If a relative asked us how to hire a remodeler, we’d tell them to find someone who works at a fixed price and gives a detailed proposal. After that, ask the questions below. A good remodeler will have a clear answer to each one.
You’ll learn:
- What to check before you call
- What to ask about the budget and fit
- What to ask about the proposal and the price
- Who should be working in your home
- How to check work before it’s covered
- How a good remodeler communicates
What Should You Check About a Remodeler Before You Call?
Have They Done a Project like Mine, and What Did It Cost?
When someone wants a sense of where their budget will land, we’ve started pointing them to a finished project like theirs. Our kitchen remodel in Greenwood Village is one. Since new hardwood was going in across the main level, the homeowners chose to redo their powder bathroom, too. The whole project took 10 weeks and cost $250,000.
What Do Past Clients Say?
In the reviews, look for what matters to you, like timing, budget, and how clean the crew kept the house. Read the bad ones too. A past client wrote that the crew “treated our home with so much respect.”
Are They Licensed and Insured?
Ask for their license and proof of insurance, and make sure the name on both matches the business you’re hiring. In Douglas County, contractors must submit proof of business liability insurance to register.
We hold a Colorado Class C Residential Contractor license and are ICC certified.
What Should You Ask About Budget and Fit on the First Call?
Can You Give Me a Ballpark for What I’m Describing?
Ask for a ballpark early, so you both know whether your budget fits the project. On our first call, we give you a ballpark figure, and before we write a proposal, we call you to confirm it still works for you.
That number can potentially change when we see your home. Say you describe a bathroom on the phone and we ballpark it at $50,000. Then, as we walk through the house, you mention you’d like the shower moved, and the number can come in closer to $100,000.
What Do Projects like Mine Usually Cost with You?
With us, kitchens start at $100,000 for Essential, $175,000 for Premium, and $250,000 for Luxury. A hall bathroom starts at $30,000, a basement like this one at around $100,000, and a whole home at around $250,000. The whole-home price goes up from there as the project includes more rooms.
| Project | Starting at |
|---|---|
| Kitchen, Essential | $100,000 |
| Kitchen, Premium | $175,000 |
| Kitchen, Luxury | $250,000 |
| Hall bathroom | $30,000 |
| Basement | Around $100,000 |
| Whole home | Around $250,000 |
Are We a Good Fit?
Ask who is and isn’t a fit for them. We’re not a good fit for landlords, house flippers, or anyone planning to sell soon. We’re also typically not the right choice for partial or cosmetic remodels, or for projects where price is the deciding factor.
What Should the Proposal and Price Cover?
Suppose you have 2 proposals with very different numbers. The lower one is tempting, but you can’t tell yet what it includes.
Is the Price Fixed, and What Would Change It?
The price should be fixed. With us, the price you approve changes mainly when you change the work, pick a different finish tier, or choose something that costs more or less than the amount the proposal sets aside for it.
What Does the Proposal Include?
Read the proposal and ask yourself whether it matches the project you described. That’s how you know they listened. All the work should be written out, and the proposal should say whether the price includes labor, materials, and design. A labor-only number can look far lower than one that includes everything.
How Are Changes and Hidden Damage Handled?
Ask for any change to be priced in writing first. With us, if you change something midway, we give you a written change order with the price, and you approve it before we do the work. Our price already covers the usual problems we find once the walls are open. In the rare case that we find severe damage beyond that, we go over your options before doing any extra work.
Who Will Be Working in Your Home?
Past clients have told us about earlier jobs in which people showed up at their homes without warning. Before you sign, ask:
- Whether their own employees or subcontractors will be working in your home
- Who leads the job
- When the crew is there
Do They Use Employees or Subcontractors?
There are great subcontractors out there, and a remodeler who brings in a tile setter can still run a good job. Just ask for the names of the people who will be working in your home.
Our own employees, on our payroll, do the work, and we use few subcontractors. When we bring in a plumber or electrician, they work under our team’s direct supervision.
Your remodeling lead is on site from start to finish. Austin, one of our remodeling leads, has been with us for about 8 years. The crew is there Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
How Do They Check the Work Before It’s Finished?
Ask how the people working in your home check work before it’s covered.
Shower waterproofing is the clearest example, because you can’t see it once the tile is installed. We make every shower fully waterproof and test it before tiling. You could actually shower in one without the tile.
A day or 2 before we leave, we give you a roll of blue tape to mark anything that looks off, and we finish what’s marked before we go. If anything isn’t right, we fix it.
How Will the Remodeler Communicate and Explain Their Process?
When you’re comparing remodelers, check how each one communicates. Ask them:
- How will I know what happened on site each day?
- Who is my point person?
- Where will I find selections, approvals, change orders, and invoices?
- Can you walk me through your process?
Our team posts a daily log with photos, and the 2 of us who own the company read every one, every day. One of us is your point person all the way to the end, and your remodeling lead runs the work on site. When you want to look back at a selection, an approval, a change order, or an invoice, it’s in the same client portal as your daily logs.
Our process starts with a phone call and a home visit, then a detailed proposal. After you approve it and pay the deposit, the design phase begins, then construction and a final walkthrough. Our Inside Your Remodel page explains each step.
Are You Ready to See Whether D&D Remodeling Is the Right Fit?
We’re based in Highlands Ranch and work across the south metro. If you’re weighing remodelers now, start by reading to see whether we’re a good fit. If you’d like to discuss your project, fill out our contact form or give us a call.
