If you’re planning a major home renovation in St. Peterburg, it’s a good idea to hire a professional general contractor. These contractors can oversee all aspects of a project and work with your design team to ensure everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
A general contractor will often have a large network of subcontractors they can tap for different aspects of your project. This is important for several reasons. First, a general contractor who has a strong network can quickly resolve any problems that arise, as he’s likely to have several subs working on the same project at any given time.
They also know the best subcontractors for any given job and have a blacklist of troublemakers. In addition, a general contractor’s experience can help you identify areas where your budget might be tighter than expected.
The right remodeling contractor will protect you from costly accidents and lawsuits by buying insurance. Some home remodeling contractors only buy the minimum state requirements, but that’s not enough to cover you.
Make sure you choose a home remodeling general contractor with an insurance policy that covers your entire house. It’s worth paying for the extra protection because it could save you from a lot of money in the long run.
Ask for references, and carefully read reviews. These will give you an idea of how well they do their jobs and what kind of people they work with. Ideally, you’ll want to interview the contractors you’re considering.
Get a portfolio of their work, too. A good St. Petersburg home remodeling company should have a collection of projects, including before and after photos, that show their work. It may be a physical portfolio, or they might simply send you to their website with images.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a portfolio, as this will help you compare the quality of their work and see how they approach a remodeling project. Look for a portfolio that shows a variety of remodels, and be sure to consider the quality of each individual project.
If a project goes over budget, you’ll want to find out why and how the contractor is able to adjust the project’s scope. A professional remodeling contractor will be able to give you an honest answer and explain how they plan to handle any changes to the original plans.
You’ll want to talk with them about the timeline of your project, their preferred method of communication and how often they will be able to meet with you. Weekly meetings are ideal, but it’s a good idea to know if they can be reached by phone or email between those times.
The right general contractor will provide a dedicated project manager over their team of workers. This allows them to communicate with you, their subcontractors and other construction professionals directly without having to relay questions and concerns to other team members.
Another key question is whether the same people will be working on your project from start to finish. If not, the project will likely be more stressful for you because you’ll have to deal with unfamiliar people every day.