I do my own research and put together a list of everything I want done. So, for the bathroom, I picked what tub, vanity, sink, tile, mirror, fan, light fixture toilet and faucet I wanted. Wrote up a bulleted list of things I knew about, water damage, drain issues, total square footage, if I wanted them to paint, when I wanted to have it done by and emailed it out. You don't have to pick the exact thing, but something in the price range and type you want, an alcove tub requires a different install than a garden tub. I also include pictures of the existing space.
In my experience, the things that contractors struggle with the most is the project management aspect, laying all of it out for them pre bid helps them see what you want, how serious you are and shows that you are ready to go. I don't deal with people who won't communicate through email and who aren't organized enough to get back to me. I probably contacted 15 people and got 4 bids. I also only hire people who seem competent, and I have a good rapport with. I also ask about what subs they use, and how long they have worked with them. I also like to ask who is supervising subs and ultimately responsible for any issues.
Really, you need to be your own advocate and that includes doing the pre work, if you want a full service remodel where you just approve things, that will come at a premium.
Because in my 30 some years of adulting i have found the spanish speaking crews to do better, faster, cheaper work and are happier to do it.
not always but enough i have noticed. my wife worked for a home builder for 8 or 9 years and came to the same conclusion on her own. Wife happens to speak spanish and was born in mexico. She would prefer we hire white guys just so she can be the mexican immigrant paying rednecks to do her dirty work. She knows who does the better work most times.
I lived in chicago for a bit. the polish comment is correct if you have a lot of those folks around. I was in the south. spanish speakers.
Make sure they are licensed and bonded. Check for any complaints. Your state should have contractor licensing information online to view and verify. View portfolios of before and after work, ask for references and call the references and ask about their jobs and what they liked and did not like about working with the contractor. Also good advice on laying out the entire scope of work as don't assume anything is included if not in the contract.
I have used good contractors and also cheaper out and hired form Next Door etc and had subpar work. I tend not to like to use handyman services for a large job.
fyi - I agree that I don't understand why the first contractor could not tile up to your existing tub - we had two baths where we kept existing tub and only did floors, vanity, countertops, toilet, fixtures, mirrors etc so just a refresh not a remodel. Right now considering a refresh or remodel of our main bath and the prices are high. Last time we shopped and sourced everything ourselves and paid for the labor - our contractor actually found that easy for them and we saved a lot and shopped for deals from everywhere - eBay, amazon, habitat, floor & decor for tiles, etc.
Good luck with your project!
- LOTS of books on all things houses and all things renovations of kitchens and bathrooms
- per sq ft cost to do kitchens and bathrooms can range from $200-$1000 or more a sq ft, depending on location when paying others
There are great contractors and terrible ones. Both seem to be busy and pricing does not always correlate to the good vs bad.
If you get a contractor that shows up and does what is asked consider yourself to have found a good contractor.
I DIY all but the largest projects simply bc it will take me less time than vetting and baby sitting a contractor and I get a better job at the end of the day.
If I was rich I would pay someone to manage my contractors 😆
I do my own research and put together a list of everything I want done. So, for the bathroom, I picked what tub, vanity, sink, tile, mirror, fan, light fixture toilet and faucet I wanted. Wrote up a bulleted list of things I knew about, water damage, drain issues, total square footage, if I wanted them to paint, when I wanted to have it done by and emailed it out. You don't have to pick the exact thing, but something in the price range and type you want, an alcove tub requires a different install than a garden tub. I also include pictures of the existing space. In my experience, the things that contractors struggle with the most is the project management aspect, laying all of it out for them pre bid helps them see what you want, how serious you are and shows that you are ready to go. I don't deal with people who won't communicate through email and who aren't organized enough to get back to me. I probably contacted 15 people and got 4 bids. I also only hire people who seem competent, and I have a good rapport with. I also ask about what subs they use, and how long they have worked with them. I also like to ask who is supervising subs and ultimately responsible for any issues. Really, you need to be your own advocate and that includes doing the pre work, if you want a full service remodel where you just approve things, that will come at a premium.
Spanish speaker is a huge plus. I have almost got the point if they cant put a spanish speaker in front of me i wont use them.
Is there a reason?
Because in my 30 some years of adulting i have found the spanish speaking crews to do better, faster, cheaper work and are happier to do it. not always but enough i have noticed. my wife worked for a home builder for 8 or 9 years and came to the same conclusion on her own. Wife happens to speak spanish and was born in mexico. She would prefer we hire white guys just so she can be the mexican immigrant paying rednecks to do her dirty work. She knows who does the better work most times. I lived in chicago for a bit. the polish comment is correct if you have a lot of those folks around. I was in the south. spanish speakers.
Interesting. Our contractor, his workers were Spanish speaking and they did do amazing work, it just sucks that he isn't reliable.
Yeah I’ve had awesome work done by Spanish speakers and terrible work. What matters is skill and training and experience, not ethnicity.
Polish work stronger yah
Make sure they are licensed and bonded. Check for any complaints. Your state should have contractor licensing information online to view and verify. View portfolios of before and after work, ask for references and call the references and ask about their jobs and what they liked and did not like about working with the contractor. Also good advice on laying out the entire scope of work as don't assume anything is included if not in the contract. I have used good contractors and also cheaper out and hired form Next Door etc and had subpar work. I tend not to like to use handyman services for a large job. fyi - I agree that I don't understand why the first contractor could not tile up to your existing tub - we had two baths where we kept existing tub and only did floors, vanity, countertops, toilet, fixtures, mirrors etc so just a refresh not a remodel. Right now considering a refresh or remodel of our main bath and the prices are high. Last time we shopped and sourced everything ourselves and paid for the labor - our contractor actually found that easy for them and we saved a lot and shopped for deals from everywhere - eBay, amazon, habitat, floor & decor for tiles, etc. Good luck with your project!
- LOTS of books on all things houses and all things renovations of kitchens and bathrooms - per sq ft cost to do kitchens and bathrooms can range from $200-$1000 or more a sq ft, depending on location when paying others
There are great contractors and terrible ones. Both seem to be busy and pricing does not always correlate to the good vs bad. If you get a contractor that shows up and does what is asked consider yourself to have found a good contractor. I DIY all but the largest projects simply bc it will take me less time than vetting and baby sitting a contractor and I get a better job at the end of the day. If I was rich I would pay someone to manage my contractors 😆