How do I Select My Remodeling Team?
While many of us are home bound, dealing with children, working from home and other family obligations, you may also be starting to think about improvements you want to be making at home to improve the comfort and functionality.
But finding a remodeling professional in this climate might seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be a difficult task, but it might be without the right information.
We often have people come to us after having had a bad experience and tell us they wish they’d know to ask, or they thought it would be fine because…..
Here are something things my team thinks you should be sure to consider and get when finding the right partner to guide you thru the remodeling process.
1. Work with a professional home improvement contractor with an established business in your area. Local professional firms can be checked through references from past customers in your community.
2. Contact your Massachusetts and/or local licensing agencies to ensure the contractor meets all requirements. You should have received copies of our current licenses, insurance and certifications in the information packet already.
Building permits are typically required for any project over $1,000 in Massachusetts.
Be wary of anyone who asks you to pull the permit is not a professional or legal contractor (because it means for some reason they do not have the proper licenses or insurance to work in Massachusetts) and by working with them you are at serious risk of having problems.
3. Ask to see a copy of the remodeling contractor’s certification of insurance for the name of his or her insurance agency to verify coverage. Massachusetts requires every contractor to carry worker’s compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance. (And if your house was built before 1978 you must also have an EPA RRP Licensed contractor working on your home)
4. If you solicit bids from several different home improvement contractors, be sure they are bidding on the same scope and quality of work. Discuss variations in bids and beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others.
Almar hears from many clients who chose someone else because they thought they were getting a deal and it didn’t turn out to be what they expected.
5. Choose A NARI and/or NAHB contractor.
NARI stands for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
NAHB stands for The National Association of Home Builders.
In most cases NARI & NAHB attracts only conscientious contractors interested in bettering the industry and weeding out unprofessional builders and remodelers.
To become a member, NARI & NAHB investigates a contractor’s background and references. All NARI & NAHB members must sign a written code of ethics and pledge professionalism. Most members take this pledge very seriously. NARI & NAHB also run continuing education courses.
Remodeling can be a large undertaking. There are a lot of decisions and money that goes into your project. By starting with these items, you will quickly know whether the company you are talking to is worth spending more time to investigate and be a good fit to guide and educate you through the process.
The Almar team hope you’ll give us the opportunity to work with you thru the planning process. We don’t have to let Social Distancing keep us from planning for the future and answering your questions. We look forward to guiding you thru this process.
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Almar Building & Remodeling Co (Hanover Ma). As a third-generation family owned and operated company for over 60 years Almar Building has all the benefits of a small company with the options of a larger company. From Additions, Kitchens, Bathroom, Basement Renovations, Siding, Windows, to Doors Almar services the entire South Shore of Massachusetts including: Hanover, Hingham, Pembroke, Norwell, Scituate, Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanson, Abington, Rockland, Holbrook, Braintree, Weymouth, Milton, Westwood, and many more towns. Selecting Your Remodeling Team
