Working with a budget

In today's economic climate, most of our customer's are looking to work within a specific budget. I will try and give some advice on how to go about that with your contractor.

First, I always think it is a good idea to share your budget with your contractor for jobs over $10,000. People tend to hold this number close to the vest, but I think it is good policy to share that number. After all, the contractor may be the only one to get you to the budget number and conversely can tell you if your budget number is unrealistic for the project at hand.

In any renovation project, there are fixed construction costs and then the variables. For instance, The cost of installing a particular kitchen is pretty consistent, however, the cost of the cabinets can range from $8,000 to $75,000. This meaning that the homeowner really is setting a large variable cost and has a major impact on the price tag of that kitchen. Here is where it is critical to work with your contractor to get the cabinets you will be happy with at a price within the budget.

If you are looking to keep your costs down try to maintain the layout of the kitchen or bathroom. Moving mechanicals, walls, etc. can be costly, so keep that in mind.

Try alternative selections- Your contractor can help you set budget numbers for items such as cabinets, tile, carpet, etc. so you can go shopping with a cost structure showroom personnel can work with. Your contractor is also an excellent source to help you find showrooms common in remodeling projects.

I try and tell our customers' that 50% of a project cost is influenced by the homeowner's selections. You play a critical role in the cost of the project.

Be careful when shopping on-line, as you may not be getting exactly what you are paying for. although they may look the same they may not perform as well in the long run. Also, a contractor may not warranty or even install certain provided products, so you may want to ask them what is their policy. Also, what happens if something ordered on-line comes damaged and holds up the project.

These are some of the things to look at during a project. There are certainly more depending on the project- so ask your contractor!!

Gregg