Clear Verbal Communication & Detailed Written Contracts Can Prevent Home Improvement Nightmares

Before starting major home improvements or modifications, you must build a solid foundation with clear communication, both verbally and with a written contract. A thoroughly detailed contract goes a long way in making sure that you and your contractor understand what work is to be done and what it will cost.

Your well-written and detailed contract should specify:

• All the work the contractor has estimated to perform and all the materials the contractor will use, including the quality, grade and brand of each material. Who will pay for said materials. If you have a set of plans, is the price layed out according to these plans?
• When the work will start and end with any possible, projected delays.
• Who is in charge of getting any necessary permits from the city or county. (Most people prefer the contractor to do this.) The cost of the permit and time involved in obtaining said permit(s) will be included in the bid.
• How and when you will pay for the work. A thoroughly outlined payment schedule with payments matching work performed.

Be sure that everything you’ve agreed to is written down, including any guarantees on the quality of work. If you don’t understand any of these items, ask a remodeling coach or attorney to go over the contract. Or, better yet, have that conversation with your contractor.

Also, before you sign any home improvement contract, it’s smart to find out what legal protections you have if things go wrong. Can you fire your contractor and under what conditions? This may vary from state to state.

Check the laws in your state. Be sure to get a copy of everything you sign and keep it in a file specified for this project.
What You Don’t Want
• Don’t approve any plans or blueprints unless you understand them.
• Never sign a contract with any blanks or that you do not understand.

If any of this is confusing or you would like more details, call me and allow me to unstick it for you.

Call to find out why our prices are higher.

Our prices are higher because the crew is highly trained. We show up on time, do the job right, and guarantee our work. We do not cut corners and we use only the best quality products. We do not stop until your project is completed and you are satisfied with our services.

There are two kinds of consumers - people who are looking for deals and people who are looking for quality. This doesn’t mean you don’t negotiate for the best deal or that you should pay more than you need to for a product or service. But there is a relationship between the investments you make and the returns you get. If you skimp on your investment(s) you will get skimpy returns.

This principle is as important to the service you offer as to the service you receive. If you spend a lot of time trying to keep your prices down, you may compromise the quality of your offering and lose business you might have gained if you gave 100%. So, instilling more quality in your offering will likely result in larger profits over time.

The Law of Attraction governs all business transactions whether you believe it or not: people who respect quality find each other and people who are looking for bargains find each other. Bargains are cool when they’re valid but not when they undermine quality.

I give my best and ask for it from others. I receive quality results for quality investments.

Those are just some of the reasons why my prices are higher.

What do you expect when it comes to price? Why do the bids differ so much?

I went on a coaching call recently. A gentleman called and asked me to come over to help him make sense of three interior painting bids he’d received. They ranged from $3,000 to $13,000. The first thing I told him was to get rid of the lowest bid; since I'd already looked around at what needed to be done, and I knew $3,000 wasn't enough. Then I looked at the other two bids and was able to distinguish the difference in the bids (what was included and what wasn't) and choose the one that was right for his project.

So many times people will look at the lowest bid and get way too excited about it without even considering what might not be included that would add extra costs to the job. Let's consider the $3,000 bid was for labor only and didn't include material such as primer, plastic, paint, etc. Depending on the size of the job, this could easily add over $1,000 to the cost.

When looking at bids and comparing them, one with the other, you really have to compare apples to apples so you are making an educated decision when choosing a contractor for your project.

This coaching call resulted in him saving $3,600 because we chose the right bid for his job.

Contractor - DIY

There are definitely two schools of thought. If you are going to act as your own GC you may think of it as a part-time gig or ask “how hard can it be”?

However, bottom line, “it comes with full-time expectations. Subs expect you to be on top of everything and have everything ready for them. It makes the difference in the job moving ahead smoothly and on time.” Thus quoted by homeowner Alan Koch of Portland, OR.

He’s absolutely right. Any of you who’ve acted as a GC/project manager on one of your own projects knows exactly of what he speaks.

