Living With Contractors
Living in your home while a remodeling project
is underway can be a stressful experience. Loud noise, a disruption
to your home life and dust like you’ve never encountered
are just some of the things you’ll be living with. Many
people don’t anticipate how the construction will impact
their everyday lives and are ill prepared to deal with it. On
the other hand, no matter how ready you are, there will come a
point when you’ll wonder why you ever decided to do this
in the first place! This usually occurs after the first blush
of excitement has disappeared and the reality of daily “routine”
has set in.
I’d like to offer a few tips to make the
process easier for you as well as the contractor you will be working
with. Before the work starts you should have a pre-construction
meeting with the contractor, lead carpenter, and project manager.
Ask for this if it is not offered-it is a very important first
step to the project. At this meeting, in addition to going over
the actual scope of work, a number of related items should be
discussed.
- Communication.
If this is not specifically set up at the beginning of the
job, your relationship with the contractor may deteriorate.
Set up an area for messages to be left and answered. Also,
a regular meeting should be set up between yourself and the
foreman. If you can be called at work, let that be known,
as well as specific times to be contacted if that is necessary.
You should let the contractor or foreman know about anything
that concerns you. Ask any question that comes to you, whether
you think it’s a “big deal” or not. Any
question or concern a client has should be a big deal to the
contractor.
- Utilities/Storage.
Your electricity and water will be used by the contractor. So
will the phone and toilet facilities. If your contractor hasn’t
mentioned this in your pre-construction meeting, get this clear
before construction starts. Have you designated an area that
the contractor can use for storage of tools and materials? Usually
a space in the garage or basement is suitable. Clearing a space
for use should be completed prior to the start of work.
- Dust.
No matter how well the work area is sealed off from the rest
f the house, dust will get through. Verify with the contractor
that he will minimize the dust to the best of his ability.
- Pets.
If you have pets that are not allowed in or out, let the contractor
know. Also, do your best to keep pets away from the work area.
- Children.
Kids love to watch construction and would love to “help”
the workers. For their safety as well as that of the crew, keep
them out of the work area. However, you might be able to set
up a “viewing spot” a safe distance away to satisfy
their curiosity.
- Landscaping.
Let the contractor know if you have any plants or trees that
must be protected, within reason. If you are having any work
done that impacts the exterior of your house, the plantings
around that area may suffer.
Getting the above listed items established
or resolved before the work actually starts will reduce some of
the stress that can occur while living through a construction
project. Keeping the lines of communication clear and open is
the most important ingredient to any successful relationship.
Remembering that the process is as important as the final product
will send you well on your way to a positive experience.
Did the contractor and homeowner actually
walk the project before work started, pointing out where things
were going to change and what areas would be affected? Was the
homeowner able to clearly visualize the changes to take place?
Were hidden conditions addressed? In some
cases there might be dry rot repair necessary or code upgrades
mandated that are not known until the walls are opened up.
As shown in the examples above, the more
the contractor and homeowner communicate, the clearer expectations
are all around. Most contractors want to do an honest job
for a fair price, without taking advantage of their clients
and avoiding being taken advantage of. Good communication
goes a long way to meeting that goal.
