How to Choose a Contractor for your Home Remodel Project
May 21, 2023
As a homeowner considering a home remodeling project, addition, or renovation here in central Connecticut or Western Massachusetts, you’ve likely heard the common advice: get at least three quotes from general contractors, compare prices, and check reviews.
While these steps are important, getting multiple quotes can often feel confusing and stressful. You may encounter a variety of technical talk, glamorous presentations from crafty salespeople, and a wide range of pricing.
Given the many variables in a building and remodeling project, how do you sort out the best option for your family?
More Than Just a Sales Pitch:
What to Look for in a Home Renovation Contractor
The selection process is about more than just a slick presentation. It’s about finding a contractor with the right experience and integrity.
Experience and Expertise, Not Just Technical Talk
It’s obviously important that you hire a contractor who knows their stuff. However, technical talk alone does not always confirm that. At Platinum Construction, we feel years of experience and the variety of completed projects are far more valuable. Any salesperson can be trained in technical talk.
More important is to know who is actually doing the build and what their experience is with your specific type of construction project. A contractor’s experience contributes directly to their ability to solve the inevitable problems that arise. Are you simply told, “We are the best,” or “Our subcontractors are second to none?” There is no substitute for years of hands-on remodeling experience and the variety of that experience. At Platinum Construction LLC, we have both: many years of building experience and vast problem-solving skills from a variety of remodeling projects.
Focus on Your Vision, Not a Glamorous Presentation
Everyone loves a glamorous presentation from a flashy salesperson, right? While there is an art and science to sales, don’t get too caught up in pictures of other people’s jobs or tactics designed by someone who has never spent a day on a construction site. Your personal remodeling project is what is most important, and it will look entirely different in your unique setting.
It is crucial to envision your new space, but there are many factors to consider beyond fancy salesmanship and presentations for a building and remodeling project. At Platinum Construction, we work with our clients to create something unique to them. We work to understand the vision you have had long before you consulted a contractor. Our presentation is simple, detailed, and completely unique to you and your remodeling vision. We work to bring your space to a reality and rely on our experience and our Platinum Promise to make it happen.
Protecting Your Investment:
How to Vet a Building Contractor's Financial Practices
Financial integrity is one of the most critical aspects of choosing a contractor. Our profession has no shortage of less-than-stellar characters, and as a homeowner, you need to protect yourself.
Recognizing the Risks of Contractor "Crooks"
It is easy for a contractor to collect a down payment and sign a contract that promises the moon. Completing the building and remodeling project is another story entirely. When you give a large check to someone, you are hoping they will come back and do as promised. This clearly opens the door for possible seedy behavior.
Some customers don’t understand that this may happen out of necessity. Many small contractors rely on deposit checks to pay for labor, materials, and other expenses from previous renovation or building projects. This can create delays or the financial inability to gather materials to start your project. The contractor may need to collect another deposit check just to get started. This can create a vicious cycle that leaves the consumer waiting, or worse, with an incomplete job and no refund. If homeowners did credit and background checks before hiring a contractor, many of these problems might be eliminated.
Platinum Construction's Upfront and Transparent Payment Model
We are fortunate at Platinum Construction to have developed a business model that does not involve credit issues or paying backwards. We would openly and gladly accept a background or credit check from our clients. In fact, we do not accept a down payment at contract signing. We collect our first payment for building and remodeling projects upon arrival on day one of the project. We show up to the building or remodeling site with some materials, ready to work.
We believe this provides our clients with an opportunity to build a trusting relationship from the beginning of the construction project. This, coupled with our Platinum Promise, ensures our clients have the most relaxing building or remodeling experience possible. Platinum Construction is built on integrity, and that is the center of our business model in every decision we make for each of our clients, regardless of the size and scope of the build.
The Truth About Pricing:
Why a "Deal" Can Cost You More
Pricing is another variable that can lead to bad decisions and contribute to contractor horror stories. As a consumer, you are likely tempted to get a “deal” or shop based on the lowest price. In the building and remodeling arena, this is often a detrimental decision.
The Dangers of Shopping for the Cheapest Contractor
Just as you would never consider shopping for the cheapest heart surgeon, you should not be looking for the lowest price on a major building or remodeling project. As the old saying claims, there are simply no deals that are too good to be true. When a contractor accepts a project they will not profit on, you ultimately pay the price. Like all other businesses, building and remodeling companies have a bottom line and are in it to make a profit. There is a reason why successful companies charge what they do: they want to ensure a great experience and the right results for you.
These companies know their numbers and operate within them. They are not desperate, attempting to make ends meet, and therefore will not cut corners or abandon the job altogether. To provide you with quality results, a quality company must price accordingly. This certainly doesn’t mean overpricing, but a realistic construction budget ensures the client a superior building and remodeling experience.
Fair Pricing and the Platinum Promise
At Platinum Construction, we know our numbers. This allows us to price competitively with the ability to promise you the experience you deserve. Our Platinum Promise is the center of our company; it drives our process and our mission. To achieve the best possible quality and service for you, we must price our building projects to fit this model. We promise to provide a fair price to ensure your experience is superb in every way.
Your Ideal Home Remodeling
Project Starts Here
Multiple quotes have their place, but we caution you against getting hung up on any one detail. Instead, realize the value in a building contractor that has the remodeling knowledge, experience, great financial integrity, and an understanding of how a construction project needs to be priced.
If you live in central Connecticut and Massachusetts and are looking for a contractor that fits this description, please reach out to Platinum Construction LLC. We certainly have what you need and are seeking clients who want to experience the best home remodeling project around.
Your Local Construction Experts in Connecticut & Massachusetts
At Platinum Construction, we have proudly served homeowners in Connecticut and Massachusetts for over 25 years. We are your local, trusted partners for building beautiful custom homes, seamless additions, and quality garages in your community.
We specialize in bringing visions to life across communities like:
- Connecticut: Ellington, Enfield, Suffield, and Somers
- Massachusetts: Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Palmer, Hampden, Wilbraham, Sturbridge, Ware, and Monson
Send us a brief description of what you’re considering, and we’ll contact you for a free consultation. Let’s discuss how we can build your dream project right here in your neighborhood.
