7 Questions to Ask Before a Remodel

You have worked alongside your general contractor and designer to come up with the ideal layout for your remodel, made all of your new beautiful color and material choices, and even signed the contract. Now you are anxious to hurry and get started with construction right? Hold that thought! Before your project starts there are a few things that you should be discussing with your remodeling contractor and questions that you need to ask! The answers to these important questions will leave you at ease and ready to begin knowing that everyone is moving forward on the same page.

Here are 7 questions that you should ask at your pre-construction meeting:

1. What are the construction hours/days of operation? While some companies are open on the weekends, others may not be. Same goes with business hours. You may consider a typical start to your day at 8am, but if the contractors’ hours begin at 7am you will get an early morning awakening!

2. How will the remodeling contractor be accessing your home if you are not prepared to be there throughout the entire process? You may need to consult with the project manager about a lock box with a house key being used. This way the construction crew can lock up upon leaving each day. You may prefer giving your point person a temporary code to your garage keypad or their own special security code access to your alarm system that you can easily change once the project is complete.

3. Will the contractor be scheduling the use of a dumpster and if so, where will it be set? If your project requires a good amount of demolition, the general contractor may choose to utilize a large dumpster for convenient removal of debris. Knowing this ahead of time will enable you to warn your neighbors of the inconvenience while the demo is being done, as well as make sure that your cars and/or trash cans are out of the way from being blocked in or limiting access.

4. Does the remodeling contractor have an emergency contact number? Even though your project manager is your main point of contact, should anything be needed outside of normal business hours you will want to be aware of how to reach someone for assistance. While we are on the topic of communication, make sure that you share your email and contact information as well! The contractor may run across something that they would like to make you aware of or need approval on to proceed and will need to know how to reach you.

5. Are there any specific items that will need to be relocated or protected prior to start day? The remodeling contractor may have included in their estimate for protection of your flooring or furniture using plastic sheeting, cardboard or even plywood as needed. However, there could be items that would be better off removed from the work zone completely. For example, if you are having a kitchen remodel done you may need to relocate your dining table or bar stools out of the way of passage. Photographs or artwork should be removed from the walls around the work area to prevent them from falling. For exterior remodel work on your home, you will need to discuss protection of plants and groundcover that are delicate and how it will affect the watering schedule. Temporary walls or fences possibly will be needed to keep traffic out of the construction zone. Knowing ahead of time what is needed and what will be supplied as part of your project will save you time and stress.

6. Is your project manager aware of the location for all main utility, gas and water shut offs? Taking a walk through your project will help you, as well as the contractor. This is the opportunity to chat about where the controls are and if there are any items that cannot be turned off, such as a deep freezer, pool or fish tank pump, etc. In older or custom homes the shut off valves can sometimes be hidden or concealed from view.

7. How will the construction schedule be communicated to you? The remodeling contractor may prefer to schedule a once a week in-person meeting with you or a daily phone call to discuss the progress or necessary changes to the schedule. With your hectic work schedule you might prefer a daily email that you can check each late night when you arrive home or before you leave in the early morning hours. Establishing a set communication schedule is very important to keep you up to date on the progress of your job. Online scheduling programs that you can access 24/7 are great tools that some of the leading general contracting firms utilize. The picture shown here was done by Arizona general contractor Todd Whittaker Drywall Inc. (TWD). They utilize an internet based program that makes it a breeze for any homeowner, whether local or out of state to stay completely informed with daily job notes from the project manager, view and share ability of progress photos of your job, access to contracts, plans and documentation pertaining to the project, in addition to a full view of the construction schedule in real time. They take customer service and communication to the next level for homeowners like you! (Todd Whittaker Drywall Inc. – Contact them by phone at 623.544.1211 or online at www.twdaz.com to see why so many homeowners reply on them for their expertise and superior remodeling in Phoenix!)

Don’t forget to make arrangements for your pets and regular maintenance workers that will be visiting your home during construction, such as landscapers or cleaning crews. Your pre-construction meeting is your chance to meet the person that will be running your project, cover all of the minor details and ask any last minute lingering questions.