The need for contractors for remodeling involves a search for many contractor types in the Houston construction contracting industry as well as a great many types of different properties.
There are general contractors for remodeling as well as specialty contractors for remodeling. Remodeling contractors service both the residential housing market as well the diverse commercial property market.
When you are in need of updating property services the first action you should take is contacting a short list of remodel companies that service your property needs.
Preparing, planning and executing a residential or commercial remodel requires patience, skill and a substantial amount of experience.
As well, no property improvement project ever has the same needs or requirements, which is why the owner should have a clear understanding of their requirements before searching for a remodel company.
While some contractors for remodeling only provides various remodel bid services, there are others that provide a turn key solution. This implies that some remodel companies will require preconstruction documents to provide a formal proposal, while others will provide both design and construction service solutions for a project.
One of the least publicized benefits of hiring contractors for remodeling early during the pre-construction stages is their leadership and advice in avoiding unwanted cost and consequences from making ill-advised early preconstruction decisions.
A remodel contractor can help you think through the planning process and provide you design and construction advice as well a fair market cost estimate to preparing a realistic construction cost budget.
This full-service approach in is what distinguishes professional remodel companies from one another.
For a comprehensive article on preparing for a residential remodeling project, visit our link.
Learn about the services of contractors for remodeling for commercial & residential remodels
Planning and Preparing for a Residential Remodel
Any significant residential remodel requires careful planning and preparation to achieve the desired results.
The pre-design stage planning requires the owners to analyze their property improvement needs and balance them with their resources.
This begins with generally visualizing what the property improvements will look like when complete.
This does not mean that you need to understand the details of the results, but rather you should have a relatively good general idea of your needs and what the finished space will offer your family’s lifestyle.
Developing a wish list and a collection of inspiration photos will serve this prerequisite. Another important step in preparing for your home remodel is creating a short list of qualified contractors for remodeling.
Properly vetting contractors for your Houston remodel contracting project involves researching their website, questions and conversations about past projects and developing a likeminded connection with the right home remodeler.
This is essential in finding the right home remodeler for you.
Another required step is preparing architectural plans and the supporting construction documents for your project.
This is when the need of your inspiration photos will pay dividends. Even if you are just doing a kitchen remodel, having drawings will eliminate many misunderstandings and other issues.
Construction documents and drawings also provide the home remodeler with the ability to properly develop accurate house construction cost.
To learn more about preparing and planning for a house remodel construction cost budget, follow our hyperlink.
Planning and Preparing for Commercial Remodeling
Planning and preparing for a commercial remodeling construction is similar to that of preparing for a residential remodel.
The owner should understand how the remodel can improve productivity and work flow in the work place.
They should have a wish list that focuses of their improvement priorities and have photos for communicating to their needs to the designer.
The selecting of contractors for remodeling is also an important step in preparing for your remodel.
Commercial remodeling pre-construction challenges and preparations are similar to those of residential. The primary difference in the construction activities of an ongoing business is developing a plan to avoid interrupting the day-to-day operations.
Most businesses can not relocate or suspend daily operations. They have clients and employees that rely upon the business operating with shutting down.
There is an enormous amount of preplanning required to achieve the best results for your commercial remodel and minimizing the financial impact on revenue generating.
During the early stage of the predesign process the property owner is required to decide on which construction delivery method they want to use.
The traditional approach is using the design to bid method. This is when the owner hires an architect to develop architectural plans and engineering documents.
The second approach is selecting the design to build method, which we will discuss further in this article.
Both delivery approaches require careful planning and preparing for commercial remodeling for the purposes of executing successful results.
Design Build Remodeling
Design build remodeling is a construction delivery method where the owner hires the experienced remodeler to directly facilitate the design, engineering and execute the construction.
There are many reasons for why the owner would use a design build remodeling method for a remodel;
- Reducing the risk of their architect’s design errors & omissions,
- Creating a favorable and positive collaborating atmosphere,
- Reduces the timeline of design to construction,
- Provides a single point of responsibility for entire project,
Design build remodeling provides an efficient method for design and construction for any type or size of a renovation project.
