Here are a few things you should absolutely do when you’re choosing a contractor for your home renovation. Plus, a few things to watch out for. Renovations are pricey! You want to go into a home reno with your eyes wide open!

If you’re planning a large-scale renovation like mine and thinking about contracting it out yourself, I have two things to say: 

1. I’m not going to be the best reference for guiding you through that process as I 100% relied on a very experienced contractor.
2. Don’t… just don’t.

This is not to say you can’t create something amazing by going this route, but I would assume the people who take it on themselves are already going into the project with a great deal of knowledge and expertise in the renovation/construction process. That ain’t me!

As I mentioned in my last post, we did not interview contractors. Unless you are best friends with a builder that you know and love (like we are), I would advise you to interview at least three AND ask for references. Added bonus if you can go see their work. 

We knew from day 1 that we’d be using WJM Custom Builders, owned by our friend Jerry. We 100% trusted him with our money and knew his guys would create a space that was nothing short of perfection. Disclaimer—Renovations are a lot of money, so I would never advise anyone to just “trust” that all contractors will be good stewards of your money. I have heard horror stories about people who paid for their entire renovation up front and then ended up getting ghosted by their contractor halfway through the project. This is why it’s extremely important to have a draw schedule (see steps 13, 32, and 38 on my renovation timeline). 

You, of course, have to pay as you go, as it’s not sustainable or fair to the builder for you to withhold all of your money until the entire project is completed. This is also why it’s equally important to hire a reputable contractor. Remember that the cheapest bid could also mean the sketchiest. When you’re interviewing contractors, keep in mind that some of them may be giving you an attractive-looking bid just so they can win your business. 

We could have gotten much cheaper bids, but Jerry told us upfront that his would be higher for these reasons: 

1) He knows the areas where clients tend to go over budget and he pads it accordingly; better to come in under budget than over. 

2) He compensates his subcontractors fairly, which is why he has the best subs at his disposal. They all produce high-quality work according to the schedule he needs them to stick to. 

When contractors don’t have reliable subs, you’re going to fall behind schedule and you’re not going to know what kind of work they’ll produce. In my opinion, this is the main reason why contractors get a bad rap. What’s the saying? You’re only as good as your weakest link? So true in life, and apparently true in the world of construction.

Jerry and his foreman, Jay, were at the house almost every day checking on the progress. If they saw an issue, it was ripped out, re-made, and repainted before I even had a chance to notice it.

We’re so happy with the work WJM produced in our renovation. I’d recommend them over and over. It felt like there was a crew on-site 5-6 days a week and no time wasted. This reno was worth every penny (lots of pennies). 

I plan on discussing each of the steps in this renovation process. But for now I’ll leave you with this: if you love your home and plan on staying in it, do the renovation. If you know your home is short-term until the next one, but it desperately needs updating—probably not necessary to take down walls and reroute plumbing, unless you got the house for a steal and it’s more of a flip situation. In this case, it still has to make financial sense and the B-word (budget) becomes critical to your decision making. However, I am always on board with cosmetic updates. You should feel good in the space where you live. I hope this blog and I can be a source of renovation inspo and guidance to you from a non-expert who just went through her own. So, load up those Pinterest boards, girl. We’ve got work to do.

Cheers!

Lizzie