What kind of changes can I make to my renovation once it has started?

Q:

What kind of changes can I make after the job has started?

 A:

Most contractors have clear policies about what changes can be made, and when.

For instance, changing the bedroom paint color probably isn't a big deal (as long as the paint has not already been purchased by the painter), but don't expect to be able to alter the bathroom layout once the walls have been framed and the plumbing roughed in, or change the cabinets after they have been ordered without there being an extra charge.

Be aware that changes can affect the schedule as well as the product prices, and the fee will most likely reflect this. In construction time is money that means people bill out their hours to your general contractor for every hour they have to be on your renovation changing something that they have already installed once before. If you change something after it has been installed and approved you must pay for the time of the people doing it.

It's another reason to spend the necessary time making firm decisions before construction starts. The best way to avoid being billed for extra’s or changes during the construction process is to have all your decisions made and have precise plan of where everything will go and what it will look like, then as your job progresses instead of you making snap decisions you can look back at the original plan and stick to it. This isn’t just a good idea from a money saving standpoint it’s also a good idea from an overall design standpoint.

Moving things like light switches, or the location of pot lights before they are ever installed should be fine (in that it doesn’t cost you anything extra), but don’t expect to add lights or extra switches without incurring any extra cost.

When renovating homes there are always surprises that require a revision of the original plan, usually it is a slight change with an extra piece of wood added for support or an electrical line being relocated, these little things should not raise the price of the renovation as most professional remodelers will build a little bit of that into the price because it’s common to have those things happen on a renovation. The extra’s come into play when large scale changes are made that cost the remodeler extra time and material, these you can be sure will raise the cost of your renovation.

Remember to stick to your plan, the better you do that the less extra’s you will end up paying.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.