 | Art Bryan
is president and owner of Southwestern Remodeling Contractors, Inc. Art started Southwestern Remodeling Contractors in 1970. Southwestern is a fully-licensed residential and commercial licensed general contractor in Wichita and the surrounding counties. Art has been a member of the Wichita Area Home Builders Association and the National Remodel Council since 1974. In mid-2000 Southwestern received the distinction of being named one of the "Top 25 Most Diversified Remodeling Companies in the United States.” Southwestern is listed as the 84th Top Remodeler in the country by Qualified Remodeling Magazine. Art can be contacted at his office at (316) 263-1239, fax at (316) 263-6230, or you can e-mail him at ARTSWR@aol. Com |
Home Improvement
2001-11-01 15:07:00
What should they ask?
Question: What types of questions should a remodeling contractor ask me when I call for an estimate? As I am going forward with a current remodeling project, it seems some questions asked of me by some of the contractors are a bit premature.
Answer: A contractor should have you explain the project, a little about your house, and something about yourself. Contractors should ask you about a time frame in which you want the project completed. Good contractors can have a backlog of as much as 3 to 6 months. If you need it done in 3 weeks, this will be an important topic of discussion. Budget is sometimes a touchy subject for contractors and homeowners alike. Often times, homeowners have no idea what a project will cost. Reputable contractors ask the $$ question to see if the homeowner is in the ‘ballpark’ of having enough money to do the project. Most will provide a range of costs. For example, if you call me and inquire about a kitchen remodel, and you think you want to take out a wall, have new lighting, flooring, countertops and cabinets installed, I’m going to tell you it will cost in the range of $18,000 to $35,000. That may be the first time you thought about a budget. Invariably, people feel it can be done for half of whatever is quoted. That's when lots of people suddenly get a budget in mind. The range of course depends upon the products that are used to the job. It doesn’t take any longer to install the best cabinets and countertops on the market than those of less quality. If the homeowner feels the job should be done for half of the range, we probably don’t have to much to talk about... unless they are not going to do part of the job. Just because you tell a professional contractor your budget for a project, doesn't mean he will adjust his price accordingly. He has a cost to do a project, and 9 times out of 10 it is usually higher than what you tell him your budget is... Murphy's Law of Remodeling... I guess.Question: What can I, as a homeowner, expect to do while a remodeling project is being done at my house?Answer: The most important thing you can do is ASK QUESTIONS. If there is something that doesn’t look right, or you think you ordered one thing, and something else is being installed... ASK!! A contractor wants to know if things are not right immediately. There are no dumb questions. Remember... IT'S YOUR MONEY. Remember too... there will be dust and dirt in your house. It doesn't matter how careful the contractor is... expect it. Make it easy for the contractor to have access to your house. There will be times when he will have to leave and come back. Give him a key if possible. It will make your life easier to schedule. If you are remodeling a kitchen, plan to eat out a lot during the project. Most kitchen projects take 4-6 weeks. Here are couple of other ideas worthy of your consideration:When remodeling a kitchen, arrange ahead of time with your contractor to have the refrigerator set up in an alternate location, away from the dust and dirt. If you are remodeling a bathroom, and it is your only bathroom, make arrangements to have the toilet reset each day it is pulled.
