How to Find a Kelowna Home Renovation
Contractor
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| An addition using attic trusses, great pre planning. |
The fall is just around the corner here in the
beautiful Okanagan Valley and as we all begin to recover from this heat wave. Thoughts begin to
turn to home renovation projects. Summer is over holidays are done. So now
where do you start?
The first thing to establish is a budget. The second is who is going to run this project. Both of these important facets of your project go hand-in-hand. Who is a good candidate for the Owner/contractor job?
Ask yourselves, these questions:
Am I available during the day when all the
work takes place?
Am I highly organized and have good people
skills?
How much do I know about home renovations?
Am I a good negotiator?
Can I run a project?
How much time do I have to devote to this
endeavour?
Can I get the same pricing as a builder?
Can I find good trades people?
Do I know how to recognize a good trade’s
person, or supplier?
Now let’s discuss hiring a contractor.
Here is what you should expect to get. All the
above items are no longer your problem. You now have an expert to do all of
these tasks for you! What a relief. Sounds a little too easy doesn't it? If
that's how you feel, you're right, it’s not quite that simple. How do you find
this superhero of construction? I'm going to describe the right contractor to
you, to help you identify the ideal candidate.
The qualified contractor will have
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A business licence
·
A proven track record with references (that
are not family relations)
·
WCB coverage.
·
A Tax number.
·
General Liability Insurance
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Pictures of completed work
·
A trade certification.
·
Homeowners Protection Office Registration
Certification
·
Will have been in business for at least three
years in the Okanagan
·
A suppliers and trades-person team that they
work with regularly.
The contractor should have a website. You can do some research now anonymously and will be able to weed out bad eggs quickly. Look for the 2-5-10 year warranty being offered, testimonials and who the actual builder is. Nothing is worse that a fancy website that does not tell you anything about the person running the show.
What
you want to see is that the contractor is a licensed builder in the province of
British Columbia and can offer the Home Owners Protection Warranty. These
contactors are your "A" list builders. They have taken the time to
prove experience, financial viability, stability, and that they have a clean
record as far as any claims ever made against them of company's they’ve
managed.
Your project may not require the home warranty
if it is a small renovation, however your builder is fully qualified and
chances are they will stand behind their work to protect their reputation. A
licensed builder will also be able to obtain better pricing on materials than a
homeowner and have a team of qualified trades and suppliers to help you produce
a fine quality project. So your costs may not be that much more than if you do
the job yourselves.
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| At Greenwave we make dreams a reality |
We
feel we owe our clients a duty of care and attention if we are selected as
their contractor. Greenwave is a licensed builder and we support all
legislation that helps protect consumers from substandard workmanship or
business practises. I hope you find this information helpful.
Good luck with your project!
David Federici Owner, Greenwave Construction
250-575-2690 www.greenwaveconstruction.ca
dave@greenwaveconstruction.cahttp://youtu.be/mtPrrA89aMo
