for 40 percent of the total cost and the total profit margin should be between 15-20 percent.
Conclusion
Mark Roemer Oakland suggests you always investigate the facts and get bids from multiple reputed contractors before making up your mind. Never settle for a contractor only because they offer cheap service since you often get what you pay for, and it can become a very unpleasant experience.
