Have you ever ordered something online, only to get it in the mail and be deeply disappointed because it wasn’t what you thought it would be? Or what about… saving for a long time to go on that dream vacation, then being extremely disappointed by the lack luster accommodations or poor service that you received. I think many of us have been let down or disappointed at one time or another on things that we may have bought in the past.

And believe it or not, that same disappointment can happen to you when you undertake a remodeling project

Did you know there are steps you can take to increase your odds for a successful remodeling project rather than just rolling the dice? In my experience, a well written Scope of Work is your best offense to guide you (and your remodeling contractor) through the remodeling process.

What is a Scope of Work (and why is important)?

Let me start out by saying, when your travel agent sits with you to plan your dream vacation, they need to know:

1. Where will you be going?
2. How will you get there?
3. What will your accommodations be like?
4. How long will you be staying there?
5. What will you be doing there?

Your remodeling contractor should do the same thing

They should ask you many similar questions to fully understand what you want to accomplish, such as:

1. What is being remodeled?
2. What is being added on to?
3. What is being removed?
4. What is being saved?
5. What is being re-used?

And this is just the beginning of questions your remodeling contractor will need to ask you and understand before he can write your scope of work.

You might be saying, “Wow that sounds like a lot of work!”  And you are right, it is a lot of work, but it is necessary to help protect everyone involved in your remodeling project and give you the best possible results.

And just like a travel agent, who will need to know the answers to all these questions before he can give you an accurate price for your dream vacation, your remodeling contractor will need to know and understand as well.

Your Scope of Work should detail all of the work your remodeling contractor will perform for you, on your home from start to finish, BEFORE you start your project. Any questions left un-addressed or assumed for later date, can leave room for a potential disaster.

What Should Be in a Scope of Work?

At a bare minimum, your Scope of Work should address the following areas:

1. Administration
2. Logistics
3. Work
4. Selections

Let me address each one of these areas individually and mention just a few key points.

The Administration for the project includes things like:

1. Who will be providing building permits?
2. Insurance requirements for the project?
3. Supervision for the project?

The Logistics for the project includes things like:

1. Will there be dust control on my project?
2. What about construction debris, will a dumpster be provided and if so how many?
3. Will there be a portalet provided for my project?

Specifying the work of the project might sound like Captain Obvious but what about things like:

1. What will be demoed out?
2. Which rooms in the house are getting painted and what colors?
3. How many recessed can lights will there be and what type of lighting?

The Selections for the project should include your specifically selected items and NOT allowances:

1. What is the lavatory faucet?
2. What is the flooring and where will it be going?
3. What are your kitchen counter tops and what is the edge treatment?

This is just a few items to be considered as you are working through your Scope of Work with your remodeling contractor. As you might have guessed a great remodel project, just like a great vacation takes a lot of planning and preparation of the front end for the best possible outcome.

If you are considering a future remodeling project and want to get the project started out with a thorough Scope of Work….Give us a call! And Love Where You Live!