Architect & Contractor Selection
We are about to take possession of a fairly standard brownstone in fort greene. Its in moderate condition, but the mechanicals must be modernized before we can renovate kitchens & baths. We are starting to meet with architects & contractors next week. Any advice on key questions to ask in the interviews? What is really…
We are about to take possession of a fairly standard brownstone in fort greene. Its in moderate condition, but the mechanicals must be modernized before we can renovate kitchens & baths. We are starting to meet with architects & contractors next week. Any advice on key questions to ask in the interviews? What is really important? What is less critical? Based on your experiences and 20/20 hindsight, what would you have wanted to know when you selected your architect and/or contractor? What would you do differently if you did another renovation? Any thoughts are helpful. Thank you very much in advance.
Ask how often the GC you are actually interviewing is on site. (I made this mistake. Liked the GC, but what does that matter since he was almost never on site! If his foreman or another employee will be the one one site, you should be interviewing THAT person, not just the GC.)
Ask what the actual percentage is that the contractor’s jobs come in over the bid. An organized, professional GC will know. Don’t count on that number or anything, but see what the GC’s reaction is.
Ask how mistakes are paid for. If the workers make a mistake, who pays for it?
For the architect, make sure you know clearly if there are any limits on the number of design meetings, and if s/he is going to be overseeing construction, how many site visits are allowed (lest you get charged by the hour for more than a couple).
(BTW, I am currently working with a great architect, David Cunnningham, who was recommended to me by someone here. Couldn’t be happier with his work. Strikes a great balance between listening to my needs and having an opinion, and is very down-to-earth, and has an assistant, Audra, who is very on the ball and has a terrific design-sense. They are making our renovation process really pleasant! You can find him at http://www.dcapny.com.)
And expect that whatever they quote you it will be more than 25% more overall. Everyone told me and I thought we had taken all contingencies into consideration….still way over.
And expect that whatever they quote you it will be more than 25% more overall. Everyone told me and I thought we had taken all contingencies into consideration….still way over.
Very simple ………go to the DOB website and research all the listings (job) on file and see who is requested the most , who has the most violations ,who is licensed, and especially who calls you back immediatley.
thats why people don’t hesitate to call certain firms that I reccomend…..
Good luck
Get information on current jobs and coordinate a site visit with the homeowner without the architect/contractor present. You get to ask more detailed questions and see the condition of the work in progress, as well as things like site cleanliness, whether people are showing up when they’re supposed to, frustrations the homeowner is having, etc.
Make sure they are licensed, alot of contractors say they are licensed and are not in NYC. Same with the architect. Get references and check them. Look at completed work and make sure you like whomever you end up hiring.
for both contractors and architects:
You want to see their past work and make sure you are comfortable with the quality, get references and call them. That’s probably the most important factor – past performance is a good indication of how things will go.
Otherwise, for the architect, get a feel for whether your personalities gel – do they listen well? Will they be patient when you are freaking out about one thing or another? I would also ask how they will manage your budget and how they safe-guard against designing something you can’t afford.
when searching in the forum for masonry recommendations, i came across links to the ‘this old house’ website, to some articles there on how to hire a contractor. strongly recommend that you read these — very helpful to me as the new president of my co-op board facing the task of hiring contractors.
good luck and congrats on your new house!