FAQ and Client Education
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How much will it cost?
Unfortunately remodeling does not have quick rules of thumb or other methods to come up with pricing. Square foot pricing is not helpful when projects are unique. For example, say you are remodeling a bathroom and would like to know how much it would be to tile 30 square feet of area. That sounds simple enough, right? Well what was there before? If it is an older home that had sheet vinyl flooring the existing subfloor and joists may need to be sized up to properly support the weight of tile. Subfloors in bathrooms often have some level of water damage, but some have none. Tile can range in price from under $5 per square foot for very basic to $20 per square foot for natural stones like marble.
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With the Design-Build model we can have a fully formed design before creating an estimate. This ensures as much accuracy as possible in pricing. Also, if at the end of the design process a client would like to receive additional bids from other contractors they can knowing that all contractors are bidding off the same information and estimates are "apples to apples".
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Like construction, the cost of design can vary significantly. A simple kitchen remodel or basement finish will of course be far less than an addition with major structural changes. After an initial meeting a rough estimate can be given on design cost.
How long will it take?
Much like cost, there is not a simple formula for determining duration of a remodel project. Coming up with the schedule is a key component of determining cost. Once we have an estimate ready to share it will have a schedule as well that shows activities with durations.
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That being said, many remodels or basement finishes take 3-5 months based on size and complexity. Additions or remodels with exterior elements can be expected to take an additional month or two.
What does a general contractor do?
The term general contractor is broad and what a general contractor does will vary from company to company.
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At SDB we are your single point of contact during the design and construction phase of your project. We will self-perform some portions of the project and will hire subcontractors for other portions. Whether it is us doing the work or a subcontractor we remain your point of contact and as such we are responsible for managing the schedule, procuring material, obtaining permits, managing cost and quality of your project.
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Do you change a markup?
Yes, SDB does markup subcontractors and materials. We strive to keep our markup reasonable and in line with industry standards. Some of this markup is to pay for overhead related to your job, some is for overhead related to the business as a whole (not any particular project). Some of that money is set aside for warranty claims that may come up and yes, some is for profit.
Do I really need a design?
Every project needs a design. The complexity of the design will be directly related to the complexity of the project. For simple to moderately complex projects, SDB has the resources to complete design in house. For a simple kitchen you can likely complete the majority of the design yourself while working with a cabinet vendor. Even with a simple project though, the devil is in the details. A proper design will show where outlets and light fixtures need to go, where do you want the towel bar hung and how high? Other elements of design are choosing flooring, faucets, cabinets etc. Regardless of who does the design you will provide input based on your taste, budget and functional needs.
Do you warranty your work?
Absolutely; We stand behind our work. SDB warranties work for one year past project completion. Various appliances and fixtures may have manufacturer's warranties that go even longer.
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With remodels we are by definition adding our work to previous work. We cannot warranty items we did not do. If we see an issue that could cause problems down the road we will alert the owner and ask how they would like to proceed. We will always be upfront and honest with our clients and take responsibility if we made a mistake.
What can I expect once work begins?
In truth, you can expect a portion of your home to become a construction zone. We make every effort to contain our mess and dust to the work area but nonetheless dust may spread to other areas of the home and construction noise unavoidable. If you work from home and have meetings or children who nap we may be able to work around some constraints but we must know before the schedule is created so that noisy activities can be planned around constraints.
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If there is a substantial amount of demolition to be done you may have a dumpster in your driveway. If there is limited parking in your neighborhood we may request to park in your driveway to avoid taking tools and materials down a block.
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If you are planning a kitchen remodel you should expect to have no access to the existing kitchen so you may need or want to setup a temporary kitchen in another section of your home. If you have children or pets please help keep them safe by preventing them from accessing the work zone.
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Once the project scope and schedule are defined we will have a preconstruction meeting to discuss the particular logistics of your project.
How can I prepare for construction
To prepare the space for construction you will need to remove all items from the spaces being remodeled. This includes furniture, linens, photos, small appliances, etc. If you have sensitive items like electronics, antiques, sports memorabilia etc., these items should be kept away from the work area and pathways used during construction.
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If we are working in a particularly small space (like a bathroom or small kitchen) we may require additional working space in a garage or driveway where larger tools or materials can be staged and used.
What is design-build, what is a design-builder?
This is another term with different definitions and interpretations. Historically, on large projects an owner would hire a design firm to design a project. The owner would then pass the design to a builder to construct the work. This arrangement leaves the client as the middle-man in any disputes between the design team and the construction team. With design-build the contractor and designer are the same entity so any disputes between the two have to be managed without the client having to be in the middle. In residential construction, this holds true, design is done by the contractor or a design-firm who is a subcontractor of the general contractor.
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A key element of design-build in residential construction is that design is done upfront (this differs from design-build in large commercial projects where construction begins before design is complete but this is not ideal is a residential setting where project durations are much shorter).
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In short, a designer-builder is a company that can do both design and build. Some firms perform these tasks in-house others subcontract out portions of the design and/or construction work.
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At SDB we perform small to moderate design efforts in-house while subcontracting larger designs or elements that require a Licensed Professional Engineer's stamp. We self perform many elements of the building process again subcontracting elements to specialty trades or partners we know are experts in their craft.