Say you sign a contract at a number you can live with, and partway through the job, the number moves. To keep that from happening, our goal is to get all the way through design, with everything selected down to the materials, before we give you a fixed price. That way, you know what your project is going to cost before construction starts.
You’ll learn:
- When the fixed price gets set, and what you get before then
- What a fixed price covers, and what can still change it
- What gets decided in design before construction starts
- Why appliances sit outside the price
- What to ask any remodeler about their number
How Do You Keep a Remodel from Going over Budget?
Design meetings put the floor plan, renderings, and material samples on the table in front of you.
The fixed-price guarantee covers the contracted project costs. Every week, our team also meets to go over how each job is tracking on schedule and on budget.
Our contract says that concealed conditions, things hidden in your home that we can’t know about until demolition starts, can affect the budget and scope.
Why Do Some Remodels Spiral in Cost, and What Prevents It?
Say you’re partway through your remodel and you decide to paint the rest of the rooms too. A change you ask for, like this one, becomes a change order, which updates the contract’s work and price.
We don’t lean on change orders. Some remodelers do, raising the price once a job is under contract and under construction. We write fairly few change orders, especially ones you didn’t ask for. When one you didn’t ask for does come up, it’s usually a concealed condition.
What Does a Fixed-Price Guarantee Cover, and When Is the Number Locked In?
You won’t get a fixed price at our first meeting. Early on, you get a rough budget range, which we always set on the high side to leave room for nicer finishes.
The fixed price comes at the end of design, once most selections are made, materials included. By then, we have talked with our trade partners and know the materials and the labor to install them. That’s what lets us give you a fixed-price guarantee.
At the end of design, you have:
- A full list of materials and specifications
- A full plan set
- A detailed construction schedule
- A construction proposal with the fixed-price guarantee
Stain, flooring, door, tile, and paint samples like these are where allowances come in. An allowance is the amount set aside in your contract for an item you haven’t picked yet. We tell you what we’ve budgeted for each allowance, so you can pick items that fall within it or make an educated decision to splurge on one part of the remodel.
What Gets Decided During Design, Before Construction Begins?
Layout changes happen on the 2D floor plans and on 3D renderings like this one, while you’re still in design.
In our remodeling design phase, we start with a plan of your existing home, then usually 2 to 3 concepts. We settle your plumbing, electrical, tile, flooring, and layouts in the plan set. As you make your selections, we keep checking the scope against your budget.
Why Aren’t Appliances in the Price, and How Do I Budget for Them?
In a kitchen like this one, the dishwasher is an appliance you buy yourself. You buy your own appliances so that you have full control of the warranty. We also have a local appliance dealer we trust.
Appliances aren’t part of our price. For a kitchen remodeling project, give them their own line in your overall budget.
How Can I Tell if a Remodeler’s Number Will Hold?
Not every number from a remodeler means the same thing. Before you compare them, check that each company is registered, because Washington State requires construction contractors to register with the Department of Labor and Industries, and to be bonded and insured.
Then ask each remodeler 3 things:
- How often do change orders come up, and what usually causes them?
- What is the number built on: a full plan set and a complete materials list, or a first walk-through?
- Does the early number already leave room for nicer finishes, or will it grow when you pick them?
A number backed by a full plan set and a complete materials list can hold, while a number from a first walk-through is still a range. For more on setting the number, see how to create a remodeling budget.
Ready to Plan Your Remodel With Home Run Design + Remodel?
If you’d like to talk through what your project’s number would be built on, the Home Run Design + Remodel team would be glad to. Fill out our contact form or give us a call.
