Researching and hiring a remodeling company for your home improvement project can be a daunting task, especially if its something you have no previous experience with and/or do not have any direct referrals from someone you know and trust. I have heard many times that a homeowner should get at least 3-5 quotes before making any decisions. I used to be a firm believer in this rule, in fact I used to recommend it to potential clients. However, I believe there are flaws with this approach and there are other important factors to be taken into consideration.
For instance, if you have a friend or neighbor that has been through a project and can provide a positive referral for the company they worked with, this would be a better start. You would still want to learn as much about the company as possible, how they work, their processes, background, etc. so that you can make your own well-informed decision. If you did this with one company, I believe this would be a better approach than picking 3-5 contractors at random and simply picking the one you feel is best.
Home remodeling is one of the most complained about industries in the country - spending additional time up-front, researching, asking the right questions, and seeking referrals is time better spent than using your valuable time inviting a whole host of contractors to your home and hoping that 1 or 2 of them is a legit, professional company. Do your behind-the-scenes legwork and then spend some quality time at your house with one or 2. In other words, spend more time asking around, networking, getting names from people you know, like and trust, and less time with contractors you're never going to hire.
In the past 6 years, there has always been several projects each year where we have been brought in to finish a project because of a contractor disappearing, doing negligent work, not pulling permites, etc. I'll provide some of these examples in future blog posts, just to be sure to scare you into hiring a professional company!!
The term "Design/Build" gets used alot these days, but what exactly does it mean? And what are the real benefits of this approach to a project?
Several years ago, as I was in the early stages of growing my business, I was still in the mode of "bidding" plans drafted by an architect that was hired directly by the homeowner. Unfortunately, after going through the process of getting quotes from subs and putting together a neat professional proposal for the homeowner, it seemed that the vast majority of the time we discovered that the costs to construct the proposed project were well over the homeowner's anticipated budget. These homeowners had spent a decent amount of money to have these plans drawn, and were clearly well along their way to establishing a certain expectation of turning their project into a reality. It was very discouraging to deliver this news to the homeowner and see their disappointment as they realized they had to re-assess their project.
This is one of the reasons that led us to embrace the Design/Build process. One of the most important and beneficial aspects of this process is that the "budget discussion" takes place early on, before plans are drawn. In other words, a good design/build contractor should be able to determine an overal budget range for a project after spending a couple of hours (or less) assessing the project, getting to know their client and learning what they hope to accomplish. This budget discussion is extremely important to have in the beginning, early stages of a project and leads to a much better process for the client. Once the parameters and expectations for both sides are established, it is now the responsibility and obligation of the Design/Build Contractor to develop a set of plans and scope of work that not only meets the clients' wants and needs, but most importantly it meets their BUDGET!!
What a concept, designing to meet a pre-established and agreed-upon budget! Better to discuss budget up-front, rather than after thousands of dollars are spent drafting a set of plans that will never get used.
Unless, of course, budget is of no concern. In that case, please give us a call at your earliest convenience!
This being our first official blog post, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kevin Barnes and I started Barnes Building & Remodeling about 5 years ago, after spending the previous 15 years in a variety of different construction fields. While attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, MA and figuring out what direction I wanted to go in, I came to the realization that I loved the building process, learning how structures are put together and working with my hands. These discoveries led to my decision to enter the field of Civil Engineering and focus on Construction Project Management. As I entered this field, I recognized the importance field experience would have in order for me to achieve success, so I intentionally sought employment in various construction fields, including: residential framing, foundations, landscape construction, facilities maintenance, to name a few.
After graduation and a couple short stints with different companies, I landed with the right organization and worked for a large commercial construction firm based in Providence, RI as an estimator and project manager for about 7 years. This was an excellent, well run company with strong upper management. I gained tremendous experience but decided there was more I wanted to do, so I left and spent the next 2 years working for a couple smaller companies in the residential arena before deciding to go out on my own.
It has been a terrific journey so far and I enjoy the field of construction as much as ever. We enjoy a challenge and seeing our efforts manifest themselves into new creations every day. I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with a strong team of professionals that enable us to deliver the best possible service to our clients. Our primary focus is to ensure that our clients are properly guided through whatever project they are undertaking. To do this, we utilize our field experience and knowledge of the industry, combined with honesty, integrity, and a sincere desire and passion to do what's best for the homeowner.
Thats enough about us. We intend to use this blog as an opportunity to educate and inform the homeowner on various changes and trends in the industry, and to help equip the homeowner with tips and information to allow them to intelligently navigate their own construction projects and make sure they are hiring the right contractor and getting the service they deserve.
Happy Building!
Kevin Barnes