Finding a contractor to “supervise” my remodeling effort – reasonable?
I am doing a pretty big remodeling effort on the house I am purchasing. None of the different efforts are that big taken separately, but all together, it is a lot. Still, I think I can handle the work with proper planning – I do have reasonable skills and have done a lot of little projects like these – just not all together.
But to make my wife more comfortable with all this, I was thinking about hiring a contractor to more or less look over my shoulder at different stages to make sure I was doing a good job. Is that really a good idea? Anyone do something like that before? Should I expect the cost to be so much that I’d be better off having the contractor do the work?
I’d be happy to have someone come in and do all the work for me. I’d rather spend my vacation time on vacation – not remodeling. But the budget I have works well with materials – not with installation included.
Thanks for any feedback/suggestions – this place has been great.
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For most contractors the cost for ‘looking over your shoulder’ and just doing it themselves would probably be the same. I’d come look over your shoulder and help, too.
But I’m not a contractor. I just know home construction.
(Will work for food…) [who]
Certainly most “contractors” would have their own laborers, or sub out work. To be a consultant, if they have time, might cost you as much as if they brought in help. IE: as a contractor I’d charge you $25 to $40 an hour for straight labor, on my own. If I have to enlist help, I’d add to my fee, a fair wage for the help,,, for instance,,, Someone who just cleans up may get $9 an hour, a finisher who takes over after rough work, might be paid nearly as much as I’d charge for myself, so you could end paying near $100 per hour for a job. To “consult” defined by any efforts besides advice, I’d still charge you $25 to $40 per hour.
You state pretty clearly that you have reasonable skills. I suggest that if most of the remodel doesn’t stricly have to meet CODES, then the desire and the design may be relatively easy for you.
Remodeling is a process for a doityourselfer, that takes discipline even when motivation fades. A Contractors motivation is to finsh and get paid.
I also suggest, that if you plan to occupy for any length of time, that you break the entire experience down into more manageable parts. IE: Finish one thing at a time, and move on to the next phase.
I also suggest getting your wife involved. A sharing of the tasks and the outcome is what this should truly be about anyhow.
Also Home Stores often have a pamphlet rack, with numbered pamphlets that are pretty good guides in their way. I have used them often.
Any consultations you seek, can certainly be done in asking someone for advise or guidelines, but unless you fear attempting a task on your own, and given your statement about Budget,,, I doubt that having someone on retainer will be what is best.
Rev. Steven [who]
I think it is a good idea to get someone who is experienced to help with a look over the shoulder. See if you can’t find a good handy man who does small projects to come by when he can and give you advice. These folks usually have a general knowledge of home construction. [who]
As a general or re-model contractor, I would be very wary of “looking over your shoulder”. It may come to pass that my license might be on the line if you fail to build to code, obtain permits, get inspections, end up omitting things or just taking to long. As a suggestion, you might consider going at this as owner/builder and taking out permits, etc in your name. Then hire a contractor or very good handyman as skilled labor, not as a contractor, to oversee your work. You would be doing most, if not all, the work. There are a lot of good suggestions from others above. [who]
when you hire a general contractor you run the risk of getting ripped off. an example…one customer of mine wanted to build his own house but wanted to subcontract many stages of the work..so he hired a general contractor to oversee the building. the general contractor didn’t pay the subs or the materials bill and made off with several thousands of dollars….best bet, you be the general and hire good subcontractors that know thier buisness and dont need overseen [who]