Tips for Choosing a San Luis Obispo Bathroom Remodel Contractor

A bathroom remodel is seldom a DIY job. There are so many involved disciplines that have to be done to code and to local specs and that must meet specific standards and must pass inspections. Where electrical and plumbing work is concerned, California or local law may require that it be completed by a licensed electrician or plumber, or at least inspected by one who signs off on its safety. Given the safety issues of a bathroom remodel project, it usually makes far more sense to hire a San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel contractor than it does to try to do the job yourself. Choosing the right San Luis Obispo general contractor for your job can make the entire project run more smoothly and provide you a far better finished result. These tips can help you find the right contractor for your Los Osos, Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel.

Determine Your Project Goals

Figure out which work needs to be done in your bathroom and prioritize the work. Knowing exactly what you want to have done and which pieces of it are the most important will be essential to determining your project budget and to finding the best Los Osos, San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay general contractor. While you’re at it, decide which part of your project you’re willing to sacrifice for budget concerns. Are high quality materials more important to you than completing the entire bathroom? Are you willing to give up the walk-in tub if you can have the luxury shower? Making those decisions ahead of time will make it far easier when you’re ready to meet with the contractor.

Determine Your Budget

Once you have an idea of what changes you want to make to your current bathroom, you can start establishing a realistic budget. In the central Pacific area, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 for a complete San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel.

Create a Short List of General Contractors

Choose several local contractors and research each one online and off. The first step in your research project is to check that each contractor has the required licenses. California law requires that every general contractor hold a state license. In addition, sub-contractors may also be required to have a license if they do electrical or plumbing work. Beyond that, check the company’s Better Business Bureau listing and search online to find out about their reputation for delivering quality work, on time and on budget.

Get Several Quotes

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of contractors to those with a good reputation and the required licenses, contact each one to set up a meeting and get a quote for your job. While you’re looking for a contractor who can give you a good price, that’s only part of the reason to meet with each contractor. The meeting will give you a chance to meet and get a feel for the people who work for the company. Once you’ve checked references and licenses, that “feeling” is one of the most important factors in your choice.

Remember, you may be working with your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel contractor for several weeks, and you’ll be trusting him to hire people to work on your home. You want to hire someone you feel you can trust.

Pro Tips for Finding the Right San Luis Obispo General Contractor

Doing a complete bathroom remodel is no small job. It will cost you thousands of dollars and take up a significant chunk of your time. There will be strangers in your home – often when you’re not there – and you’ll have to work around them. Hiring the right San Luis Obispo general contractor to handle your remodeling project can make your job run much more smoothly. Chances are that you’ve never hired a general contractor or home builder in San Luis Obispo, so these pro tips from guys who work with contractors every single day can help ensure that you hire the right Los Osos general contractor or home builder in Morro Bay.

Get Recommendations

Your first step in finding the right general contractor for your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel is to get recommendations. You can start with family, friends and associates – but don’t stop there. Check out the recommendations with the National Association of Remodeling Industry and do some sleuthing at your local lumber yard or home improvement store. Find out which general contractors they know and drop casual questions, such as which shops buy high quality materials.

Make Some Phone Calls

Once you’ve got a list of names, start making telephone calls. Have a pen and pad of paper nearby so you can jot down the answers to these questions:

Does your business handle projects like this?

Can you provide financial references for your company?

Can I get a list of previous clients I can talk to?

How many projects does your business usually work on at once?

Will you subcontract some of the work, and if so, do you always work with the same subcontractors?

The answers to these questions will help you narrow your list down to three or four San Luis Obispo general contractors.

Meet with Contractors In Person

Once you’ve narrowed your list, make an appointment to speak to the contractor in person to get a feel for each other and for the project. Don’t expect a full estimate at this time. Instead, look for a general idea of the scope of the work and a wide ballpark figure. More importantly, this meeting serves as an opportunity for you to judge how well you communicate with each contractor. Are your questions answered without condescension? Are you comfortable with the contractor? Do you feel comfortable with him or her?

Make More Phone Calls

While personal feelings are important, don’t go on your gut alone. After you meet with each contractor, check the company out with the Better Business Bureau and the state consumer protection agency, and check out all of his licenses to be sure they’re valid.

