During your initial appointment with a remodeling company, they will likely be asking you a lot of questions about your project. But just like on a job interview, you want to be prepared with a few questions to ask yourself to make sure not only can the company deliver, but that they will be a great fit for you and your family’s needs. To that effect, we have a list of our top five most important questions to ask a remodeling company when you meet for the initial appointment:
1) Do you have a full Project Management team for the installation phase?
Project Management is invaluable in the remodeling industry. The Project Manager(s) develops the schedule, coordinates all of the master tradespeople, pulls the permits, meets the inspectors, checks all job inventory, delivers much of the material to the jobsite, and overall supervises the progress from demolition through the final walkthrough. Your PM is the one who voluntarily takes on every headache of the job so you don’t have to worry about anything – from unexpected finds during demo, to unexpected delays in delivery that cause a domino effect, to leaky faucets and misplaced light switches.
2) Do you pull permits and get county inspections?
This question is important for two reasons. First, you want the assurance that the work being performed is not only up to the company’s standards, but also the county’s. It’s important for the safety of your home, and also for resale down the road. You want to be especially sure that it’s the company pulling the permit for the work they’re doing (rather than you, the homeowner, pulling it yourself) so that you know they are responsible and willing to be held accountable for their work. With that, it is equally important to be sure they schedule (and pass!) final inspections from the county to close the permits out. Second, you want to be sure the company will actually be installing your new kitchen: some groups will only supply the materials then leave you to fend for yourself to find an install crew.
3) Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
The right answer is yes, yes, yes! They should be able to provide you with copies of all paperwork, license numbers, etc. if you want them at follow up appointments.
4) What is the mission statement (philosophy, work ethic, etc.) of your company?
This will give you key insight into the type of company you’re talking to. Is their first answer ‘bottom dollar pricing?’ Or do they respond on the spot about the importance of client satisfaction? The former will likely be a discounter group that cares more about the sale than the person. The latter will be focused on taking care of clients and making you and your goals a priority.
5) To your specific designer: What is your background?
Some designers have a strong education, a lot of field experience, or are well-rounded in various fields of the design industry. You certainly want to be sure it’s one (if not a combination) of those elements! Having trained/experienced designers – especially depending on the caliber of their background – will speak loudly to the quality of design you can expect and the quality of services important to that company.
We hope this two-part post helps in your quest to start your remodeling project! For any more questions or to set up your initial appointment in the greater Northern Virginia area, please visit our showroom at the King’s Park shopping center (8934 Burke Lake Road, Springfield, VA) or give us a call at 703.764.3748!