What are the main expectations you put on the client before starting a project?
Do you expect them to understanding the permit requirements in their area? How much clarity should they have around budget? What are the other things they should know to make your job easier?
we at rb solutions inc not only build for the client we wantn the client to have a feeling when we are done that this a home and its the only place they want to be . we want the client to have as much input to make the home what they invisioned and more.
budget , plans and details ,exspectations , we feel the client is paying for some thing that makes there home a better place and makes them feel good when they live in it , understanding each other is a key along with a top quality job
Well I think if the homeowner is doing remodeling, he should look after of each and every part of the home like titles, kitchens, cabinets, wardrobe, ceiling and wall decoration. The water supply should be made in perfect condition and the room should be airy.
Any time I work with a new client I treat them as if the they have never done any remodeling before. Most clients don’t know anything about the permits or the process to fill them, that is our job. As a contractor, our job is to take control of the job and guide our client through a smooth process. The main thing a customer should know before starting any project is Budget. Once they have determined that budget, make sure you set aside a little extra money for the possibility of added things or if problems occur. Remember, its ok to ask your contractor questions throughout the process. Its good to know what he is doing and why.
Time Frame... Make sure before you hire anyone to do you know how long the project should take. Also, put something in writing saying how long it will take and if it goes over the time frame money will be deducted. On the flip side, offer an incentive if your contractor gets the job done before the time frame.Best to sit with your client with open minds, layout the scope of work, time frame, design stages, permiting steps. Expectations to your clients from you, there expectations of you, who is doing what, who is providing & supplying what. There feed back, selctions and choices, limited inrolement or open, payment schedule. These steps will make project flow smooth.
No it is not their responsibility to know/understand permitting and those types of tasks.
The budget is the one area they must have complete clarity on. They must understand what it is in dollars , what % over the budget they can afford. Typically 10%. When and how much the payments should be for and what items they should cover
Communication, Communication, Communication is very “Key”. They must know and feel good about your approachability. They should always feel they should be able to speak with you about anything pertaining to the project. Big issues Small issues, they both need to be taken care of asap.
Anything special order, or something they are supplying needs to be onsite or in the warehouse before the project begins. Whatever they are responsible to provide it must be ready and available to the contractor
The thing that I expect from a home owner when I look at a remodel project is for the potential customer to have a general idea of what they are looking for. If they visualize the outcome it makes the project flow a lot faster and easier for us to guide them in the right direction for the project to run smooth and the end result to be exactly what they where looking for
Hello Jiyan,
First of all and actually the most important part is to understand your agreement with the contractor and understand the details of the project, for example- if you remodeling your bathroom you need to know what type of finish materials you need, what can be extra charge “change order” after demolition such as plumbing, mold, termite etc
You need to ask the contractor what can be extra and how much you should spend on the finish materials, otherwise you will get disappointed and overwhelmed with extra charge on things that need to be done and you could not see that.
Good luck and feel free to ask more questions.
I like the client to be proactive during the improvements and I usually leave some items out of the estimate so that they can go out and shop for them such as tile flooring, lighting and plumbing fixtures etc - this not only represents some savings for them but they can get the feel they are part of the final product with their decision.