Staying Sane through a Home Remodel
Let’s face it, construction on and in your home is a major invasion of personal space and privacy. The part that really sucks is that just when you feel like yelling for everyone to go away and be quiet… we realize that not only were they invited in, but they are also being paid to make all that noise!
1- If possible, stay somewhere else during construction.
One of the great perks of working with a designer is that a designer can act as a liaison. We ensure the design intent is communicated through construction when surprises pop up. In town or not, stay available for contact.
BEFORE LEAVING, PACK UP.
Do not expect the contractors to empty cabinets and protect fine china. Clear the space as though planning for a move and find a good, safe storage space for those items.
2- If leaving isn’t possible, make a plan for being home during construction.
Establish how this will be done without passing through the construction zone frequently. Frequent disruptions will delay the project and we all want this work done quickly and well.
Entering and Exiting: Determine where the workers will enter and exit. It is best if your entry/exit does not overlap with the work zone. Where can the workers park? Where will you park?
Food Prep: If this is a kitchen renovation, where will the food be stored? Where will the dishes be washed? How will the food be prepped/cooked?
Toileting: Bathroom renovation? Be prepared for water to be turned off, then on, then off again. Best to use an alternate toileting room in the interim.
Give the workers space.
everyone appreciates hospitality. in construction, it should be blended with scarcity.
Imagine trying to perform your job in a major hallway where every single person who passes through wants to check out what’s being worked on and ask questions. It would be amazing if anything got done that way, and its the same for these workers. Every interruption to chat, check out the progress, ask what they are working on, etc. makes the project take that much longer.
Hospitality is great, but best to simply say “let me know if you need anything”, then stay out of the work area. This includes children and pets, so talk to the kids ahead of time and let them know that they are welcome to watch from a distance. Pets should be somewhere safe where they will not be afraid of all the loud noise and action.
Be prepared for Change Orders
Renovations are tough because they are always a mystery. We do not know where the joists are EXACTLY. We do not know about the funky jog in plumbing that was done behind the wall to avoid a junction box. We do not know about the slow leak that has been rotting out a support beam (oh dear!).
When these surprises are found, they may interfere with plans, and require some quick thinking. They also may require additional materials and/or labor, which requires a change order.
ALL CHANGE ORDERS SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE DESIGNER FIRST.
The designer was hired for their expertise, so putting the owner in the position to make spontaneous decisions without that filter of the designer is unfair to the owner. Every request should detail the impact in regards to financial change and timeline change. Which brings us to the next tip.
Plan for delays & Set Expectations
in residential, we don’t have huge crews to cover for an illness, injury, or surprise change of plans. contractors are often working with an independent sub which can mean timeline chnages with availability change.
As mentioned above, without knowing the exact details of what is behind the walls, we cannot predict a timeline 100%. On top of that, residential differs from commercial construction in that larger projects have plumbing companies they work with rather than a solopreneur. If the plumber gets sick on their scheduled day and needs to come two days later… well, that means the drywaller is delayed two days, and the counter fabricator, and so on.
THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN NO ONE IS ON YOUR JOB SITE.
It is courteous for this to be communicated to the owner, but it is not always the plan and when working projects with so many moving parts, not all is known in advance. Being prepared with realistic expectations is always a good idea. Look at the number of subs that will be brought on for your project and anticipate a few days’ delay for each then tell yourself that is the true timeline. Better to be pleasantly surprised than frustrated by delays!
Delays may or may not happen. Typically it all comes together very close to the expected completion date, but if a hard deadline is required, make this very clear and be prepared with a backup plan and a reasonable expectation of increased fees to hire a larger company rather than that solopreneur.
Establish point-of-contact
The guy you interviewed to run the project may or may not be the person managing the day-to-day activities on-site.
THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR’S JOB IS TO PLAN AND COORDINATE THE PROJECT- A BIT LIKE A FILM PRODUCER.
The producer will be around for the casting and major planning of the film, but they aren’t always acting and aren’t usually at every rehearsal. Additionally, they may move on to produce another film once the major details have been sorted and a director has been chosen.
Determine who the “director” (foreman) will be that will be on-site regularly and will be the point of contact for your project. Furthermore, determine how they prefer to be contacted (text, email, phone, etc) and stick to that method.
Understand roles
YOUR DESIGNER WILL COMMUNICATE THE DESIGN INTENT AND OBSERVE PROGRESS.
A designer is not a project manager (and cannot be, by law in Washington State without a GC license). The designer will clarify drawing intentions verbally and through the request of mock-ups and samples. The designer will provide detail drawings on request when those verbal descriptions are not understood and further visual communication is needed. The designer is not responsible for the construction timeline, the subs, or the construction costs.
If the designer has not been hired or pre-booked for this service, it cannot be expected. Any inquiries beyond the contracted time/scope will incur additional design fees and the designer may not be available to drop everything to head out to the job site.
THE ENGINEER WILL HANDLE STRUCTURAL INQUIRIES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND ADJUSTMENTS.
An architect/designer is not a structural engineer and cannot revise structural drawings or advise in matters pertaining to structural changes.
THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WILL MANAGE THE TIMELINE, SUBS, AND COSTS.
think of the general contractor as a “coordinator” rather than a laborer. They may or may not build, but more important, they coordinate your project.
They will hire the subs, assemble the estimates for an overall estimate or bid, coordinate the sub schedules, order materials, plan for material storage, and watch the costs carefully to ensure that nothing has exceeded the budget. When surprises come up, they will issue the change order after reviewing needs with the subs.
SUBCONTRACTORS OR STAFF OF THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WILL PERFORM SPECIFIC SERVICES.
For example, the plumber will be installing the pipes and making all the proper water connections. The plumber is not the appropriate person to ask about the overall timeline, the electrical panel, or whether the design selections should be updated.
IF THE PROJECT CALLS FOR IT, THE INSPECTOR WILL ENSURE THAT CODES HAVE BEEN MET.
When an inspector is required, it is important to let them do their job and not get overly anxious about passing/failing. Different inspectors interpret the code in different ways. Where one inspector would completely overlook an outlet location as standard, another might see it as problematic. If it “fails”, that just means the inspector has issued alterations that must be made. There is no failure, simply adjustment needed.
