6 Things to Know before your Home Renovation

Preparation can help you and your contractor save time during your future remodel.  These are just a few tips to consider before you take on your construction project.

• Make sure your contractor is licensed.  Each state has its own set of rules set by the state they reside in.  Without a licensed contractor, your city or town local inspector may not issue a permit forcing work to stop on your property. 
• Look for the Company or Contractor on the BBB (Better Business Bureau).  You can see how many complaints they have (if any) and how they were handled by the business, customer and BBB – if you can do this here:  http://www.bbb.org/stlouis
•  Have an idea or plans for your contractor from you or your architect.  Not all plans will be approved by the city or location you live in for necessary permits, but hiring an architect or general contractor may increase these odds.  Stick to these plans, be prepared for a change work order from your contractor if you or the contractor decide something different has to be done.  For example, you change a door way or fixture.  These may seem like small things but to your contractor they are not.  Also make arrangements (living etc.) for when the construction work is to be done.
• Make a budget.  Try to stick within that budget allowing for some overages.
• Plan for overages due to unforeseen circumstances or when a homeowner changes their mind.  This is usually due to an upgrade to plans or to add something your contractor had no idea about.
• If you change your mind, be prepared for a change order from the contractor.  Time is Money.  Your contractor is no different.  It is standard in the industry to issue these change orders if any modifications are made.

Is Your Contractor Accredited with the BBB and why is this important?

Hi there, and welcome back to Klein Developments Blog. Today we will focus on the Better Business Bureau (also known as the BBB).  We wish to help you understand why they are so influential on your next construction project.

First let's start off with the BBB's personal quoted Mission which may be found on their website www.bbb.org .

"BBB is an authority on trust in the marketplace.  BBB sets and upholds high standards for ethical marketplace behavior.  BBB accreditation is a coveted honor earned by elite businesses and charities.  BBB is a valuable resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses and charities.  Our free BBB Business Reviews and BBB Wise Giving Reports help you make the right purchasing or donation decision.  BBB is also a significant distributor of consumer and business education information and tips and alerts about marketplace scams.  And BBB offers dispute resolution programs for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints."

"The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 113 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus(CBBB) is the network hub for BBBs in the US and Canada. Like BBBs, CBBB is dedicated to fostering honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers -- instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all."

Now lets define how consumers, contractors, and the BBB all work together. First and foremost the BBB is you the "Consumer" and we the Contractor"s'  referring relationship.  For you the consumer the BBB will provide you with ratings A-F about the company that you are inquiring about.   Ratings A-F will be based on many factors including past history with the BBB--for example if a consumer is unsatisfied with the work that the contractor performed. As in school A+ will mean that the contractor has no complaints and an F rating is a Fail.

Next, we need to focus on what makes a Company/Contractor have a rating. A+ will mean that their are no complaints and an F rating will mean that this company has had many complaints and has not resolved them. Often this happens because there is no Construction Contract or a very ill-defined contract. It may be caused by verbal agreements which you the consumer should never participate in.
A Professional Contractor will always provide you with a detailed Professional Contract to be signed in agreement by both parties. This will allow you the Consumer and the Contractor to be on the same page.

Now that you understand ratings, lets work on what "Accreditation" means. When a symbol like this

 

is shown on a website or construction document it will constitute that the Contractor is Accredited by the BBB. The BBB does not investigate each contract, but only the contractor. This means that the Contractor must go through a series of back-ground checks and investigations that may include the following: No criminal records for the Contractor and it's employees, any complaints registered with the BBB. making sure the contractor pays all due taxes and maintains employment and unemployment status, Qualifications such as Licenses and Insurances and much more. All of these allow our company to be Accredited with the BBB and to say the least we pay the BBB for this Accreditation.

In closing we would encourage all consumers needing construction projects to visit the BBB at www.bbb.org and view their simplified system of  Accredited Businesses that they may call and inquire about their projects. Hopefully you will find that companies website to further discover the contractors potentials relating to your project.

We are happy to know that you have viewed our Blog today and we hope it has been informational and helpful. If you should have any more questions or are interested in hiring a contractor for your next construction project, please visit us at our website.  Please join our next blog as we will focus on a mini-series of blogs helping you to understand your home building projects.