Hiring a Contractor

Do Your Home Improvement Homework

Californians spend more than $39 billion on residential construction each year. Many homeowners have discovered that improving their present residence with an updated kitchen, an additional bathroom, new windows or a new roof can be a more prudent investment than purchasing a new residence. However, adding a room or updating a kitchen can cost more than a new car, so consumers should take some time and care in planning a costly home improvement project. Unfortunately, most consumers spend less time choosing a contractor than they do choosing a car.

Planning Your Project

In order to minimize the chances that you will have a problem with your project or contractor, you should understand that planning is the first step in the process. Before you do anything else, ask the question:

What Do I Want Done?

A silly question? Not at all. Carefully plan exactly what you want done, what you want it to look like when finished, and how much you have to spend. Thoughtfully, carefully prepared plans will be helpful in getting accurate bids from contractors. You may wish to seek the advice of an architect or draftsperson. Remember that, in general, if something you want is not shown on the plans, you won't get it.