Level Playing Field.

We want to work with you. We want you to have a complete and thorough estimate. If you should choose to get estimates from other builders and remodelers, we need you to be comparing Australian Granny Smith apples to Australian Granny Smith apples. Not to Californian carrots or Kelloggs frosted flakes. Do yourself a favor and read below. Ask your contractor for this information, ask for complete trasparency and for thoroughness. You and your family deserve it…remodels are tough but they dont have to be THAT stressful.

Choosing the right contractor…

We all have heard horror stories…or been through them. Here are a few ways to weed out the pros from the hacks.

1.) License. Is your contractor appropriately licensed to do what you want them to do? Ask them for their current, active license in Omaha…or Bellevue, Council Bluffs, etc. Example; LIC-1901422 (If your contractor has an active license…they have insurance and a bond with the city)

2.) Permits. Does your job require a permit? Most likely, Yes. If you’re doing anything with a bathroom, kitchen or any addition…permits are Required. If a contractor says it isnt, they have some reason for not wanting to do your project with a permit. Point them to this page and the city of Omaha permitting page.

3.) Contract. We do two types of contracts…A firm-fixed contract or a Cost+ contract. Which should you use?

• A firm-fixed contract will be what we do majority of our jobs with. This contract is very detailed…We will do exactly what we say we will do in this contract…line by line on the invoice. A firm-fixed contract provides you with an extremely accurate price for the project…this estimate will take a heavy amount of time on the front-end to get all of your needs and wants.

• A Cost+ contract is sorta like an open account. We generally provide an extremely rough price for budgeting purposes and throughout the project we are providing invoices for work done to-date…for payment disbursement. We use a Cost+ contract generally with additions and larger projects where selections and decisions with finishes are made on the fly during the project. For some clients this can be a stress reliever. Other times we’re using a cost+ contract is when we’re working with financial institutions.

• Make sure your contractor provides a comprehensive contract.

4.) Estimate. If you’re getting multiple estimates from contractors, make sure you’re getting a complete estimate from all of them. If they’re not asking details or selections for doors, tubs, vanities, shower systems, appliances, tile, etc etc etc….you are not likely getting a complete quote. If you leave this up to the contractor, there is a good chance you will be seeing a change order if the price of what you actually want ends up being different from what they put in their original estimate. Make sure they know what you want, if they’re not asking and you dont know all the details to provide to them….you’re setting yourself up for change orders.