Choosing the Right Contractor for Your Remodel or Build

From minor projects to major renovations, Americans are making significant investments in their homes. The Home Improvement Research Institute reports that seven out of 10 new homeowners make improvements soon after purchase. If you are ready to turn your house into your dream home, finding the right professional for your remodel is the one key factor that will take your experience from stressful to exciting. Remodeling professionals can be divided into these three main categories:

• General Contractor
• Specialty Contractor
• Design Build Team

What Does a General Contractor Do?

General contractors manage large-scale remodeling jobs. For example, if you want to remodel your kitchen, you’ll need an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, a flooring pro, a painter and maybe more. A general contractor can coordinate all of these specialty contractors, creating a schedule that ensures they are there at the appropriate time and jobs get done in a specific order. General contractors know current industry prices for labor and the reputations of professionals in your area, ensuring you get a good rate and high-quality work. In short, a general contractor manages the entire project for you. Read more about when to hire a general contractor. Here’s a summary of their responsibilities.

• Act as a liaison between you and all vendors, construction teams & specialty contractors.
• Helps you build a budget.
• Vets vendors and specialty contractors.
• Manages schedules.
• Ensures the project stays on schedule and on budget.
• Manages permitting.

The design process is the piece of your remodel that the general contractor is not involved in. Typically, homeowners either design their own remodel or they hire a professional. Immediately after the design process, the general contractor enters the picture.

How can you ensure you are getting a highly-rated general contractor? Learn what others are saying. Go online and read reviews. Ask your short-list of potential contractors for referrals. Most importantly, make sure your contractor is insured and registered with the appropriate authorities. Here’s a list of eight tips to help you decide which contractor to hire.

A general contractor might be right for you if you have a good understanding of the home remodeling and design, are excited about a hands-on approach, have the time to commit to being the liaison between your construction and design teams and are comfortable helping to manage the project from beginning to end.

When Do I Need a Specialty Contractor?

Specialty contractors focus on specific areas. Electricians, plumbers, painters, and carpenters are all examples of specialty contractors. If your project involves just one main project, such as installing new flooring or replacing existing windows, a specialty contractor might be all you need.

How should you vet a specialty contractor? The best way is to see their work. Ask if they have examples, photos and testimonials from their former customers. As mentioned above, take advantage of online reviews, and verify their insurance and registration. Lastly, check with professional organizations like the American Specialty Contractors Council of the AGC for recommendations.

A specialty contractor might be right for your project if you only have a few updates to make. If you aren’t planning a huge remodel, but just updating a few features of one room (like replacing your kitchen cabinets or updating light fixtures), then a specialty contractor is the right person for the job. Speciality contractors are also a good option for lower-budget projects that don’t require a design professional.

What are the Advantages of a Design Build Team?

For homeowners, tapping the expertise of a general or specialty contractor is invaluable. A design build team takes all those advantages and adds in a design professional. Designers have the education and experience to help you decide how to get the best out of your existing home. Designers work with construction teams to decide things where would it be best to add space or how to maximize natural light. They go above and beyond to find which kitchen finishes work best together or how moving a wall can make the largest impact. Designers really bring your dreams to life. Having a design build team means everyone, from the designer to the build team to the project manager, is all on one team. Your remodel goes smoothly, inflicting as little inconvenience to you as possible.

Even if you hire a design professional then hire a general contractor to implement the designer’s vision, you are still the liaison between the two. Communication is streamlined and your time is saved when all your professionals are on the same team, working together. Those are the dynamics of a design build team.

How do you know you’ve found the right design build team? Here are some tips to ensure your design build team is well-vetted.

• Talk to other customers.
• Read Reviews
• Check their licensing.
• View past projects.

Hiring a Design Build Team might be right for you if you want a cohesive end-to-end design, built by experts, customized for you. Design Build projects are the most successful for large remodels because each phase is planned out ahead of time, leaving no surprises. So, choosing a Design Build team is best for you if you want expert craftsmanship combined with a detailed design and you’d prefer to spend your time focusing on your family and life, rather than the headaches of remodeling your home.  

If you’re ready to start remodeling your home, check out why Factor Design Build is the best team for your project.