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adding a bathroom. have never done this before. what are my first steps? do i need to hire someone to do blueprints, does this have to be approved by the city first, when do i get contractors to give me bids?
i am buying a house that i want to make renovations to. combining two rooms to make a bigger master suite and?
your first step should be to go to your local council than you can start hiring people to knock the wall out
An owner can be the contractor in most places but having never done this before I would suggest you hire out the entire project. The first step is to interview general or remodel contractors. Having never done that I would interview a lot of them and you will start gaining experience just by listening to their opinions Make sure they are properly licensed and insured all you have to do is ask them for the documentation and also ask them for references and check them. Another safeguard is to check with the local and state municipalities or code enforcement for code violations.
When you can narrow the list down to five contractors, ask them to provide a list of the subcontractors they would be using for your remodel and check these subcontractors credentials as well. You also need to ask is who will be running the job and ask to meet them, you need to be comfortable with the foreman of your job, this is the person you will have the most contact with. This may narrow your list further.
When you are comfortable with at least three contractors it is time to ask them for bids. Make sure you get the full scope of the job in writing, in fact on their proposal EVERYTHING needs to be in writing (no handshake agreements). If the bids aren’t far apart go with the middle one or if the bids are really close choose the one you feel most comfortable with.
From the sounds of your project it shouldn’t take more than six weeks from proposal signing to completion which brings up the matter of payment terms. A contractor will ask for a down payment, this shouldn’t exceed 25% of the total job price. On a job of this scope they may ask for an intermediate draw, I would agree to no more than one. At the end of the project I would hold a 10% retainer for you to have the opportunity to make sure the job is done correctly and to give you time to come up with any “punch list items” these are generally small things that you don’t notice immediatly. Two weeks is appropriate for this.
A contractor will also typically include a disclaimer in his proposal for remodel work due to unforseen circumstances. In this disclaimer it should also state that a contractor will not perform work outside of the original scope without a written “change order” signed by both you and the contractor. If something unforseen does comes up make sure you discuss it thoroughly with the foreman and the salesperson or owner so they can develop the proper change order form.
The contactor you choose will handle all blueprint, permitting and municipality needs. The last thing you need to discuss with the contractor you choose is scheduling. Contractors will juggle different jobs all the time and you have to stay on them. A customer that doesn’t say anything about a contractor not meeting the schedule will always be put in last place. You have to be firm with them sometimes.
When it comes to the workers doing the job, kindness goes a long way and can ensure that extra effort on their part. Be courteous to them but don’t hover over them. It’s ok to ask them questions but remember they are working for the contactor so any major concern should go through the job foreman. Offer them cold drinks and mayby even a simple lunch now and then. You’de be surprised how well this works in their performance.
Make sure you discuss the warranty the contractor offers and that this is also in writing in the contract. The contractor is responsible for their subcontractors so you would go through the contractor for warranty issues.
I know this was a long read but this is serious business. Good luck and if you have any question feel free to email me from my profile and I’d be happy to answer them.