And Still More Phone Calls

Talk to former clients of each contractor. Ask if you can stop by and see the finished project and get their impressions and experiences with the contractor. Go a step further, though, and visit a current job site. It will give you a chance to see how the contractor works. Take note of how neat the job site is and how the workers treat the property and the people who live in the home.

Talk Turkey

Now it’s time to get detailed bids on your job from the companies that are still in the running. Here’s where your homework comes in handy, too. The more details you can give the contractor about your expectations, the more accurately he can estimate the final cost of the project.

While you’re talking turkey, discuss the payment schedule. It’s a common misconception that a San Luis Obispo general contractor will ask for half up front. In fact, that’s a warning signal that the contractor may be having financial trouble, or that he’s had trouble collecting from former clients after they see the finished job. It’s far more common to pay 10 percent on signing, three equal payments evenly spaced at specific points during the job and the final 15 percent on the job’s completion.

Choose Your Contractor

All of the bids should come in fairly close to each other. If one of them seems unusually low in comparison to the others, toss it out. There’s a good chance that the only way he can come in that low is to cut corners or use shoddy materials. In the end, it will come down to which San Luis Obispo general contractor feels the most right to you.

Working with Your San Luis Obispo General Contractor

A bathroom remodel is not generally a project for the home do-it-yourself handyman. With the complications of plumbing and electricity, chances are that your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel project required expert help. Once you’ve found a San Luis Obispo general contractor to take on your project, there are a few things you can do to make sure that your project proceeds as expected and comes in at or very close to budget. Following a few easy practices and useful tips can help you get the best results and make the most of your relationship with your general contractor or home builder in San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay general contractor or Los Osos general contractor.

Communicate Your Expectations Clearly

The more clearly you make your expectations known, the easier it will be for your contractor and crew to meet them. A substantial percentage of contractor/homeowner disputes arise out of simple miscommunication. Don’t make assumptions when discussing your project, and make sure that anything important to you in included in writing in your contract.

Ask What the Contractor Expects from You and Your Family

Does the crew need you out of the house during certain parts of the work? Will it be helpful to the contractor if you reserve an entry for workers? Do you need to clear out a space for staging the project before work begins? By understanding what the contractor and crew will require before they get started, you can help the job move more smoothly.

Establish a Standard of Communication from the Start

Keeping an open line of communication is vital to the success of your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel. Daily contact with either your contractor or a project foreman is ideal. You can get updates on progress, have any questions answered and get a heads up on any changes that may be necessary to your work order or project plan before they become emergencies or bring the work to a screeching halt.

Keep Kids and Pets Out of the Way

Kids and pets in the work area is one of the major complaints that contractors and crews have about working in private homes. If possible, remove pets from the home when workers are there, for their safety as well as the convenience of the workers. Far too often, pets are accidentally released when workers are carrying things in and out of the house, for example. And keep in mind that construction work sites are not safe places for children. Keep them out of the way to keep them safe.

Good communication and a few common sense rules can make your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel go far more smoothly. Take the time to have a frank discussion about expectations and needs with your San Luis Obispo general contractor before your job starts.

Talk to a New Home Builder in San Luis Obispo

As the economy finally shows signs of looking up and the home market levels off, more and more people are considering starting a new home. Back in March, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported that while home sales were starting to pick up, new home starts and new home construction in San Luis Obispo were stubbornly stagnant. While that might not be great news if you’re a home builder in San Luis Obispo, it’s the best news possible for home buyers in the region. If you’re looking for a home builder in Los Osos, a home builder in Lake Morro or a home builder in San Luis Obispo, it’s a buyers’ market out there and you’ll find bargain prices on new home construction if you jump now.

Why Buy New?

Why buy a new home when there is so much existing housing on the market? Any San Luis Obispo general contractor can give you a whole raft of reasons that buying a new home just makes good financial sense. Here are just a few of the best reasons to contact a home builder in San Luis Obispo to discuss new home construction in the region.

No Worries About Repair and Maintenance

When you have a new home built, you don’t have to worry about replacing older, failing plumbing, heating and electrical systems. Your roof is new, your foundation is new and everything is in good repair. When you choose to have a new home built instead of buying from existing housing stock, you’re not buying someone else’s home maintenance nightmare. You’ve got a fresh, clean slate that you can maintain appropriately.

