Remodeling Advice, St Cloud MN— Thinking of hiring a remodeling contractor for your next home improvement project? If so, do yourself a favor and carefully consider the following advice.
The individual jobs within a remodel project all require someone that is experienced in handling that specific type of work. A plumber to tend to your wet work, an electrician for wiring, a roofer for the roof, etc.
The general contractor doesn’t often handle each of those projects on their own; after all, he’s not a handyman with a trusty old wooden toolbox. You see, a skilled general contractor can bring together all the pieces of your remodel project, from budgets to subcontractors, in the most efficient way, with the best results for your money.
The best St Cloud MN general contractor for you is a highly trained professional that oversees all aspects of the design and remodel phases surrounding your home remodeling project. True, you could personally handle hiring the individual contractors on your own and manage the entire process however there are a number of benefits that come with hiring a general contractor to oversee your remodel project.
Remodel Contractors Top 3 Benefits of Hiring One
Benefit #1 – Skilled General Contractors Have an Eye for the Project Specifics
General contractors typically develop respect and appreciation for subcontractors that deliver quality work and they’ll continue to work with those subcontractors. On occasion, their typical crews aren’t available and they need to call in another subcontractor they might not be familiar with.
All the same, the general contractor has a keen eye for the various parts of a remodel and understands exactly what quality work is. They can pick out poor craftsmanship and poor quality easily. Trying to go it alone, you have to judge the work of the specialist.If you have no knowledge of the work being done, there’s no way for you to ensure that it was actually done properly without having the work inspected – another costly investment.
A general contractor can ensure that the work is done right every time by every individual involved in your construction project. It’s in their best interest to do so as well because not only are they responsible for the work being done but in central MN, general contractors gain a lot of work through referrals and community involvement.
We’re not out to intentionally tarnish ourselves by being lax, and a general contractor certainly wouldn’t endanger the life of a family and their home by letting anything slide.
Benefit #2 – Better Rates with a General Contractor
Working with individual contractors can actually cost more than hiring a general contractor to manage the entire design phase. This is because general contractors often negotiate rates with those subcontractors to include them on home builds and remodels. Those savings, of course, are passed on to you in the bulk cost of your remodel project If you work with a specialist, they can directly charge you whatever they want to charge you to get the job done, and when you’re working with a budget (which is the case on most remodeling projects) that little bit you save by working with a general contractor can make a big difference.
General contractors in St. Cloud also gain the benefit of discounts on materials and supplies, tool & equipment rental, etc due to the frequency of business. The savings in materials (often the bulk of the expenses next to the labor) also reduce the overall price of a remodeling project.
Of course, the contractor also cracks the whip on the time clock to make sure that every contributor and subcontractor is on site and on time to minimize or eliminate delays. All of these discounts show (indirectly) in what you pay overall for the project. If you were to manage the project yourself, you could expect to pay upwards of 20% more for a completed project (if not more) and that doesn’t include the cost of wasted time from delays between contractors, material deliveries, phone calls, coordination and other aspects you need to manage.
Benefit #3 – General Contractors Get Rid of Costly Errors
It’s thrilling to handle a project on your own. Some of us just love DIY projects and walking through a Home Depot store can really get the creative juices flowing. It’s entirely ok to dive into projects if you have the experience and tools to manage the job. There isn’t always a need to swoop right into hiring a specialist or bringing on the services of a general contractor.
But how do you handle mistakes? They can pretty costly depending on the occurrence and it’s not something that you want to tangle with if you’re on a limited budget. A bad measurement, a broken tool, cracked and broken materials, poor handling of resources or downright breaking something in your house (broken pipe = potential flooding damage) can all become a huge expense.
Note that these things aren’t likely to happen with a general contractor (or even on your own) but if something like this occurs on a job site (your house) then you can rest assured the general contractor is in a position to not only replace damaged tools, resources, and materials but the general contractor will also handle the cost of repairs and damages. That’s the benefit of hiring a licensed, bonded and insured general contractor making sure that your remodel project will be handled in the most efficient, cost-effective and safe way possible.
Shop Smart When Hiring Your Saint Cloud MN Remodel Contractor
The law will provide you some protection when selecting a general contractor so you have fewer issues to worry about with fraudulent work and incompetence. Keep in mind though that the law can’t guarantee the honesty or performance of any given general contractor.
As a homeowner, you need to protect your investment by being a cautious consumer and staying informed. Take the time to research the project you’re planning so that you understand the scope of work. A good general contractor will review your project with you in as much detail as you need to understand exactly what’s going on.
Before you begin the decision process of which contractor to hire, do yourself a BIG favor and take another 5 minutes of your time to read our very helpful article on Choosing a General Contractor.
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Craig at Schoenberg Construction is one of the best Remodel Contractors in St Cloud MN. He always gives honest, fair bids with no lowball, fake pricing. And there’s no sales pressure, EVER! He never uses cheap materials and never engages in sloppy workmanship. Plus, his company is known as one of the top construction and remodeling companies in the Saint Cloud MN area because he always insists on doing every job exactly right.
Give him a call today at 320-252-0911 for your no-obligation consultation.