This is due to how this process connects the remodel contractor with the owner and designer in a collaborative effort to meet the owners design and remodel goals to their property.
The entire design to remodel process expedites the design to delivery of construction by eliminating steps of the traditional design to bid approach.
The first advantage to this approach is eliminating the need for long drawn-out value engineering sessions due to the design being inflated above the targeted design construction budget.
Architects and building designers are not experts in unique design construction cost. So, by having the contractor directly involved in the building design the architectural factors that lead to higher construction cost can be discussed and modified in real time instead of after the design documents have been completed.
Another time-consuming step of the design to bid process that is avoided is the actual bid solicitation of multiple project bidders.
The design to construct approach saves substantial time of interviewing and vetting multiple remodel companies as well as the endless hours of the owner analyzing bids and requesting additional information to make them apples for apples.
By far the most advantageous benefit of the owner using the design build remodeling approach is that the owner mitigates their financial risk of design errors and omissions.
For design for remodeling makes the renovation contractor responsible for both the building design and construction contracting.
Visit our hyperlink to discover more about design build remodeling.
Remodeling Services
The size and type of improvement project dictates the improvement services you may need. In most cases if your project requires construction documents, building permits and multiple skilled trades, you are likely to need contractors for remodeling.
If the project is just a few skill trades contractors or a product replacement project like a roof or new flooring, you are not likely to need the remodel services of a full-service home remodeler.
There are many types of residential remodeling services;
- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
- Home Additions
- Whole Home Renovations
- Room Conversions
These are some of the commercial remodeling services;
- Offices
- Build Outs
- Exterior Façades
- Change of Use
- Building Expansion
Each of these types of remodel services has distinctive process requirements and necessitates a variety of different methods and means to produce.
Aligning your remodel needs with the proper remodel contracting process is what is necessary for the best results.
Houston Remodeling Contracting
Houston remodel contracting is the science of the remodeling companies’ business activities including both project management and construction management services to manage the operations of a construction.
Remodel contracting requires both the back office administrative duties and on-site construction management activities.
The administrative duties that are required for remodel commercial contracting are items such as bookkeeping, financing, scheduling, contract and insurance administration.
In addition, estimating, material procurement and accounts payable are direct administrative activities that are apart of remodel contracting.
The construction management activities are items such as material controls, quality control processes for labor and materials, compliance code inspections, document control and onsite meeting with the owners.
The construction management duties are what most people think about when it comes to discussing the contractor’s role in remodel contracting.
Contractors for Remodeling Responsibilities
Remodelers have the responsibilities of carrying out the owner’s design intent through a number of tasks and duties that align with the owner’s interest.
These are taking the owner through each step of the renovation process in detail. Helping them prepare performance expectations, an effective communication plan and a commitment to proving quality work.
From the beginning the specific responsibilities includes preparing a scope of work that details the step by step actions associated with executing the remodel.
As part of this formal proposal the remodel contractor is providing includes a schedule of values for the construction cost with well defined product allowances for the owner’s product finish selections.
Before moving forward, the remodeler is required to provide a services contract that is signed by both parties.
As mentioned, the remodeler should prepare the owners for the steps and schedule of the remodeling project.
These include dust proofing the living area, defining the logistics of material deliveries and coordinating the phasing of the complete renovation processes.
It is also important that the remodeler schedule milestone progress inspections as a normal course of business.
Remodel contracting requires the timely procurement of materials, labor and equipment. If the required lead times for purchasing are not properly aligned with the scheduled remodel activities the progress will be interrupted.
At times products are not always available and require substitutions to be made. The remodel contractor needs to allow sufficient time for the owner to select a new product of their choose.
Interacting with your remodel contractor in an effective manner is critical to the success of the project.
Conclusion
Houston remodeling contracting requires the services of a skilled professional contractors for remodeling providing relevant and turn key consumer remodel services.
Not all remodeling companies are the same or offer the services for a single point solution-based experience.
Hiring a likeminded remodel contractor with the character and the comprehensive abilities will produce the best results.
