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Beware of the Low Bid |
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Deciding how to remodel your home is hard enough. Choosing the right contractor for the job can be outright confusing. If you are lucky enough to know a reputable contractor or have a contractor that you use regularly, you are one of the fortunate few. Usually, it is a good idea to solicit two to three estimates for a particular job. This will give you a good idea about how much your remodeling project is going to cost you. Regardless of whether you are remodeling your kitchen, bath, or other room in the house, choosing the right contractor is one of the most important choices that you can make. For most people, the deciding factor in choosing the contractor that is right for their project is price. This can be a dangerous method of choosing the right contractor for the job. For example, let’s say that you are looking for a contractor that does kitchen remodeling. You solicit three bids from various individuals or companies. Assuming all things are equal, (the contractor is also supplying the cabinets, flooring, countertops, and other fixtures) you should have three relatively close bids. For purposes of this example, let’s say that your bids are as follows: ABC Company, $32,000.00; HIJ Company, $37,000.00; and XYZ Company, $22,000.00. Many people would look at the bids and see a huge savings with XYZ Company for their kitchen remodeling project. What a savings! Before you jump to the phone and call XYZ Company to get started on your kitchen, look at your bids closely. The first two companies were relatively close on price. The variance could be the type of cabinets you selected, a particular flooring item, or even a different faucet or sink design. More often than not, the difference in the price between XYZ Company and the other two competing remodeling contractors lies in a detail that has been left out. Look over the bid closely for detailed information. Did the company include the right type of flooring? Are you getting a comparable kitchen cabinet design? Are the countertops of the same material as you specified? If the answer to any of these questions is yes (more than likely, you have just found the difference in the bids), then look at the services that are going to be supplied. If you are still tempted to select the lowest bid, ask yourself one final question, “Am I getting a quality job?” Chances are, you are making some form of sacrifice in your remodeling project if you select the lowest bid. Omissions in a detailed bid could leave you with half a kitchen, a vinyl floor instead of a granite floor, etc. Worse yet, you could end up needing to contact another contractor to either repair or replace certain aspects of the job. A low bid is not always bad, but it should be approached with skepticism. This is especially true in the example above where the lowest bid was over $10,000.00 less than the other two. Remember to look closely at the details of your remodeling project. This is the best way to ensure that you are receiving a quality job at a reasonable price. Kitchen remodeling projects are especially difficult to evaluate across bids. One good method of evaluation is to ask the contractors to produce a labor bid separate from the materials bid. Make sure that you have included everything from the kitchen cabinets to the kitchen sink. This method can also ensure that you are receiving the countertops, cabinets, flooring, and fixtures that you want regardless of which company does the work. Regardless of the project, research is the key to getting a quality job and an accurate bid. Be as specific with your contractor as you can regarding your expectations. This will help the entire process to be as smooth and painless as possible. Copyright©2006 Rockport Mill LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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In or around Cape Girardeau? Let the staff at Rockport Mill help you with your remodeling needs. |
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