Energy Efficient Homes and Systems

If going green is important to you, you can’t do better than a new home. You can work with a Los Osos general contractor, San Luis Obispo general contractor or Lake Morro general contractor to design your new home to use the most energy efficient heating and cooling systems, take advantage of alternative energy sources and make use of passive green solutions that are built into the design – the location of windows, the materials used and other elements all affect the green-ness of your new home. When you build new, you don’t have to retrofit to get the advantages of today’s technology.

Why saddle yourself with someone else’s dream home when you can work with a home builder in San Luis Obispo to make your own dream home come to life? There’s never been a better time to build your new home. Contact a San Luis Obispo general contractor now, while the prices are still low.

Five Projects to Take on with a San Luis Obispo General Contractor

With the housing market just beginning to recover, this can be the ideal time to engage a San Luis Obispo general contractor to make improvements to your home. If your home renovation project is more complicated than painting your walls or putting in a new kitchen counter top, working with a San Luis Obispo general contractor can ensure professional results that will, in almost every case, add value to your home and pleasure to your life in that home. These five projects are very popular with homeowners and home builders in San Luis Obispo.

Bathroom Makeovers

In San Luis Obispo, bathroom remodel projects top the list in popularity. A full scale bathroom remodel involves coordinating several different types of professionals. It can be pricey, but working with a general contractor can reduce both the costs and the complexity of the job. These are five bathroom renovation projects popular in San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay and Los Osos.

Enlarge the Shower

Walk-in showers with lots of room are among the most popular of all San Luis Obispo, Los Osos and Morro Bay bathroom remodel projects. Spacious and luxurious, they typically include multiple spray heads at different levels and built-in storage shelves for shower supplies. Many built-in showers also include built-in seats to make showering more comfortable and convenient.

Install a Soak Tub

Even as spacious showers are enjoying their popularity, soak tubs are also gaining fans. Many area residents are ripping out the whirlpool tubs and replacing them with extra-large soak tubs where they can indulge themselves in a long, hot, relaxing soak.

Add Accessibility Features

Not all bathroom renovations are for luxury or looks. Another top San Luis Obispo bathroom renovation is adding accessibility features like grab bars, walk-in bathtubs and bath chairs. Features like these make it easier for older adults and those with impaired mobility to retain their independence and their privacy.

Tile the Floors and Walls

Tile is the perfect flooring and wall surface for the high humidity atmosphere in the typical bathroom. Beautiful terrazzo tiles, Italian porcelain tiles and stone tiles add style and elegance to the bathroom. In addition, they can be far safer and healthier than wood or vinyl floor, especially if they’re finished with a non-slip top coat.

Daylighting

In many older homes, bathroom windows are tiny or non-existent, in part for privacy concerns. Today, many homeowners are choosing to add windows, skylights and even complete sunrooms to their bathroom areas. The addition of windows lets in natural light and makes the bathroom more attractive and comfortable.

Turn your bathroom into a private retreat with the help of a San Luis Obispo general contractor – because you should love every square foot of your home.

5 Tips on Finding a Home Builder in San Luis Obispo

As the San Luis Obispo home market starts heating up again, many families who had held off on buying a new home are getting ready to get back into the market. The slow year for new housing starts in the area makes this a buyer’s market for anyone wanting to build or buy a new home in SLO, so this is a good year to be looking for a home builder in San Luis Obispo. There are many home builders and general contractors competing with each other to get business, so anyone looking for a contractor or home builder in Los Osos, Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo will be subjected to all sorts of sales incentives and freebies aimed at bringing home buyers into the office. If you’re looking for a general contractor in San Luis Obispo, a home builder in Morro Bay or a Los Osos general contractor, these tips will help you evaluate your choices based on competence, reputation and experience with your type of project.

Get Referrals from Family, Friends and Acquaintances

If you have friends or family who have worked with a San Luis Obispo general contractor, ask them how they found him, which contractors they’ve talked to and who they recommend. The referrals you’ll get from family and friends are especially valuable because you can ask them questions you might hesitate to ask a stranger – did the contractors respect their privacy, are they satisfied with the work and would they hire the same contractor again or choose someone else?

