Waukesha County Home

HOME OCTOBER 2020 2 Distributed by: ©2018 by Conley Media Waukesha County Home is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dan Muckelbauer 262/513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Home Volume 9 ■ Number 6 ■ October 2020 conduct and sound business practices in the remodeling industry and works to educate and inform Milwaukee-area homeowners. Welhouse recommends homeowners begin by contacting a few qualified, professional contractors. For easy reference, the NARI Milwaukee website groups contractors by services offered. After selecting two to three companies, ask them the same questions and take detailed notes on their answers. 1. What are the steps in your process? According to Welhouse, companies should have an established process that they can easily explain. It's important to know what each phase is, the timeframe for each phase, whether there are fees associated with the various phases and when project payments are due. 2. How many projects like the one we are considering have you done and when was the most recent one? By asking this question, homeowners can get a sense for how much expertise and depth of experience the contractor has with simi- lar projects. 3. Can I review a copy of your contract? It's perfectly acceptable to ask to review a copy of the company's standard contract prior to selecting a remodeler. Read the docu- ment carefully and ask questions about any language or terms you don't understand. Pay attention to details about change orders, pay- ments, additional fees, timeline, what the contractor is responsible for and if there are responsibilities assigned to the homeowner. 4. How do you handle problems if something comes up? "A common downfall in remodeling is a lack of communication," says Welhouse. "Ask upfront how the contractor handles any unexpected issues. What's the communica- tion process and what are the steps to address an issue?" 5. Can I see your certificate of insurance? Homeowners should make sure their con- tractor has insurance coverage. Look for or inquire about general liability, workers' com- pensation, errors and omissions and if they carry an umbrella policy as well. Coverage and limits will be stated on the certificate. 6. Does your company have its Dwelling Contractor license? In order to pull permits to do work on one- or two- family homes, contractors need a Dwelling Contractor license for the business. In addition, at least one person from the com- pany needs a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier license. Homeowners should never pull per- mits for the contractor. If the homeowner pulls the permit, then they are liable for any accident or injury that occurs on the proper- ty while remodeling work is being done. In addition, in the event of an accident, although contractors must have extensive insurance policies, by pulling the permit the homeowner may also be liable for damage to the home or surrounding properties and unable to collect damages from the contrac- tor for any loss sustained. 7. Do you have a warranty that covers workmanship and materials? Ask if the company provides any war- ranties on workmanship and materials. If so, make sure those are detailed in the written contract. Warranties covering materials and/or workmanship should be identified as either "full" or "limited." In addition, the name and address of the party who will honor the warranty (contractor, distributor or manufacturer) must be identified and a time period and terms should be specified. 8. Do any of your employees have advanced industry certifications? Ask if the company has any NARI certified professionals on staff and if they will be working on your project. Certified profes- sionals must have specified time in the industry, receive advanced training and must maintain continuing education to hold their designation such as CR (certified remodeler), CKBR (certified kitchen and bath remodeler) and CRPM (certified remodeling project manager). 9. Do you use subcontractors? If so, for which elements of the job? "It's nice to know if a company uses sub- contractors but it shouldn't be a disqualifier for working with them," explains Welhouse. "Many companies do not have licensed trades like plumbers and electricians on staff. Ask how long they've had a relation- ship with their subcontracting team." 10. Could you provide a list of client references? Because most homeowners are happy with their end product, ask questions about the process instead of simply inquiring how the project turned out. Ask about the communi- cation process, the level of professionalism, whether the project stayed on schedule and how the contractor handled any problems or issues that came up. 10 questions Continued from Page 1

• Cover