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Hiring an Orange County Home Improvement Contractor

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

When it comes to major home improvement projects, you want a reliable and skilled contractor. Whether you’re planning a minor renovation or a major remodel in Orange County, hiring the right home improvement contractor is essential for success. Inspired Remodels is a premier Orange County home improvement contractor. That makes us an excellent resource when it comes to explaining the key factors to consider when hiring a contractor.

Quality Contractors Do Quality Work

Only licensed contractors possess the necessary knowledge and expertise to handle different aspects of home improvement projects. A design-build firm like Inspired Remodels guides you through the planning, design, and execution phases, ensuring your project meets local building codes and regulations. Additionally, experienced contractors have well-established relationships with suppliers and subcontractors. So, you get access to high-quality materials and services at competitive prices. By hiring a professional contractor, you minimize the risk of costly mistakes and ensure that your project is completed on time and within budget.

Researching Potential Home Improvement Contractors

Finding a reputable home improvement contractor in Orange County requires careful research. Start by asking friends, family, or neighbors who they used for similar projects. Online review platforms, such as Yelp or Houzz also provide a great source for information on the reputation and reliability of local contractors. Once you have a list of potential candidates, visit their websites to gather additional information about their services, expertise, and past projects.

Don’t forget to check the status of their license and insurance. Only hire a home improvement contractor if they are licensed and insured. You can verify licenses on the California Contractors State License Board website. Narrow down your options and then request estimates.

Interviews and Estimates

Schedule interviews with each potential home improvement contractor. During the interview, discuss your project in detail and ask relevant questions regarding their experience, timelines, and pricing. Don’t just listen to what they say but consider how they say it. Their communication skills and professionalism will certainly come into play as your project progresses.

Get a written estimate from each contractor, detailing the scope of work, materials to be used, labor costs, and project timeline. Be wary of low or high estimates, as they might be warning flags.

Signing a Contract and Getting Started

Don’t fork over any money or let any work begin before you have a written contract in place. Your contract should clearly outline all project details, including the scope of work, materials, payment schedule, start and completion dates, and any warranties or guarantees offered. Carefully read the contract to make sure all your expectations and agreements are explicitly stated. If you don’t understand it, don’t sign it!

Once you’ve agreed upon a price, terms, scope of work, and work schedule and everything is in the contract, be sure to communicate regularly with the contractor.

When you do your homework, you’ll find it pays to hire Orange County home improvement professionals like Inspired Remodels.

Picking an Orange County Home Improvement Contractor

Thinking of a remodel? With prices on the rise and material inventories going down, now is the time to act. Whether you want a new bathroom, a remodeled kitchen, or a fresh fireplace make sure you pick an Orange County home improvement contractor that delivers on time and on budget. Here are a few tips.

Ask for Referrals

The best way to start your search is by casting a wide net. Ask friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers, and even your fellow gym rats.

See a sign in the neighbor’s yard? Don’t be afraid to ring the bell and ask about the work. The people you know are going to give you the most honest appraisal of the work they had done.

And, if someone shares a horror story, listen carefully and learn. Not only will you learn who to avoid, but you’ll also learn what mistakes were made in the selection process.

Ask for Quotes

Once you’ve identified a few home improvement contractors, ask them to give you a quote. It’s important to get multiple quotes for the project.

To make an apples-to-apples comparison easier, make sure that each contractor gives you a quote for the same work and the same quality finishes. For example, if you want bamboo flooring, then make sure all quotes include bamboo flooring.

Otherwise, you might compare click-lock luxury vinyl planks to woven strand bamboo hardwood planks. That’s not an even comparison. Beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others you receive.

During the quoting process, find out what work the contractor will perform and what work will be subcontracted out to another company or tradesman. Subcontracting for trades like plumbing and electrical is a common practice, but you want to know about it in advance.

Check for Home Improvement Contractor Licensing

Once you’ve narrowed your selection down to a few contractors, it is time to check their license.

