I've been waiting for a remodeling contractor to call me back for three weeks, should I keep waiting?

Q:

I called a remodeling contractor but they didn’t call me back and it’s been 3 weeks, should I keep waiting or try someone else?

A:

Good remodeling contractors are usually busy throughout the entire year no matter what season it is or the conditions of the economy. But a remodeling contractor that can’t find the time to call you back after 3 weeks is not just busy they are unorganized.

If you run a successful remodeling business it’s not just because you are good at making people’s houses look great, it’s also because you are organized and have the proper policies in place so that your staff know what to do at all times no matter what scenario.

A well run remodeling business will have a plan in place that will require someone to call you back and make an appointment to meet with you; this should happen even if they are so busy they cannot take on anymore work. If they are so busy that they cannot help you at that time they should be able to meet with you to discuss your project and then give you a date that they would be able to start it.

This could be as far ahead as a year from now, it doesn’t mean that they expect you to wait a year for them to come but it’s a courteously and professional thing to be able to tell the person what your current timeline looks like. They do this not anticipating that you will wait for them, they do it so that in the future when are planning another renovation you will think to give them a call because of how professional they treated you even though they didn’t have too.

A lot of remodeling contractors are really busy and can’t call people back because they don’t have the proper office staff to handle it, they are running their company with little to no staff or management.
This is the kind of person that you want to avoid, they might not be able to present you with proper bills or show up when you have a warranty issue.

The best kind of remodeling company is the kind that has somewhere you can walk in and has an office staff, this means that there is always somewhere to go and talk to a real person or complain if that’s what you need to do. This kind of remodeling company will not be cheap as they will have more overhead then the average carpenter with a pickup truck but that also means that they rely on happy customers and repeat customers more than the guy with the truck.

Your remodeler shouldn’t be the cheapest, which means that they are doing everything legally and will be able to take care of all your needs and wants. The cost of construction is the cost of construction if the company is really inexpensive then there usually is a reason and that reason is usually not a good one.

You’ve been waiting for a call for 3 weeks, I’d start calling other companies, look around and ask people you know, if they liked the work they had done then they will probably refer someone to you.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Who will be in charge of my renovation job?

Q:

Who will be in charge of my job?

A:

This is an important question to ask.

In small remodeling companies the owner of the company is onsite physically doing the work every day, but in a professionally run renovation company that has more than a couple of employees and has several renovations on the go of varying sizes at any time there will be a management structure.

The management structure is there to ensure that your home renovation is completed in a timely manner, the job is completed with the proper fit and finish (high level of quality) and that you receive exactly what you paid for.

In my company (Village Builders) we have a lead carpenter that acts as the Project Manager (PM). Depending on the size and scale of your renovation the PM will make every attempt to meet with you the homeowner every time you require a site meeting or site visit. The PM is also in charge of all the Village Builders employee's that are working on the job and any sub contractors that are working there as well.

There is someone overseeing the operations of all renovations going on in the company and that is the Operations Manager. There job is to ensure that the appropriate manpower is allocated to the different jobs to maximize efficiency and also to help the PM’s meet there timelines.They also are the ones that will order the proper materials and see that extra work is charged accordingly or quoted for the specifications that the homeowner has asked for.

This structure allows the homeowner to have two different people to voice concerns or questions too. It also allows greater flexibility for the homeowner when scheduling meetings because they have two different people that they can schedule with depending on their needs and personal schedule.

The structure lends it to having a checks and balances as the operations manager that isn’t physically doing the work is able to step back and look at the overall big picture and make sure everything is completed according to the approved contract.



Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Renovating in Mulmur Township

Renovating in Mulmur Township

If you are thinking about renovating in the Township of Mulmur then one of the first things that you need to do is find yourself an interior designer. An interior designer will be able to produce accurate drawings so that you can understand what the potential is for the space you want to renovate.

The next thing that you should do is find yourself a company to do the actual renovation work. Your best bet is to call a general contractor that can give you an accurate quote on the drawings that your interior designer has supplied. This way your quote will be as accurate as the drawings that you had created.

Village Builders Inc. is one of those general contractors that can give you an accurate quote, they also have access to excellent interior designers who can take your ideas and create drawings for you. This means that they are able to streamline the process of design and build by keeping it all in house.

Here are some of things that Village Builders is able to do for their clients when they want to renovate their home;

• Have drawings created and if needed submitted to the township for approval.

• Give accurate quotes from the drawings created with an extreme amount of detail in the quote so that you the client know exactly what you are getting.

• Drawings once they are created can be rendered and displayed on a screen allowing you to be placed in the room to give you the feel of what your renovated space will look like.

• Protect other parts of the house and your furniture from the dust and demolition of construction.

• Give simple, organized billing so that you understand what and where you are spending your money.

• Organize all sub-trades in an orderly and timely manner to attend the project.

• Insure that all sub-trades have proper insurance and WSIB coverage to protect you and your home.

• Source, quote, acquire and install all plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, audio/video equipment, furniture, fireplaces (wood and gas), appliances and flooring at contractor discounted pricing. (only if requested by owner)

• Provide consultation on how to make your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly before and during the renovation process.

• Make sure that once the project is completed the job is left clean, complete and the customer happy.

• Staging of all rooms that were renovated so that you are able to move and enjoy the space immediately.

If you are looking to renovate in the Township of Mulmur then look at our website at www.villagebuilders.ca or stop by our showroom/office at 3 Caroline St. East in the village of Creemore.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.