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custom cabinets make use of space in corner

Hire the Right Local Home Remodeling Contractor

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

This article was originally published December 2020. It has been updated to provide more current information.

Are you ready for a new bathroom, fireplace or kitchen remodel, or thinking about trendy barn doors and wood-look tile? Take your time picking a contractor. Avoid hiring the first local home remodeling contractor that provides you with a quote. Often, hiring a home remodeling contractor without due diligence leads to regret.

So, take your time. Hire the right local home remodeling contractor for the work you need to be done. Just follow these steps.

Research Online and In-Person

Did you spend hours shopping for appliances, flooring, fixtures, and lighting online and in stores? It would be best if you spent at least that much time and effort researching the local home remodeling pool. Call, text, and email friends, family, and neighbors who hired a local contractor within the last 2 years.

Many contractors place a sign in the yard of the home where they are doing work. So, when you see those signs, reach out to the homeowner. Ring the doorbell and ask about the work being performed. Afraid to ring the bell? Then write a note and leave it at the door. Provide the homeowner with your name, phone number, and email along with the best times to talk. Let them know you just want a little feedback.

Always remember to ask about the work that was done. Because a contractor installing barn doors requires a different skill set than those needed for kitchen remodels. Gain insight into the contractor’s subcontractor network by asking about the full scope of work.

Don’t Compare Apples to Oranges and Oranges to Lemons

Make sure your three quotes represent the same scope of work with the same quality material. Otherwise, it is impossible to compare the quotes. Try to give each local home remodeling contractor the same specifications and scope of work you desire. Get as granular as possible, including drawings, materials, and preferred products. Otherwise, the three contractors will bid based on the products they commonly use. And when it comes to the final price, assumptions play a big role.

Get a complete list of materials included in the work. Make sure you know how the contractor calculated the allowance for overages. If overages aren’t included, find out why. Who pays? You can be sure it won’t be the contractor! When a quote appears much lower than the others, the devil is in the details. This contractor wants you to purchase certain fixtures or lighting and will just provide the labor.

Ensure quotes for custom cabinets include the same quality construction from the same materials.

Make sure all bids include applicable permit fees and requires the local home contractor to be responsible for the permit. Any contractor that asks you to pull a permit has a problem with their license.

Verify License and Insurance

After you narrow down the list of contractors, start checking their background.

Check the general contractor’s license online with the State of California. Use this link https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx and type in the name of the contractor. You will find out if the contractor is licensed and the status of the license. When you click on the license number you can determine the status of the contractor’s bond, workmen’s compensation insurance, and the contractor’s history.

Run from any contractor without a bond or worker’s compensation insurance. Otherwise, if there is a problem, liability falls in your lap. Therefore, ensure the contractor bears responsibility for any employee or subcontractor injury on the job.

Inspired Remodels is the local home remodeling contractor to hire

Go ahead! Do your homework. Include Inspired Remodels in your research. Get to know the Orange County remodeling contractor with a stellar portfolio and integrity.

Soft-modern whole home renovation with wood-tone and white cabinets

4 Upgrades Your Orange County Remodeler Should Include

Upgrading, remodeling, or renovating your Orange County home? Check out these 4 upgrades your Orange County remodeler should include for a dynamite space that looks and works well.

La Cantina Doors and Spacious Windows

If you aim to take your home to the next level and totally soak in that chill California vibe, look no further than La Cantina doors and spacious windows. These bad boys are all about blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors, giving your home an awesome alfresco feel. Picture this: you’re in a freshly remodeled room, but it’s like you’re still outside, surrounded by nature’s beauty.

LaCantina connects you with nature to bring the outside in. Enjoy energy efficiency as well as the views. The thermal barrier makes them energy efficient so you’ll spend less green on heating and cooling. Spacious windows reduce the need for indoor lighting by bringing abundant outdoor light inside. That’s another energy saver.

Fog Free Mirrors

Have you ever stepped out of a hot shower only to be greeted by a similarly hot mirror? If you need to blow dry your hair, shave, or put on makeup, these fogged mirrors offer a suboptimal setting to put it politely. If you wipe away the mist with a towel, you’ll be facing streaks.

