The Jones’ House Remodel Process

We're excited to share our nine-step remodel process with you through our client's eyes. We will showcase each step within succeeding newsletters until we cover all nine steps. Please get in touch with us with your questions and comments as we go through the process.

We use a process that we have found beneficial to our clients, providing the information we need to do the best job possible. Our remodeling process is on the Shirey Home Pro website. We have outlined our process, which begins with the first time you contact us with your remodeling dreams and ends with the seamless completion of your remodeling project.

Through our newsletter, we are introducing a new series that will go behind the scenes and dig deeper into our remodeling process with a couple who reached out to us in April. Let's say their last name is Jones.

To start, Jones had gone to our website and requested a consultation. After answering a few basic questions with a brief discussion regarding their home remodel project, we discovered they wanted the following changes to their home:

This initial discussion began with a phone call and progressed into trading emails and photos of the Joneses’ home. Our goal is for us to better understand the project/scope of work and for them to learn what it's like working with Shirey Home Pro. It's also a time when both parties start learning if we are a good fit for each other. We then set a date for a face-to-face meeting in our office.

The initial face-to-face meeting, which can last for an hour or two, digs deeper into the project, using the client’s must-haves and dreams to develop a preliminary construction budget. The primary factor in the project's success is whether all the personalities involved can partner to bring this project to a successful conclusion.

The remodeling project can and should be an exciting time for everyone, but there will undoubtedly be some stressful and challenging situations to overcome. If we enter into a contract in which both sides are already at odds, the possibility of success drops dramatically. With the Joneses, we all felt optimistic about working together by the end of the meeting.

In our initial meeting, we reviewed their project in more detail. We started by examining photos of their current house and photos that inspired them to want to remodel their home. We asked a number of questions to draw out as much detail as possible. SHP pulled their past home listings and county parcel viewer from web information at the meeting. Then, we showcased similar projects from the past, giving them the confidence that we have the expertise. We do our best to pull back the curtain and educate clients. They may not realize the number of details that go into a beautiful project.

We understand that not everyone is a remodel aficionado. We strive to explain the remodeling process and be transparent about our process and the price tag. At this point, we start discussing numbers, and both parties get an idea of where the budget might be going. We also let clients know what else they will get when partnering with SHP. We want to be as fair as possible in our pricing, and the best way that we know is with a time-and-materials contract rather than a fixed bid.

Over the past 42 years, we have tried pricing in many ways. By pricing the project at Time and Materials, we have found it to be the most open and ethical way. With a fixed bid, which we have done, the contract will typically include a "fudge factor" to hedge our bet on the fixed number so that we don't lose by going over the contracted amount. There will still be change orders, and if the job goes smoothly, the fudge factor is just extra profit for the contractor. With T&M estimates, we will have a realistic estimate on the pessimistic side. We won't be overly optimistic about finishing the work and then fighting with you through the project. That's not the partnership we want with our clients. We want a long-term relationship through the life of your homeownership and not a lawsuit.

Then, we turn to an essential aspect of the remodel: how we manage their project. During our initial discussions, we showed them our web-based project management portal. After signing the construction T&M contract and posting the information, the Joneses were provided full access to our web-based management portal. They could review the budget breakdown, invoices, and schedules and approve change orders. The other great feature is the message center, which can be replied to as a standard email but keeps everything in chronological order instead of needing to scour your email chains. These messages can be viewed by the clients, the remodeling office coordinator, our bookkeeper, and the project's assigned lead carpenter, who keeps a continuous communication loop. When appropriate, we can loop in our trade partners.

On top of that, there is a scheduled weekly meeting (Thursday or Friday) for the duration of the project, which includes the lead carpenter and the office. We review what we have accomplished that week, what the plan is for next week, and any future dates that need confirming, and we assess any issues or benchmarks that have arisen, which is another benefit to a T&M contract. If we're not working on your project, we are not getting paid, so it motivates us to keep the project moving forward so that we're not sitting on a sizeble half-down deposit.

Our preliminary construction budget ranged from $250,000.00 to $300,000.00. This figure was developed based on the initial input. As we move forward and learn more, the number may be adjusted up or down. Design and engineering (if needed) and taxes are not included in the construction budget. Design, CAD drawings, and permitting on a $100,000 project run around 12-15% of the construction budget percentaes. The next step was for the Joneses to decide if they wanted to officially partner with Shirey Home Pro by signing the Design Agreement.

The Joneses understood that by entering the Design Phase of the process, we would flush out all the project details, allowing us to give them an accurate and detailed construction estimate.

Next quarter, we’ll cover the Design Phase process and drawings.