Raleigh-Durham Bathroom Remodeling and Renovations
Bathroom remodel: Don't throw money down the drain!
Please read this quick guide to hiring a Raleigh-Durham Bathroom Remodel Contractor (it will
help, we promise!) Or click here to simply see our suggestions and contact information for 7 of the top Raleigh-Durham bath remodeling companies.
The process of hiring a professional Raleigh-Durham contractor to tackle your bathroom renovations can make your head spin pretty quick.
First, there are many bath renovation companies out there. Look under 'General Contractors' or 'Bathroom Remodeling' in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, or Chapel
Hill phone books and you will see what we mean
there are hundreds of bathroom remodeling and general contractors in each area. On top of that, there are hundreds of other great contractors that remodel bathrooms but are not in the phone book.
Second, it is pretty easy to go around calling yourself a professional bathroom remodeling pro. People don't necessarily need an office or a lot of fancy equipment or
tools to start a business. Therefore, individuals that have done some repairs on a few houses or rooms can try to trick you into believing they are a highly skilled and experienced Raleigh-Durham bathroom remodeling professional. If they have a truck, a tool belt, and a business card they could fool a lot of people!
Finally, there are many different types of contractors that remodel bathrooms in the Raleigh-Durham area. There are handymen, general contractors, builders, construction companies, and companies that specialize in only bathroom renovations.
So what do you do when looking for a contractor to remodel your bathroom in the Raleigh-Durham and surrounding areas?
We recommend:
Asking your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with Raleigh-Durham contractors. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a contractor prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem. The Super 7 can help you locate top Raleigh-Durham contractors.
Call 3 or 4 companies to bid on your remodeling project. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price. You should go with the company you feel most comfortable
with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself, "why?".
If you don't have the time to contact several companies we suggest using The
Super 7 to locate the one company you choose. We have a list of Raleigh-Durham bathroom remodeling contractors that appear to meet our standards to be considered quality professionals. In fact, our "Certified Super" listed companies have proven that
they do! We also require customers to voice their experience with their bathroom remodeling contractor to help ensure that they meet your needs.
Decide exactly what you want to do to remodel your bathroom. At a minimum you should have a few general ideas before calling a contractor. They can help you make some final decisions, but you need to be able to explain your basic needs before letting them talk you into things.
If you feel your job will cost over $30,000 you should only speak with licensed general contractors. In NC, any work done on a house that is going to cost over $30,000 must be done by a licensed general contractor.
Try to decide if your work can be accomplished by a handyman, or if it is more involved. If you are simply laying some tile, painting, and changing some fixtures you should feel confident that a quality handyman could handle this work. If you are talking about tearing things up and changing the entire bathroom around, then your best chance of success is by hiring an experienced Raleigh-Durham general contractor.
Make sure the bathroom remodeling contractor has insurance. There is a chance for injury and for destruction of your house when remodeling a bathroom. As mentioned above there are many fly-by-night contractors that may not be insured. Ask them for their insurance company's phone number and call them to prove they are insured. If you skip this part you could be held liable for an uninsured worker's injury while working on your house. You could also be left with the bill for tons of repairs if an uninsured contractor leaves you with a destroyed bathroom or house!
Ask if the bath remodel contractor will be able to handle all of the work you require themselves, or if they will have to sub some of the work out to other companies (such as a plumber).
If they are subbing jobs out, make sure that their contract states that they are still directly responsible for all work. In other words, you will not have a situation where a plumber installed your new toilet incorrectly and the contractor is telling you that it is not his problem. What happens if you can't get in touch with the plumber they hired after the job is complete? You want one person to be held responsible.
If your bathroom remodel requires a general contractor, or you simply decide to hire a company that states that they are general contractors, make sure they have a valid NC General Contractors License
Always get a statement of work performed in writing. Keep this filed away. Make sure the statements clearly state what work is to be performed.
Ask if the bathroom remodeling comes with guarantees. These are factors to weigh when looking at the total cost estimates left by different Raleigh-Durham contractors.
Some contractors require an upfront payment. Agree to a payment schedule (which is a written document that clearly states how much and when payments are due). Make sure your payment schedule is discussed and documented on your contract
prior to beginning work. Stick to this schedule even if the contractor asks for early payment. You do not want to get into a situation where you have paid for the majority of the bathroom remodeling work, but the majority of the remodeling in your bathroom is not completed!!...these situations often end in unfinished or poorly finished
jobs. More info on this: Paying Your Raleigh-Durham Contractor
Check in on your bathroom remodeling progress regularly- try to catch potential problems or misunderstandings before it is too late.
If the contractor does a great job tell them you will recommend them on The Super 7 bathroom remodeling section!
If they don't do a good job ask them to fix the issue or you will let other Raleigh-Durham residents know about their poor performance on The Super 7 website!
Good luck with your raleigh-Durham bathroom and remodeling needs!
The Super 7 provides 7 quality bathroom remodeling pros in the Raleigh, Durham,
Cary, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. Click here for our Super 7 Bathroom
Remodel Contractors!
More helpful short articles to help with your bathroom remodeling needs:
How to Remodel a Small Bathroom
The Cost of Remodeling a Bathroom
Create a Bathroom the Value of Your Home
General Suggestions for Hiring Raleigh-Durham Contractors
Paying Your Raleigh-Durham Contractor
How to Avoid Hiring Bad Contractors
How Contractor Pricing Relates to Satisfaction
Finding and Using the Proper Contractor References
ADDITIONS BATHROOM REMODEL ELECTRICIANS HANDYMAN HEAT & AIR KITCHEN REMODEL LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS PAINTERS PLUMBING SIDING MORE
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