Choosing a Contractor for a Bathroom Remodel
when choosing a contractor to head up your bathroom remodel, a few simple steps can mean the difference between complete confidence and sleepless nights.
Ask for Referrals
Word of mouth — hands down, it’s the best way to find a qualified professional to tackle the job. Ask relatives, friends and neighbors whom they have had good experiences with. Also ask what made it a positive experience, how the contractor handled problems and whether he or she would use the same contractor again
Look at Credentials
With recommendations in hand, do some preliminary research, whether that’s with a phone call or a visit to the contractor’s website. Find out whether he or she holds all the required licenses from the state and local municipalities, as well as designations from any professional associations like the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) or the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). Look for contractors who have invested in coursework and passed rigorous tests in order to earn a particular certification. Be aware, however, that all certifications are not created equal. “I would find out what the certification is and what it took to get it,” says Sara Ann Busby, NKBA president-elect and owner of Sara Busby Designs in Elk Rapids, Mich.
Interview Candidates
Narrow down the list of contenders, and set up meetings. What is the magic number of contractors to interview? “Ultimately, the right amount could be one,” says Al Pattison, past president of NKBA, but he recommends talking with no more than three. “With too many quotes, it gets too confusing trying to make a decision.” NARI offers a list of questions to ask potential contractors on its website.
Check References
Once rapport has been established, ask to see some of the contractor’s projects. If they meet with approval, request references and then actually call the contractor’s former customers to check up on them. Ask how the contractor did at executing the project. Was it on-time and on-budget? Were they pleased with the outcome? Was there anything that could have been done differently?
Picking Materials for a Bath Remodel
before you shop for vanities and choose the material for your countertops, make sure you have a well-thought-out plan for your bathroom renovation. You should identify goals and priorities, with the help of your completed Day in the Life of Your Bathroom Questionnaire and Bathroom Goals Worksheet. You also should have a clear vision of what your new bathroom will look like, after exploring various bathroom designs and layouts.
Now it’s time to drill down to the details of your bathroom remodel. It’s best to choose all of the fixtures, materials and finishes down to the hardware before the project begins. That way, you will have a truly realistic idea of how much the project will cost.(Allowances can quickly get out of hand.)
As you choose among fixtures and materials, visit specialty design showrooms for plumbing, lighting, flooring, cabinets, etc. You’ll get a real feel for what’s available in the market, and you can talk to the professionals who work there about your ideas and what products will achieve your goals.
“Make sure you have chosen everything down to the lighting fixture to the medicine cabinet before you begin that project, because if you don’t, that is where a $30,000 project becomes a $50,000 project,” says Cameron Snyder, president, Roomscapes Luxury Design Center, Boston, Mass., and past-president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). “Allowances that contractors give you may or may not be realistic.”
With your goals, floor plan and budget in mind, consider all of the possibilities you can include in your bathroom and focus on choices that meet your needs.
How to Choose the Right Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
Choosing someone for your bathroom remodeling project can be a daunting task. Not only is remodeling a lot of money, but if it isn’t done correctly the first time you may be stuck with a room you really dislike. It takes a little research to find the best fit for your renovation job. Following these simple steps to finding your contractor can help make sure you have complete confidence in the people working on your bathroom.
Ask for Referrals
When you can find people who have had work done by someone and are happy with it; that may be the easiest way to find the qualified professional you want to tackle your bathroom renovation. Ask your neighbors, friends, family, or coworkers about the remodeling done in their house and how their experience was with the contractor. If it was a positive experience, ask if they would use that contractor again
Look at Credentials
Do your homework. With all of the recommendations you receive, make sure you do some preliminary research on each contractor. Make sure the contractors you are interested in hold all the required licenses for you state. As well as, you need to check that they have all of the certifications from any professional associations such as the National Kitchen & Bath Association and so forth. Do some homework and find out the requirements because not all testing and certifications are equal, but you want to make sure your contractor is qualified for the tasks you want done regardless of all the testing. You need to know they can do the work, and do it properly.