A handyman or casual remodeler won’t have a license. But a professional home improvement contractor will be licensed by the State of California as a building contractor.

You can call (800) 321- 2752 or search online at the Department of Consumer Affairs.

You might be tempted to check with the Better Business Bureau too. But remember that companies pay to be a member of the BBB and membership doesn’t necessarily mean they provide quality services.

Ask for References

Ask the contractor for references. A quality home improvement contractor has a long list of satisfied customers and won’t hesitate to offer their contact information.

Be sure to follow through and call the references. Find out what they liked about the process and what they disliked.

Were there problems during the work? If so, were they resolved to the homeowner’s satisfaction?

Check Social Media

Once you are ready to make a selection, go and check social media sites for reviews. You may find contractor reviews on Yelp and Houzz.

As you read reviews, notice if projects are completed on time, on budget, and how any bumps are smoothed out. This provides insight into the contractor’s business practices.

If the company is like Inspired Remodels, you’ll find loads of happy customers and pictures of stunning bathrooms, kitchens, patios, fireplaces, and whole-house remodeling.

Are you still looking for ideas and not ready to hire a contractor? Find out how working with a design/build home improvement contractor simplifies the process.

How to Pick a Kitchen Remodel Company

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Renovating the kitchen isn’t a do it yourself job. If you are thinking about a new kitchen you need to be thinking about hiring a kitchen remodel company. Hiring any contractor can be scary. Kitchens have all major components (electrical, plumbing, and heating/cooling), so you need an experienced contractor. Here’s some tips to help you hire the right kitchen remodel company.

Shop Around

You know you are going to shop all over town and the internet for your next kitchen appliances. You should put the same effort into selecting the contractor that is going to do your kitchen remodel. Start by asking friends, family and coworkers for a referral. If they give you a horror story, make a note of the contractor’s name and the name of the business. Business names may change, but the general contractor’s license will always be in the same name. This is one way to steer clear of any rotten tomatoes.

Get several estimates and make sure that all estimates include the same items. You want to compare apples to apples in your kitchen remodel quotes.

Don’t forget that the estimating process is a good way to determine the personality of the contractor and the company. If you think the estimate is a hassle, the kitchen remodel will probably be a hassle too. If you enjoy working with the contractor during the estimate phase, you’ll like working with them during construction.

Check it Out

On-line reviews are great. But take on-line reviews with a grain of salt. A business can’t influence a Yelp! review. The reviews on Porch are submitted by the contractor. So, not all reviews are the same.

Check the company out with the Better Business Bureau. Then check the status of their California license. You can search the California database by name of the license holder, business name or license number. Ask for a certificate of insurance. If the contractor allowed their insurance to expire, they won’t be willing to provide you with a certificate of insurance.

Don’t Be Penny-Wise and Pound Foolish

In your zeal to save money, don’t make some serious mistakes. The first mistake is paying cash. Beware of contractors that ask for payment in cash. That’s a tactic of shady operators – take the cash and run.

Don’t apply for your own permits. Your kitchen remodel company should be familiar with the building department in your town. They know what is required to get a permit. If the contractor asks you to pull the permit, they are avoiding the building department and you should wonder why.

The low ball deal may not be the best deal. A low ball price may end up costing you more in over-runs. Get the price in writing and get a clear and complete description of what the price includes.

Inspired Remodels – The Kitchen Remodel Company that Gets it Right

No matter how many companies you interview, make sure you talk to Inspired Remodels. From the initial design to the final clean-up, Inspired Remodels is the Orange Country kitchen remodel company you can trust to get it right. Check Inspired Remodels out on Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, and with the State of California. You will find a professional, experienced kitchen remodel company.

From a minor update to a major innovation, Inspired Remodels will assign one project manager to be your point of contact. Your house will be treated like a home; not a job site. For professional work by a company with integrity, pick Inspired Remodels.

Call (949) 716-1938 to schedule your consultation.