Pitfalls in not obtaining a design & “fishing” for bids

Many people believe that the best way to hire a contractor is to call as many contractors as possible and then briefly walk all the contractors through the scope of work and then try to compare all the bids.The problem with this system is that there is not set plan for all of the contractors to estimate off so you end up with an “estimate” when you are really looking for a “bid”.

• An estimate, or what is sometimes known as a ‘Guesstimate’, is something put together based off limited information, and should never be used as final pricing. More than likely, numerous change orders will come into play during the course of the project, due to a lack of planning. This often involves costs you didn’t expect, and gives some contractors the opportunity to charge above average rates for these ‘changes’ because you are tied into them contractually.
• A bid is a price given based off the information provided in a detailed set of plans. It enables the contractor to comprehend and bid on the full scope of work while understanding all the materials and finishes that will be necessary to complete the project.

Planning

Planning should be the enjoyable part of the remodeling process. This is the time when all creative thoughts and ideas come together and using our 3D CAD system, we can create life like image of what the space will look like.  The best part is, that unlike building without plans we can easily make changes and adjustments to each view so you will have an exact conceptual drawing before the first 2×4 is cut or nail is driven. This can save a lot of distress further down the road when your vision for the project was not the same as your contractors, leading to disagreements and stressful situations.

Some consumers feel that it is the contractor’s job to present a design and plan the job as part of bidding for a project. The reality is that to correctly grasp the client’s needs and meet on several occasions to review the plans is an unreasonable expectation without commitment or compensation from the client. A plan that has been thrown together quickly to earn some ones business can be as dangerous as no plan at all. Plans are time consuming to develop, and costs can range from 1% -6% of the total job cost, depending on complexity. This is still a small commitment to ensure that once the project starts, it will run smoothly and you will get exactly what you asked for.

3rd Party Architects

Private architects hired by the client has their pros and cons. We often get asked by home owner to bid on plans created by a 3rd party Architect. What happens in many instances is the bid price ends up far exceeding the clients budget. Architects are paid to design; not build. They often don’t understand what the cost of what they are designing is. The customer pays them to come up with ideas but once they are priced, the frustration sets in because the plans have to be redone at additional cost. When working with a design/build company we are able to discuss budget and then only propose ideas and designs that will fall within the goal budget saving time, money and frustration. With Victoria Renovations creating the plans ‘in house’, we offer cost effective pricing, and have much more control over the speed at which the plans & project can get completed.

Review our Project Gallery for examples of projects which have been taken from concept through completion.

Qualifications

Not all contractors have the same skill sets and experience. The handy man that fixed your screen door may not be the best candidate to construct an addition on your home. We recommend that you do your research on the company or companies that you want to work with, before you start talking details or pricing.

The handy man will most likely have a much different pricing scale compared to a reputable company with more over heads, qualified employees, and enough cash flow to see the job through to its completion. Do your research and weed out the unqualified company’s/people before you start talking details or price. This will eliminate the temptation to take their more attractive lower bid, when it’s obvious from the quantity of photos on their web site, and the depth of their reference list, that they are not experienced enough. If it seems to good to be true, there’s often a catch.

The following is a list of licenses and attributes that set our company apart from others. Always call insurance providers directly to ensure that the premiums have been paid, and check the secretary of state web site to ensure that all licenses are in place as they have been described. This is a great way to weed out contractors that tend to ‘stretch’ the truth and can sometimes indicate that a contractor has a cash flow problem or that they have been in and out of business due to money management problems.

• State licensed contractor Lic. #RBQA003137 (www.sos.ga.gov)
• State licensed Lead based paint contractor #NAT -80469-1
• Workers compensation insurance – McGriff Insurance Services – (770) 536-3311
• Liability Insurance – McGriff Insurance Services – (770) 536-3311
• Business license – Forsyth County – (770) 781-2115
• Incorporated company continuously in business since 6/10/1998 (www.sos.ga.gov)
• Members of the (BBB Better Business Bureau) Zero complaints against our company and active member since 2004 (BBB.ORG)
• Active members of NARI (National Association of the Remodeling industry) (NARI.ORG)
• Company owner David McDonald is a state licesnsed contractor and holds a CR accreditation (Certified remodeler) through the NARI association.
• Find reviews about our company on Nextdoor.com
• Find reviews about our company at Angieslist.com
• Find reviews about our company at Houzz.com
• Employment back ground checks on our employees and subcontractors
• We give a 1 year written warranty on workmanship