Understand Remodeling Estimating Process

This article was written by Kevin Vick and published in the Houston Chronicle on October 22, 2017.

When planning any home remodeling project, it is imperative that you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. It is important to set and communicate your goals and expectations to your designer and remodeler up front. After that, you can verify that those same goals and expectations are in the proposal.

If you have never planned a remodeling project, an estimate may seem confusing. Materials and labor costs will vary as each project is different. Additionally, there are other costs to be considered such as demolition, clean-up costs and permit fees.

Using allowances will speed up the design and estimating processes. If you do not use your designer to help you with your selections, you will still need to have your designer – at the very least – create drawings. Your remodeling contractor will need the drawings to determine the remodeling cost more accurately. Keep in mind this is not a quick process and may require many visits to the home as well as meetings with the designer and engineer. In addition, there will be a fee for your designer’s services.

Differences in room size, materials used and labor required will cause the price to vary from home to home.

Also, keep in mind that an estimate is just that – the final price may well be different, due to the actual circumstances of the renovation.

When remodeling your home, it is important for you to understand that the estimating process and your remodeling project have a lot of moving parts. It is due to this complexity that the estimating process and the timeliness of your remodeler’s estimate may be lengthy.

Ultimately you will be more satisfied with your completed project if proper planning and cost estimation is done before the project begins.