Good agreements with the contractor prevent a lot of trouble. Not that it is no longer allowed to act on trust, but sometimes the interests for both sides are simply too great to let things take their course and to assume a good outcome. In construction it is not always possible to predict and calculate everything. And a surprise can be annoying, but it only gets really annoying when problems arise because things have not been recorded.
What agreements do you have to make with your contractor?
A renovation can be quite expensive. That is why it is nice if you know where you stand. As far as possible. Because there may be additional work or the condition of the roof turns out to be a lot worse after some plates have been removed. In such cases, you must be able to fall back on agreements you have made with your contractor.
What happens in the event of additional work?
In construction there is often talk of additional work. During the renovation, extra things are often agreed with the client because he changes his opinion or because of changing circumstances. Do you take up a 'contingency item' for this or is the contractor allowed to make decisions within a certain margin? Or do you also want to be informed in detail about minor changes?
Experience has shown that some extra sockets are needed during the project. Or that these should be moved to a different place. This has consequences for the amount of work and therefore for the costs. So make clear agreements so as not to be faced with unexpected costs. A good contractor will bring this himself. He also does not like discussion afterwards.
Non-agreed additional work on the invoice? Of course that should not happen. If this does happen, you as the client must report to the contractor. If he does not do anything about it, it is important that you lodge a protest with the contractor by registered letter. This prevents an invoice from being considered tacitly approved.
What happens with less work?
This can also occur. Often the client does odd jobs in-house, while the contractor is carrying out a project. If the handy handyman then finishes his work at times when the contractor is not busy, it may be that the contractor has less work as a result. If no agreements have been made about this, the contractor can still claim the shortage of work. Besides the fact that it is not convenient to 'help' each other in this way, it can also have consequences for the warranty. A contractor will not be happy to provide a guarantee if there is someone who has worked on a project beyond his responsibility and supervision. So make good agreements with the contractor about this too. If it turns out during the project that you prefer to do a number of things yourself, this may be negotiable.
Good communication is the basis for any successful project
- What other agreements do you make with your contractor?
- When can the contractor start with the renovation / extension / erection ?
- When can he deliver
- What must happen before the contractor can start
- What is the finish level? (finished, painted? plastered?)
- How does the contractor deal with the warranty and what is covered by the warranty?
- What else can you pay attention to?
Communication: does the contractor respond quickly to e-mail and call back? This immediately gives an indication of how he communicates. If this is already difficult during the quotation stage, then you can assume that it will not get better afterwards. This is the phase in which the contractor has to convince you. Once the order is in, that is no longer necessary. That will probably not benefit communication. And remember that the contractor is also the one who has to manage the workmen.
References: ask the contractor about 1 or 2 projects in the area and have a look. Or if you want to go a little further, you can ask if you can call some references. Don't do this on your own. That is not such a good idea in the context of privacy. But a good contractor is often quite willing to provide references.
Location: is the contractor located near you? If you live in Austin yourself, then preferably look for a Custom Home Builder in Austin. During an ongoing project, the distance is usually not that much of a point, but what happens if there are “little things” after the project? Does the contractor from Lake Travis Custom Home Builder just as easily send a carpenter for a loose screw as the contractor from the neighborhood?