Mirror defoggers provide a small touch by the remodeler but they create an enormous impact. Your Orange County remodeler should pop these in the master bathroom during your remodel. The majority of current designs prevent fogging by slowly warming the mirror glass. Your car’s defroster employs this same concept to keep your windows clear, both front and back. Wiring a mirror defogger into the electrical circuit that controls the lights or ventilation fans makes clearing the fog automatically.

Gathering Spaces

Families big and small require places to gather. Make sure your Orange County remodeler includes places for family and friends to gather.

The space should match your lifestyle. If your idea of fun is bingeing the latest Netflix, make sure you include space for large seating areas and video screens.

If a cuppa Joe with the neighbor or a cocktail party sounds more like your speed, set aside space for a coffee, wine, or full bar.

Storage

Too often, adding sufficient storage space gets short shrift. Having enough space to store things helps things stay tidy. After all, if everything has a place – then everything must have a place. Aside from adding practicality to the design, storage maintains order, and that improves the visual appeal of the space.

Utilize vertical space with tall shelves or cabinetry and make the most of vertical wall space. Don’t forget the space under the stairs.

Floating shelves add storage for books, decorative items, or kitchen essentials without occupying valuable floor space.

The Orange County Remodeler You Should Know

Now you know the must-haves to include in your remodel, get to know Inspired Remodels, the Orange County remodeler to know.

Enjoy complete design and build services with a single point of contact.

Orange County General Contractors Are More than Handymen

By Inspired Remodels / Bathroom Remodel, Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Are you looking to do some remodeling or renovating of your Orange County home? Many local handymen offer services, but should you trust one to remodel your kitchen or bath? Orange County general contractors like Inspired Remodels are much more than handymen, they are seasoned, licensed, and insured construction professionals. Here’s what makes them more than just a handyman.

Relevant Experience

If you are changing more than just the hardware on your cabinets, you want experienced professionals. Heck, you can change cabinet knobs, pulls, and handles yourself. But if you are installing custom cabinetry, new lighting, removing or building walls, or moving appliances or bathroom fixtures, you need an experienced professional.

General contractors have experience in construction, remodeling, and renovation before they even sit for their licensing exam. Their license application requires disclosure of their educational and work experience.

Pass Multiple Examinations

There’s no professional examination for a handyman.

Your Orange County general contractor must pass a minimum of two state-level exams. The first exam tests their knowledge of building codes and best practices for building in California.

A second exam tests their knowledge of business practices, concepts, and law. Not only must they know construction law, they must also have a working knowledge of general business law in California.

In addition, prospective contractors may sit for a trade examination as well. The California State Licensing Board offers professional licenses in plumbing, electrical, and other trades.

Bonded and Insured

A general contractor receives their license only after proving they have a liability bond and insurance. And, they continue to provide this proof each time their license is renewed.

Also, contractors carry liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance in case anyone gets hurt on the job. Did you know that if a handyman gets hurt working at your house, you are responsible for their medical bills.? You must file a claim with your homeowner’s insurance or else pay medical bills out of pocket if that handyman gets hurt.

Knowledge of Local Code, Permit Requirements, and Suppliers

Your general contractor knows the building code and when your municipality requires a permit. In addition, Orange County general contractors like Inspired Remodels maintain close relationships with suppliers and subcontractors. This gives you access to materials and workers the handyman can’t bring to the table.

Permits and inspections may feel like a hassle, but you can be responsible for unpermitted repairs if they fail inspection when you decide to sell your house. That’s pennywise and pound-foolish.

Inspired Remodels – Your Orange County General Contractors

The Mueller brothers at Inspired Remodels stand ready to serve as your Orange County general contractors. Their design and build approach ensure that you maintain one point of contact through the process. From the initial design work to cleaning the last spot of glass, Inspired Remodels takes care of the entire project.

Trust a general contractor with your job. Trust Inspired Remodels.