How Homeowners Can Supervise a Remodeling Project

I stretched my remodeling budget of $10,850 to create the kitchen and great room of my dreams. In the process I learned how to negotiate and supervise a remodeling project while maintaining my sanity. Follow a few simple steps and you too can watch your plans come to life.

1. Decide what you want, create a plan and put it in writing. Be specific. My plan was hand-written on notebook paper. Details are more important than format.

2. Contact your local zoning and housing inspector and ask about permits you may need. Ask if they require you to use a licensed contractor. My community did not require special permits or licensed contractors. I used a contractor I have used in the past. If you have never hired a contractor or just want a new one, ask friends to recommend someone. If you select a contractor you know nothing about, ask him to show you a portfolio of his work.

3. Meet with your contractor, show him your project and use your detailed plans as a guide for pricing. Having a detailed plan in writing helps eliminate guesswork and misunderstandings down the road. My contractor took notes during his initial visit and returned a week later with a typed contract. His contract did not contain many of the details important to me so I asked him to hand-write in descriptions and requirements before agreeing to his contract. Be specific and get those details in writing.

4. Be prepared to pay 50 percent of your project cost before your contractor begins work. Do not pay more than that amount up front. Have in writing the amount you will pay when the job is complete to your satisfaction. Our initial project cost was $9,600 but I made changes, which drove the price up to $10,850. Allow yourself the flexibility of changing your mind and remember to put those changes in writing. A hand-written change agreement to your original contract will suffice.

4. Once work begins, each day should start with a review of work scheduled for that day. I lived in my home during my remodeling project so I learned to set rules to maintain order. I asked my contractor to clean at the end of each day so I could keep dust and clutter to a minimum.

5. Remember, if you make changes to your initial remodeling agreement while work is in progress, put those changes in writing and include any additional costs. Your completed project should never cost more than 10 percent of your agreed upon price.

6. Don’t be timid when it comes to discussing your contractor’s work. It’s your home and your hard earned money. You have an absolute right to have what you are paying for in the end.