Over the years, I have noticed that the role of a remodeler, especially a remodeling general contractor, is not always understood.

Some homeowners are energetic and adventuresome. They are eager to learn and are well able to tackle the job. But, what they may not know is that the remodeling business is not just about what you know, but who you know. It takes years to establish relationships with reliable trades who will do quality work at a fair price.

I often tell my customers, “My estimate may be one of the higher bids you will receive on your project. But for the quality work I do, my price is very fair.”  I am very thorough in my estimating, and because of that, any price increases are usually the result of changes or additions that the owner requests.

Every remodel job is broken down into various trades: general carpentry, plumbing, electrical, wall coverings (sheetrock and painting), finish carpentry, floor covering, etc. What is not apparent is all the overlap that happens between those various trades. Something gets overlooked, and the finish carpenter will say it was the flooring guy’s job. But the flooring guy will say it was the finish carpenter’s job. In the end, it is the inexperienced homeowner who will have to do it, or pay an inflated price to get it done. Multiply this 10 or 20 times, and the savings for the do-it-yourselfer soon disappears. Another dynamic is that, typically, a subcontractor will charge more for work done for an inexperienced owner because he knows it won’t go smoothly, or he knows he can simply get away with it. But the experienced remodeling contractor sees the trades as a team, and they work smoothly together as a team.  They know he will have other jobs waiting for them. And often, because the trades give a tad better price for their services, the final price is still reasonable even after including the remodeling contractor’s fee.

Also, an inexperienced person doesn’t realize the tremendous amount of time that goes into chasing down details, meeting with trades, buying materials, organizing details, and assuring the quality of work done.

The last 20% of a job almost always takes the largest part of the time spent by the remodeling contractor. And it is in those details that the quality differences show. The low-ball bid contractor must rush through those details. And if something goes wrong, at some point he must cut and run, or not stay in business. I have been called a number of times by owners wanting me to straighten out a previous contractor’s poor quality.  In the past, I have seldom taken on the job of fixing another contractor’s mess.  If I do, it is generally expensive.  In the end, it is much more costly for the homeowner, and unnecessary.

The estimating part of the business is one of the most difficult.  Some estimators will bid low on a job, and then, after the owner is committed with finances, come back with a number of price hikes, that seem logical and the owner has no way of judging whether or not they are fair.

In my business, I use an estimating program to work up my bids. It uses a unit-cost national database that is tailored to my particular area. This assures a consistent pricing structure and allows me to remain competitive and do quality work.

Just remember   : )    if you are in the Central Texas area, “we are helping your neighbors live their remodeling dreams, we’d love to build yours.”

Call 254-644-0160 to discuss your project.  I will answer your phone call personally.