Benefits of Hiring a General Contractor
One of the biggest decisions you will make throughout your home renovation project is not only hiring an interior designer to help guide you through all of the material selections, but also hiring a general contractor to oversee your project. With the increase of Do-It-Yourself projects and the rise of quick turnaround projects on networks like HGTV, the remodeling process may seem like a breeze, but in reality, this process tends to be much more challenging and time consuming than one would think. Professional guidance and management throughout your entire renovation project is essential to executing your vision properly.
Here are some of our top reasons why you should consider hiring a general contractor to oversee your home project:
#1) Staying on Schedule:
When hiring a general contractor for your project, you can ensure this will help keep your project on schedule. They usually can anticipate expected lead times of each aspect of your project and will schedule their sub-contractors accordingly. They also have their preferred list of sub-contractors they like to work with who will work fast & efficiently to ensure future business together. Not only do our recommended general contractors have many years of experience in the industry, but they are excellent about managing your time to make sure that the project stays on track with your expected project completion date. On the other hand, clients who decide not to hire a general contractor tend to run into longer delays and may have more scheduling issues, which typically takes their project twice the amount of time to complete.
#2) Avoiding Mistakes:
This is probably the most important reason! Upfront, the cost of hiring a general contractor may seem much more expensive than managing the project yourself, however, in the long run, they will ensure your project runs smoothly & may avoid mistakes down the road which may end up saving you more money in the long run. They will ensure their subs install your material selections accurately and at a high-level of detail. Another thing to consider, is usually the material selections are ordered through their subs or through their business, so if any issues arise, they will resolve any mistakes on their end or through their installers. This in itself can be a headache enough when having to relay information on how things need to be ordered, installed and also managing product on your own…this can be very time consuming and very stressful. Many times, when homeowners try to manage their projects themselves, they do not order the correct products or their subs may run into installation issues and sometimes are not great about correcting their mistakes, which can sometimes cost more money in the end to resolve.
#3) Permits & Codes:
It is crucial to applying for the proper permits and meeting codes when renovating your home project. This is crucial if you plan to move anything structurally or mechanically to ensure safety in your home and to avoid future headaches with resale purposes down the road. General contractors know the specific rules of your cities' codes and hire licensed subcontractors to do the proper work. These professionals will not allow shortcuts for errors and overall will avoid you extra costs that may incur if avoided. They also understand the necessary steps to getting permits for your project in a timely and efficient manner. Not following city codes and refusing to get permits can be a big mistake. This can also lead to extra fines and expensive redos in the future. If your home isn't up to proper code, you may spend lots of extra money trying to fix it to resell. Whether you plan to tackle your remodel yourself or not, this is a crucial step in the remodeling process.
#4) Details Matter:
When hiring a general contractor, they will ensure the correct materials & finishes we pass onto them are installed based on what you have approved for your home. Our preferred contractors have great relationships with their sub-contractors and only work with the best in the industry. Managing or hiring your own subs may save you some money upfront, but it doesn’t always ensure you will receive the quality your project deserves. By having someone who has established relationships in the industry for many years, it is much easier for them to hire the best and to ensure their subs live up to your expectations and stay accountable for all of their work. Our team will also help guide you with your selections and pass these onto your sub-contractors to help ensure accuracy and execution on all of your selections throughout the design process. But above all else, we want to ensure your project is in good hands and you are happy with the overall product! Happy homeowners make for happy designers!
Trust us - you will not regret it!
Overall, we love working alongside a general contractor with all of our homeowners because they are a one-stop point of contact when we are helping communicate the design details for your home. In the end, we feel they will help you avoid mistakes, prevent delays or future headaches, and overall feel they will save you money in the long run. But hey! Some of you may be super efficient, great with time management and scheduling and have the spare time and might be up for the task…and some of you may have friends or family members that can give you a great deal for work that sometimes a general contractor cannot beat…we get it! Regardless of whatever route you decide to take, we will help guide you through all of your design decisions and pass these details off in an organized presentation & schedule format for ease of ordering and executing your vision beautifully! Best of luck on your next project!