So many times, contractors get called out to quote a project. As always, people want so much, top quality, completed yesterday, and more. Only to decide, “I can do that.” But can they really? Yes and No is my answer.
Here is the process when a contractor is called out. Once you contact a contractor on a large or small project / remodel / home, there are numerous steps involved. Yes, they can normally give you a range on pricing, but if you are serious they need to get firm information and prices on labor and product to do the job. So let’s say you want to add a room onto your home. This involves foundation, electrical, roofing, sheet rock, flooring, painting, windows, and lighting. Some handy people can do all this, but are they licensed? If you want the job done right and warranties included, you need to make sure things are engineered and people are licensed. If you are working with a general contractor, they normally carry insurance, make sure their sub-contractors are licensed and insured, and provide a warranty. In contacting a general contractor, in order to give you an accurate quote, here are the steps they will take: First, they will meet with you at the site to evaluate the project. Secondly, they will contact their sub-contractors to get quotes on each of their specialized areas. Thirdly, material costs need to be gathered. Once all this comes in, the general contractor will assemble a bid package with the price to do the job and a time line to complete the job. Sometimes it can take up to a week to gather all the necessary information depending on the type and size of the job, longer if the job is even bigger. So you see it is not an easy thing just to call for a quote sometimes.
All of the above steps in a quote are quite common. The question I like to send back is “Do you want the job done right or just cheap?” When I put on my realtor hat, there are so many times that I have seen the do-it-yourself job that can come up on the inspector report for not being done correctly and might have to be re-done. Think about the additional cost now. Yes, you might be able to do it yourself now. And yes, you might do it where it will pass inspection. But there are times when it just does not pay to do it yourself.
Construction is not cheap, especially if done right. Why do so many people cut corners on the homes they live in or want to live in to save a buck? Even a simple thing like building a deck and not using the correct materials can cause a major problem pretty quick.
If you call a contractor out for a bid and it is higher than you want to pay, you might need to change some of the things that went into the bid. Many have champagne tastes and a beer budget. But don’t worry, there are still many nice things you can do. If you continue to work with the contractor, you should be able to come to a cost for your project that both you and the contractor can live with.
Bottom line, if you involve the contractor for their evaluation and bid and you decide you can do it – good luck. Some people can pull it off, and some cannot. It could cost you more to get the contractor involved later in a project you start. Or it could cost you more if you decide to sell. These are trained people and they know what materials to use, people to hire, and what warranties to give. So get that quote, and decide to go with the trained individuals versus doing it yourself.
For all your Real Estate and Building needs or questions, call Debbie at 713-818-6658 or 830-833-4249 / debbie@vallonerealestate.net.
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