I am the project manager on my jobs right now and have been in the past and it is definitely a full-time job. Not only because I’m working with the client but I’m also working with the subs and vendors.

I’ve often heard people say “well, I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to pay a contractor to manage the job when I can call all the subs myself and set things up.”

To that I say, really? Especially if you have a full-time job yourself. Also, where are you going to get the subs you use on the project? Have you worked with them before and are they trustworthy?

These are just some of the viable questions I would ask someone I’m coaching that wants to do it themselves.

Know it absolutely can be done by you but first, know your project, have a plan and be diligent about implementing that plan with clear, honest communication. Otherwise........who knows what nightmare you may be in for?!

What’s it really all about?

When you hear the stories of a remodel gone wrong and how bad the contractor is do you ever wonder if there’s another side to that story?

Well, there is. I’m not saying that homeowners are the “bad guys”, in fact, I’m saying there are really no “bad guys” at all. We must stop placing blame as it solves nothing.

I am simply saying there are two sides to every story and in between there is the truth. I coach both homeowners and contractors to look at remodeling as a relationship and bring to the table open, honest communication. This is where the solution lies (and begins).

Once you understand that communicating is key then the work of the remodeling project can begin. Get money and mess on the table early and when it comes up mid-job (as it will) it will not be as difficult to address because you’ve already laid the groundwork. Think solution-based rather than nightmare-based and you can create the remodel of your dreams.

I come from a place of remodeling on-purpose. This means: the client gets a complete job based on the contract they signed at the beginning of the project and has fully understood all changes and possible delays throughout the process (if there were any); the contractor walks away with a satisfied client, all monies due paid and referrals.

Doesn't this sound good? This is a win/win scenario. However, keep in mind, I'm not saying it won't be dirty, frustrating or have delays happen; I'm saying that if clear, open communication happens at the very beginning it can be a win/win.

Are you a good fit for each other?

What both homeowners and contractors must both remember is this, not every homeowner a contractor interviews is a good client for them and not every contractor a homeowner interviews is a good fit for them. That is why it’s preventative “medicine” for both parties to talk to a coach and get clarity about “are you right for one another”? Hence, the dating phase of the remodeling project that’s coming down the pike.

Keep in mind when you’re interviewing contractors, they “should” also be interviewing you.

As I’ve said, this is a relationship, not just a remodel. It would stand to reason, then, that both sides would be interviewing the other. This is the time to develop good rapport (indeed, is good rapport possible).


For a long time it has been assumed that it is only the customer who has a choice in the hiring process.

I want to be clear that this is absolutely not so. Think of it as a date – each party is “checking out” the other. This is the time to develop good rapport (indeed, is good rapport possible).

Since there is really no continuing education for contractors provided by any of the states (that I’m aware of), it is up to us to educate ourselves not only on the aspects of building but of running a business as well.

Remodeling Magazine is one of the best magazines in the remodeling/home improvement industry. It is for industry professionals but homeowners have access on-line at www.remodeling.com

In September of 2002 there was a Q & A with several contractors on Just Saying No – How to turn away a client you have reason to suspect may be difficult. Particularly in these economically challenging times (and, really, anytime) if either party feels the relationship isn’t a good fit, say no.

It’s never a good thing to waste time, money and, particularly, emotion on entering into the “wrong” relationship.

I would encourage each of you to be courteous enough to let the contractors you do not choose know that you are not choosing them. They’re taking the time to come and meet with you to bid on your project – they like to know what’s going on with you as well.

Seven Tips for Hiring a Contractor

#7 Did the estimate compare favorably to others?

I’m not talking about looking for the cheapest price. It’s definitely not about finding the contractor who gives you the lowest bid. To the contrary, it’s about the experience you’ll ultimately get. You want to know that the contractor you are hiring is going to give you the most bang for your buck. When you are comparing bids you want all the inclusions and exclusions to be the same so that you can decipher what you are going to get and for how much. Base your decision on the contractor who you feel suits your needs best.

Be willing to give up making it about the money only who cutting the best deal. You may find that the contractor bidding "in the middle" IS the best deal.