Both you and your contractor benefit when he works diligently and finishes quickly. Conversely, the worst thing that can happen to you is if your contractor gets behind schedule -- because he may conclude, at some point, that he’s going to lose money on this job, and he may begin cutting corners, or he may even walk off the job.

MONITOR THE SITE WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR ONCE A WEEK

Meet with your general contractor once a week to discuss what he’s accomplished and what he has planned for the following week. Keep the meetings short. Walk around the site together. Ask questions. Carry the drawings and the contract terms and conditions with you every time you’re on the site, so you can refer to them if you disagree on something.

ASK ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR TOMORROW AND NEXT WEEK

He is concerned about three time periods, and you should be too:

• What needs to happen today, and are we ready? Do we have all the information and materials we need, and is the subcontractor responsible for that work on site and working?
  
  
• What is going to happen three days from now? Do we have the materials on site? Do we know everything we need to know to do the work properly? Have we alerted the subcontractors who will be doing the work, and have they committed to being here on schedule? And…
  
  
• What is going to happen two weeks from now? Do we have all the information we need to make materials orders? Have we checked with the factory to see if the materials will be here on time? What is the status of other long-lead items; when will they arrive?

You should be asking him questions about his readiness to do tomorrow’s work. Help him prepare. Ask him if he’s missing any information. Make your decisions quickly, and discuss your concerns as they come up. Don’t chat. He needs to keep to a pretty tight schedule.

SPEAK UP RIGHT AWAY IF SOMETHING CONCERNS YOU

If you see something that concerns you, speak up! It’s easy for the general contractor to get the painter to touch up while he’s still on the site, but not so easy if the painter has already packed up and left for another job.

CHECK BOTH THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIALS AND THE QUALITY OF THE WORK

Look closely at the quality of the materials your contractor is using. Is the framing lumber perfectly straight? Is the plywood free of knots? Will you get the 20-year warranty on the roof shingles? Look for quality of workmanship as well. Are the seams in the sheetrock tightly butted together? Are there any gaps left where pipes or vents penetrate walls or floors?

MAKE NOTES

As you walk through the job each week, makes notes about anything that concerns you, and anything you discuss with the contractor. Give him a copy of the notes the following day as a reminder that you have some concerns.

LET HIM WORK

75% of a contractor’s price is for labor – time. If he plans to make a profit, he needs to work diligently until the job is finished. Try not to interrupt what he’s doing unless you have a serious concern, and even then, watch for an opportunity to catch him on a lunch break if you can.

USING PROFESSIONAL INSPECTORS AND PROJECT MANAGERS

If your project feels a little overwhelming to you, you may want to use a professional to help you inspect the structural work and the more technical details like the wiring at the electrical panel or how the new heating unit has been installed.

You can find professional construction inspectors by calling other professionals in related fields that use their services all the time. Try calling a home-equity lender, a good realtor, your designer; property insurance claims adjusters or commercial developers. When you have a short list of good inspectors in hand, call them, interview them and check their references carefully. Discuss your project and ask whether they have the time to either inspect on an as-needed basis (whenever you call) or to attend your weekly job meetings with the contractor and inspect while you’re all walking through the work in progress.

MORE INFORMATION

You’ll find lots more information about the home remodeling process in Managing a Renovation: Staying in Charge and Out of Trouble, our friendly and comprehensive homeowner’s guide to remodeling project management. Download the table of contents and a sample chapter, or go to the order form to purchase it.

We offer ready-to-use construction forms, including a complete remodeling contract, in our Bookstore, as well. Have a look.

And, you may want to look at our list of More Resources for some great design ideas.

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