Research Home Builders in San Luis Obispo and Surrounding Towns

If you’re reading this because you’re looking for a home builder in San Luis Obispo, you join the hefty 87 percent of new home buyers who start their search for a home builder online. Online research can teach you a lot about your options for general contractors. Visit their websites and poke around to see if the contractor features work that appeals to you and is relevant to the kind of home you want. Does the website provide valuable information or is it just a sales pitch? If they provide things like sample photos, floor plans of typical homes and information that will help you in your planning, put them on your short list. If the website is just glitz but offers very little actual information, move on to someone else.

Special Tip: If you like a contractor or home builder’s website, sign up for a mailing list of any special offers. It may score you discounts or special deals that you wouldn’t get otherwise.

Get References and Check Them

Contact all the contractors on your short list and ask for references from previous customers. Check online for any complaints about each builder, and check the Better Business Bureau for their rating. Once you have references, call them and ask about their experience with the contractor, including any advice they’d give someone considering hiring them to build a new home.

Tour Model Homes

Many home builders in the area build entire subdivisions and open a model home for public tours. You can get a good idea of the quality of the work the builder does. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to get answers to any questions you might have. Some questions you might ask include: are there fees to pay upon closing? What will be built on other nearby properties? Are there any fees associated with the site? How much flexibility is there in floor plans and materials?

These tips can help you find the right home builder in San Luis Obispo and get you started on planning and buying your new dream home. The more you research, the better you’ll be able to pick the best general contractor for your needs.

10 Good Reasons to Hire a San Luis Obispo General Contractor

It’s tempting to save money by tackling your renovation or remodeling project, but you may be costing yourself more than you save. If you’re doing a bathroom or kitchen remodel in the San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay or Los Osos area, here are 10 very good reasons you should hire a San Luis Obispo general contractor to get the job done right.

Building Code and Legalities

A licensed San Luis Obispo, Los Osos or Morro Bay general contractor will handle all the permitting and other code aspects of your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel or Morro Bay bathroom remodel so you don’t have to worry about it. Plumbing and electrical jobs must meet specific building codes in order to be legal. When you work with a licensed contractor who is familiar with the local building codes, you can be sure that everything will be.

Convenience

A Los Osos bathroom remodel or any other complicated process involves all sorts of scheduling and management to avoid delays and inconvenience. An experienced general contractor handles all the phone calls, arrangements and scheduling for you, relieving you of the stress and worry of managing the project.

Knowledge and Experience

A local general contractor knows the best practices and best procedures to get your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel done right the first time. You won’t have to spend time and money redoing something that failed or realize halfway through your job that you forget an important first step.

Style

A busy San Luis Obispo general contractor stays on top of the latest trends and the newest technology. When you hire a pro, you can be sure that your remodel will be stylish, fresh and the perfect blend of utility and trendiness.

Saving Money

DIY may seem like an easy way to save money, but the money you spend to hire a Morro Bay home builder or Los Osos general contractor will give you excellent ROI. You’ll often realize significant savings on construction materials that allows you to upgrade your remodel to the next level.

Upfront Estimates

The first step in hiring a general contractor is an estimate, nearly always free. The estimate will give you the total cost of the project up front, making it easy for you to figure out your financial commitment and budget for your project.

The Right Tools

Homeowners who decide to DIY their remodeling jobs often find themselves running into the unexpected expense of buying or renting the tools and equipment needed to complete the job. When you hire a general contractor to oversee and manage your job, that’s never a concern. The pros have the right tools and the experience to use them properly.

Accountability

When you hire a general contractor, you’re hiring someone to be accountable for all parts of the job. The contract will specify the contractor’s responsibilities, including scheduling and time of completion, and include penalties for not meeting those responsibilities. That accountability translates to on-time completion of each stage of your San Luis Obispo bathroom remodel.

Insurance

A good San Luis Obispo general contractor will carry insurance to cover his workers when they are working in your home, as well as liability insurance in the unlikely case that something he or his workers do damages your property. That means you don’t have to worry about your insurance.

Quality

In addition to the peace of mind you’ll have when you hire a San Luis Obispo general contractor to handle your kitchen or bathroom remodel, you can be sure that the results will be exactly what you expect.