Choosing The best Basement Finishers
It can be especially hard to find trustworthy basement finishers when you need them. . It is not as if you can look up “general contractor” in the yellow pages any more and find a company that specializes in basements. I don’t know a lot of individuals who use the yellow pages to find anything any more for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, most contractors are good genuine people. Sure there are people who have been taken advantage of in the past, but that’s fairly rare. The dilemma is that most GCs are not basement finishers. They are not detail oriented. They are not concerned with smaller remodeling projects like basements. The bottom line is that they are probably not the best person for the job.
If there is even a right person for the job, what is this person like? What sort of businesses or contractors makes excellent basement finishers?
In my experience as a contractor and renovator, I have found that some of the best basement finishers enjoy smaller jobs. I have to enjoy getting done inside a month and moving on to the next one. This requires a special state of mind as most contractors only enjoy the large projects that take six months to a full year to complete. These types of projects involve a lot of thinking ahead, but they are also simpler mainly because there are fewer customers to take care of. Whereas, an individual who finishes basements and smaller remodels is forced to communicate with more than fifteen folks an any particular time. While an individual who only does a handful of jobs annually merely has to be concerned about communicating with a couple of customers and his regular subcontractors simultaneously. This is the first quality of a good basement finisher; the ability to handle a number of different things at the same time with virtue.
Very clear communication is the 2nd quality that good basement finishers ought to possess. They have to call the client at least every other day with regards to what they can be planning on as far as the schedule on the job goes. They should always be available on their mobile phone, primarily in case of urgent matters. Without having crystal clear communication, projects like basement remodels can go seriously wrong.
Another characteristic of excellent basement finishers is the ability to pay attention to details. Basement remodels and finishes tend to go considerably faster than regular new residential building and other larger remodels. The walls get built, the utilities get put in, the drywall goes up, and in no time, the final inspection is getting called in. A great basement finisher will spot all the little details throughout this entire process making sure that every little thing runs smoothly. They’re able to identifythings that are outside of plumb, or paint mistakes from a distance away. Make sure whoever you hire to complete your basement is quite detail focused.
Lastly, basement finishers should be licensed and insured. Don’t put yourself in a position where you might be accountable for another general contractor’s work. This could mean dealing with shady work or it may simply cause problems down the road if you ever try to sell you property. You always want to purchase a permit for this very reason. The only time I ever let the owner of a house pull their own permit is when they really want to do a portion of the inspected work by themselves. If they would like to install the framing and then have my staff put up the drywall, that is great, but I’m going to make them pull their own permit and handle the inspectors by themselves. In the same way that I don’t wish to be accountable for their work, they really should not be responsible for mine. Get a copy of the basement finisher’s license and insurance coverage to make sure that all of the paper work is in place before you decide to hire them. This will protect you both.
Don’t forget, when doing any type of small remodeling project, these tips will help you greatly.
For those of you who live in Colorado Springs and want a Colorado Springs handyman with these characteristics, look no further than HOMEfix. Griff Hanning and Keith Todd know what they are doing and look forward to helping you in any way they can. They offer totally free estimates by the way.
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