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- What do you want done?
What is your vision or dream project? Most home owners realize
by improving their current residence by adding a bathroom or
updating their kitchen can be a more practical invest verse
purchasing a new home. Yet, most spend less time and care researching
all the necessary essentials for their home improvement projects.
Customers are more inclined to spend more time looking for their
ideal car than searching for a contractor. Be creative with
your ideas but also have some background research done before
making the outline for your project.
What do you want your home to look like at the completion of
the project? How much do you want to spend? Who do you want
to create the necessary plans for the project, this will allow
you to receive more accurate plans? How energy efficient do
you want your home to be? These are some questions you need
to ask yourself at the beginning of you project to help make
this project meet your expectations.
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- How are you going to
pay for the project? Personal loan, home equity loan, a credit
union, an insurance policy or a savings and loan? Whatever the
situation, consider the tax ramifications and possible prepayment
penalties.
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- What kind of licensed
contractor do you need? There are 43 different types of contractor
licenses and depending on the scope of your project will determine
what type of contractor you will need. For instance, if you
a building a new home you may need a general contractor to oversee
the overall project and manage all the sub contractors for the
specific jobs (i.e. plumbing, roofing, electrical, etc.). If
you are doing a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you will need a
contractor who has a license in multiple areas. Please visit:
Cslb.ca.gov to check the possible licenses needed for your project.
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- Before you have signed
with a contractor, make sure you ask for references from some
of their local projects and make sure that they are recent.
Referrals that fall between 6-12 months from the completion
date are some of the best indicators of a contractor’s
rating. Some questions to ask the references: Did the contractor
keep to the schedule and contract terms? Were you pleased with
the work? Did the contractor listen to you when you had a problem
and seemed concerned to resolve it? Did the contractor willing
make any necessary corrections?
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- Make sure the contractor
has Worker’s Compensation and liability insurance coverage.
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- Get competitive bids
for the project. Get at least three bids based on the same identical
plans. This will allow you to compare apples to apples to see
if the bids are reasonable or not. Make sure all bids are based
on the same specifications, materials and scope of work. Discuss
each bid with each contractor in order to understand any variations
in costs. And remember, cost should not always be the number
one factor since higher quality materials may improve the quality
of your project.
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- Contracts, have all commitments
put in writing on the contracts
a. Pay only for the items on the contract
b. Three day cancellation period upon signing the contract
c. Get all warranties in writing, labor and materials
d. Schedule the work
e. Schedule the payments
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- Keep a job file
a. Original contract and change orders
b. Plans and specifications
c. Bills and invoices
d. Cancelled checks e. Lien releases from subcontractors and
material suppliers
e. Lien releases from subcontractors and material suppliers
f. Letters, notes and correspondence with the contractor
g. Pictures of the job in progress
- During Construction
a. Permits, plans and specifications
- Inspections by the City
a. Confirm who is pulling the permits
b. What is the costs for the contractor pulling the permits
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