The most important value Houston home remodelers can offer a homeowner is custom remodel services that are provided for problem solving house remodeling solutions.
The majority of Houston home remodelers offer some level of house remodeling, but only a handful of the very best Houston home remodelers have the experience and resources to facilitate full service custom remodel services.
These custom remodel services provide owners with a complete menu of professional services to address most any need an owner might have in their house remodeling journey, from design and engineering needs to the final touches of home decorating.
Obviously, this skill level of Houston home remodelers is not required by owners seeking simple house updates or home improvement maintenance tasks. Although if you are planning a major house remodeling, there is a high likelihood that you will need all or some of these custom remodel services at some point.
Professional Houston home remodelers operate as general contractors and offer general contracting services that traditionally include bidding architectural plans, providing materials, equipment, labor and construction management for major house remodeling.
The Houston home remodelers that offer custom remodel services facilitate various service-based roles and functions for their clients. Everything from 3D design through warranty assurance programs.
These remodeling general contractors provide concierge services that most customers do not really completely understand.
It is common knowledge that most remodeling general contractors hire subcontractors to perform the required trade services for house remodeling.
Although this is correct, it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the knowledge, experience and services that qualified professional Houston home remodelers provide.
Professional general contractor services are not limited to construction services. The experienced and qualified GC provide design services, feasibility analysis, construction budget development and provide a full range of material & product selection assistance.
Custom remodel services are best performed by Houston home remodelers
We will examine the importance of each of these items and the value to their client.
Feasibility Analysis
A financial feasibility analysis is a research analysis study of the many different financial factors that enter into the decision-making process to determine the financial qualification and rationalization of a major house remodeling project.
It principally establishes a benchmark for a sanity test to determine if a project can be financially justified with the idea that eventually the owner will sell the property.
Other factors can be introduced into the financial analysis model such as comparing multiple financial scenarios to each other.
Comparing the financial outcomes of a house remodeling project to building a new house is another common query.
During this analysis the owner compares the present value of the out-of-pocket investments to the future value of the return on investment.
Preparing the feasibility analysis requires experience and knowledge of construction cost and current market values to properly prepare.
The different scenarios can get rather complex and necessitates the ability to use consistent financial factors during comparisons.
Design Services
One of the most overlooked services that professional general contractors provide is design to build services.
Most home owners believe that they most hire an architect to design their home. Or worse they forego the necessity of preparing construction documents completely.
The significance of design to build services is that your general contractor can design to a budget instead of designing to bid plans that inevitably require to be re-designed because the cost was more than expected.
Another benefit is that the general contractor is the responsible party for design if something is omitted or an error occurs. This eliminates many frustrating change orders during construction.
With this service, Houston home remodelers represent a one stop shopping experience for a total house remodeling project.
Budget Development
Contrary to popular belief the construction budget development process is not a static process.
The budget development process begins with establishing a target construction investment budget based upon quantifying the clients wants and needs and applying the general contractors estimating experience to the remodeling area.
These target investment budget numbers can fluctuate dramatically based upon such items as the actual design, the materials ultimately selected and the circumstances surrounding the custom remodel process.
So as the design process develops details so does the accuracy of the estimated cost. The more defined the unanswered questions become the more confidence your remodeling general contractor becomes finalizing the actual construction cost.
Material & Product Selections
Shopping for new house products and finish construction materials can be exciting and exhausting at the same time.
The excitement in part has to do with the owners visualizing and anticipating how certain materials will look in their completed project design.
The exhaustive feeling come from the number of products that exist to choose from and the need to compare and blend these items to create color continuity.
There are many vendors to select materials and products from. Visiting these many resources locations can also add to the exhaustion.
It is worth mentioning at this point that it is important to get a list of the selection priorities early in the design process.
Provided you are not doing all your shopping at Home Depot, many products and materials require a lead time to order.
If these items lead times are not factored into the construction schedule, these delays can have a significant impact on the completion of the construction.
Another factor about product selection that has an impact on the performance of the house remodeling and the quality of the finishes is that any special ordered building components will require shop drawings and possible engineering.
If this is not executed properly there will be errors in the products fabrication and leave everyone associated with the approval process pointing fingers at each other. Empowering expert home remodelers will avoid this outcome.
Do It Your Self Risk/Reward
The risk/reward relationship of not using a remodeling general contractor depends on the size, complexity and the type of the house remodeling project.
Doing typical house maintenance like painting, replacing worn or damaged house products typically does not require the services of a remodeling general contractor.
Home remodelers make money by managing their hired subcontractors to perform remodeling services.
Many owners believe that they save a lot of money by being their own general contractor. In some case’s this may be true, while other cases this can be a disaster.
Custom house remodeling takes a great deal more than watching a few videos and reading a book.
Professionals can be tested by some projects, let alone an inexperienced homeowner attempting to manage a complex project.
If you are seriously considering conducting your project as a DIY owner, think carefully about your skill set and your technical and professional limitations.
When Do You Need a General Contractor
As just discussed, it is not necessary to hire a remodeling general contractor for all house remodeling projects.
Understanding when you should hire home remodelers for your house remodeling project depends upon your realistic assessment of the risk associated with the project.
You are likely to pay somewhere between 20% – 30% more for using a remodeling general contractor, but that savings can look like a deal if your project gets out of control.
We will discuss some of the obvious home renovation projects that make both technical and financial sense to hire a remodeling general contractor instead of a do it yourself attempt.
Larger Construction Budgets – The larger the construction budget the greater the risk. The risk can be either systemic and/or non systemic.
Systemic problems are issues with non performing subcontractors, the use of non-approved substituted materials and the general design and construction risk associated with the industry.
Non systemic problems are associated with risk losses that could be mitigated by insurance, safety practices and quality control practices. General contractors are experts in managing the risk of a large project.
Structural Changes – Making structural changes to your house is much like dental work. It requires a professional with experience, knowhow and skill to procedural perform surgery.
Altering structures can have costly and profound effects on the homes service life. Structural modifications can contribute to the effectiveness of the design process, but often require engineering before executing.
Whole Home Renovations – Whole home renovations are one of the most complex house remodeling projects.
These usually involve demoing the house back to the studs and often effects every aspect of the structure.
These include modifying the structures, electrical system, HVAC and plumbing systems of the house remodeling.
Home Additions – Additions involve the blending of the existing home design with function and flow of the new space.
They involve major structural changes and large construction budgets. A home addition is often more difficult to plan and manage then new ground up construction.
Additions present all the construction issues of remodeling and additional challenges such as connecting the structures, getting heavy equipment access and exposing the finished home space to the weather when connecting the addition.
Depending on the project a general contractor can more than pay for the cost of their services through cost effective management, design and efficiency for home remodeling.
Understanding the services of home remodelers and the value they bring to your house remodeling project is the key to aligning yourself with the right construction partner.
Conclusion
If you want the security of professional custom remodel services your best bet is to align with experienced home remodelers.
Employing a remodeling general contractor will provide you with the project leadership, guidance and assurance to guarantee a good experience and a better result.
