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Question:
When hiring a remodeling contractor, is it a good idea for an owner to request to do some of the work?
Answer:
Although many homeowners are quite capable of doing some of the labor
such as demolition, painting/staining, or even some of the more major components of the job themselves, their contractor should advise them as to what they are getting into. It may seem like no big deal to tear out a kitchen or
paint & stain an addition at the time the contract signed, but when it comes time to do the work, it may be a different story. If
for whatever reason the owner cannot complete the work on time, it can cause scheduling problems for the contractor which may delay the project and add additional cost.
Say for instance you have agreed to do all the
tear out of a bathroom remodel. You start the demolition and suddenly realize you cannot remove the tub by yourself. The plumber arrives the next day as scheduled to find an incomplete demolition. He then charges union plumbing
scale to complete the demolition which in turn is marked up by your contractor and charged to you. Suddenly your savings of completing the demolition is gone, you have delayed the project, and you now have an angry plumber
(which can be scary).
Another case may be that you have agreed to do all the painting and staining in a sunroom addition. What seemed like a small job suddenly is a major project for evenings and weekends. You wanted to
have the addition done by the holidays, but now you will be lucky to finish by new years, not to mention your beautiful addition will more than likely have a less than professional finish. These are just a couple of examples of
many, many situations that we have seen take place when an owner supplies labor or materials. At Custom Design, we recommend you allow the professionals to do all the work from start to finish, and thus all the work would be
covered by your contractors warranty. The money you may save by supplying labor or materials may cause more headaches than it is worth.
Answered by: Patrick Benkowski, CR
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