Interview Candidates
Once you have narrowed down you list of contractors, set up in person appointments with all of them. Make sure you are asking plenty of questions because those answers are extremely important in getting what you want for your bathroom. As well as, this interview is the first point of reference for how all communication will go for the rest of your renovation.
Get It in Writing
The final step after selecting your contractor is to make sure you go through the final paper work with a fine-toothed comb. Scrutinize the contract, make sure it is fair, and make sure you are getting everything you want for your bathroom. Take a look at the documents he or she has prepared. Do they look professional? Remember that when you are hiring your remodeling contractor, you are purchasing a service from them and not a product. This is a legal binding agreement, don’t just sign it. If you have to take it home first before you can sign it in confidence, do so. You want the quality of the service to match the quality of the final project so take everything in to mind before you agree to sign. Once everything checks out, sign the dotted line for your remodel.
Tips for Hiring a Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
Remodeling a bathroom can be one of the most satisfying home improvement projects of all. Results are immediate and personal—a sparkling new shower or bathtub, a cheerful paint scheme, a bathroom vanity with a beautiful countertop, and more storage than ever. A high-quality bathroom remodel can also pay you back by boosting resale value. One way to ensure the best bathroom remodel is to hire a bathroom contractor with experience who can see your project through to its successful completion.
Interview Three or More Bathroom Contractors
When you speak to just one or two bathroom contractors, you gain only a limited set of viewpoints. If you go ahead and solicit bids from these contractors, the bids might be higher than expected. By increasing the number of contractors that you interview, it is easier to find the contractor who is the perfect fit for your job. Plus, you’ll have a greater range of bids to choose from.
Review the Contractor’s Previous Work
Bathroom contractors typically show up for the interview with a picture gallery of the previous bathroom remodels, either in a picture book or on a screen. You can also view the contractor’s portfolio on their website or on contractor-matching sites that they belong to. Aim to look past the pretty pictures and decide if this bathroom contractor does the type of work that is right for you.
Get Estimates in Writing
Verbal estimates are worth little—for either the homeowner or the bathroom contractor. Numbers get forgotten or misinterpreted or misheard, even if everyone has good intentions. Well-written estimates are understood by all. It is perfectly fine to ask a bathroom contractor for a verbal ballpark figure. Just understand that no one is being held to that figure, and that you should follow up with a written estimate of costs.
Pin Down the Schedule
Before signing the contract, be sure to clarify with the bathroom contractor the date that the remodel can start and the overall duration of the project. Scheduling matters both to you and to the contractor. When both of you are in agreement, then you can proceed with the contract. “Time is of the essence” is a familiar contract clause that defines the amount of time the contractor has to work on the project, along with a payment schedule by the homeowner.
How to Choose a Bathroom Remodelling Contractor
If you are planning on doing any renovations at your home, you need to find the right contractor for the task at hand. Whether you need your bathroom, laundry or kitchen remodelled, knowing how to find a reputable contractor who can complete the project you have is crucial for your project and your sanity. Every contractor has their own specialty, so this is something you should look into before you decide on a contractor for any project around the home.
ASK FOR REFERRALS
You should always ask for referrals first. So don’t forget to ask your friends, families, and coworkers to see what their experiences have been with their contractors. They will be very willing to share with you any positive and negative experiences that they have had, especially if they had a very bad experience with a specific company. This can be one of the best ways to narrow down a list or create a list of contractors to look into
CHECK CREDENTIALS
It is essential to look at the credentials of any builder hat you are looking to employ. A reputable builder will be fully licensed and insured in the state that they are working in. This is very important because if something goes wrong on the job, they will be liable for damages and not you.
GET QUOTES FROM YOUR TOP CHOICES
Lastly, you should get quotes from a few of your top choices. Be very clear about what you want done in the home and your preferred look and feel. Do not just pick a company because they are cheapest, often you are going to get exactly what you pay for.
GET A QUOTE FROM MY BATH
At My Bathroom we offer a wide array of services that are sure to meet your remodelling needs. My Bathroom is a family-run company that handles laundry, kitchen, and bathroom renovations in the Melbourne area.