Once work is underway, changes should be kept to a minimum. The details of your project, described in the contract, down to the finishing touches, form the basis of both the price and the schedule of your job. Changes could affect both significantly. Your GVHBA member renovator will attempt to accommodate any alteration in plans, as long as you accept a possible delay in completion and/or a change in price.Peter Simpson is the chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, which has an active and progressive renovators council. For more information, visit www.gvhba.org. are important to you. Choose a couple of the renovators with whom you feel most comfortable.
If you have plans and specifications, have the chosen renovators provide you with a proposal. If you do not have plans already, ask the renovators to provide you with a proposal and a budget for a design/build project. Most professional renovators will provide a complete service, including their own in-house or private designers or architects.
Before signing a contract, read it carefully. Are you satisfied with the description of the work to be done? Does the payment schedule include hold-backs? Are the responsibilities of the renovator clearly spelled out? If you feel uncomfortable at all, you can get a notary or lawyer to examine the contract before you sign it.
