Winning the Estimate Game

Working on a home improvement project can be a rewarding experience; it can also be the biggest hassle of your life. It is not uncommon for a small wallpapering project to turn into a bitter divorce. If you tackle the project with a well thought out plan, you might save yourself a lot of trouble, along with your marriage. Most if not all of my readers have played the game where you whisper something in someone's ear, they in turn whisper it into the next person's ear who in turn passes it along to the next and so on. In the end, the message is not only altered, but it is conveys nothing of the original message. That being said, you can tell ten people the same thing at the same time and all ten will hear something different. The same thing happens when you collect estimates from different contractors. You tell them all the same thing and if you were to let them all do the project, you would end up with as many different results as you have contractors.

The question is, how do you get what you want without a lot of confusion, change orders and call backs? Contractors will typically want you to sign a contract that states the scope of work to be provided. If you read the contract carefully, you will find that they can often be ambiguous about time schedules and quality of products to be used. The way to avoid this is to write a list of specifications (to be called "specs" hereafter) that becomes part of your contract, if the contractor refuses to attach your specifications making them an addendum to the contract, then move along to one who will. On any project that an architect works on, he will include plans and specifications that the contractor is obliged to follow. Why should your project be any different?

Before you start collecting estimates, decide exactly what you want and how you want it done. It is not enough to say that you want new water supply lines as there is pex, copper, cpvc and the list goes on. The same goes with almost any project you can think of with your home. If your not sure what to ask for in your specs you can either hire a consultant or you can ask a contractor to help you write your specs. The problem with asking a contractor to help is that he will write them in such away as to give himself the bidding advantage, or he may have no idea how to translate your wants into words. For example, say you want a new green metal roof, he could specify 16 gauge material knowing that he has enough left over from another project to allow him to underbid everyone else. I know what your thinking, o.k. why isn't this a good thing? Well, he could have purchased seconds or he could leave out lathing or stitch screws or bubble gum (used to prevent leaks at laps), items which you might not know you needed, or he might add items which are unnecessary that will only run up costs without benefiting your project. The list of what-ifs are endless.

The best protection for your money and your project is for you to do your homework. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, I can build almost anything, however I would never attempt to put in an HVAC system. I could put in the duct work, I could set the unit and wire it up, but I have no idea how to charge a system. My point is that very few of us are capable of doing everything. I am sure that there is someone who can, but then do you really have the time to do it all yourself? We all end up hiring someone to do something for us. The only way to know that it is done right is to know what they are doing. This goes back to doing your homework. If you are putting on a new roof and your planning on using shingles, should you use 20 year or 50 year? Do you want dimensional shingles or standard shingles? Do you want grey shingles or white or black or green? Are they going to hand nail them or staple them on with a gun? Do you want Owens-Corning or Eco-star? The best way to get what you want is to specify the item along with the model number. You also want to specify that they all have the same lot numbers. The reason behind this is that mixing lots can lead to your roof being blotchy or having different colors, the same is true for tile, paint and specifically wallpaper. These are the kinds of things that you want to include in your specs as they will also effect the price of your estimates.

The whole idea behind having a set of specs is to protect your investment. You can ask a contractor to use a "State" brand water heater, but if it isn't in writing, he can legally use any product he wants. You can ask a contractor if he can finish two weeks before Christmas, but unless it's in writing, he can finish when he wants. If you have a set of specs as an addendum to the contract, you can specify L.D's (liquidated damages) where if he isn't finished by a pre-set date, he has to deduct fifty to a hundred to five hundred dollars for every day he goes past due. This is standard practice in commercial construction. Of course if your project cost is only five thousand dollars, no contractor is going to agree to five hundred dollar a day L.D's. So you must use some common sense when writing your specs.

Once you have done your homework and written a set of specs, you are ready to get estimates. One of the best ways to decide on who you allow to bid on your project(s) is to ask the people you know who have had successful projects completed without any hassles. Another way to find contractors is the phone book or the internet. There are plenty of sites out there who will recommend contractors and sub-contractors. However, you want to check these contractors out no matter who recommends them. You will want to contact your local Better Business Bureau along with references from the contractors themselves. Too often people get references and never follow up on them. It will only take a minute and you might save yourself allot of trouble by doing so. Just because a contractor thinks he pulled a job off without a hitch, the homeowner may feel different about it. Make the call, do your homework and follow up, follow up, follow up. The money you save will be your own.

A final note on estimates, you may be able to save yourself allot of money by hiring a local handyman to do the work. They often don't have the overhead of a contractors license or workman's compensation, which if they have good references, you can save yourself a ton of cash and get the same level of quality if not higher quality. There is no law that says you cannot be your own contractor and hire whoever you want. Just make sure that you do your homework and never let anyone in your home that you haven't checked up on thoroughly. In my next article, I will go into how to write a set of specifications and how to amend a contract to include them. Until next time, do your homework and your wallet will thank you.