Home Remodeling Information
Determine the Rough Price of your Home Remodeling Project
For most home remodeling projects, the cost of the kitchen and bathrooms are the most expensive parts of the project, so by getting a ballpark on the cost of these items can assist you in determining an overall cost.
In the Remodeling Magazine references below, there are Midrange Projects, and Upscale Projects. According to Sal Alfano, the Editorial Director, the midrange projects are plain-Jane--laminate countertops, white fixtures, and painted trim, while upscale projects introduce higher-end finishes such as granite countertops, tile floors, hardwood trim and the like.
For the last ten years, most of the homeowners that contact us want at least some of the elements of the Upscale Projects. Some of the homeowners want most of them. You may look at the costs of both prices below and see that your project cost is probably not at the extreme top, but higher than the average of the two costs. In the table below, our thoughts on the project are for the Counties of Loudoun and Fairfax, which are substantially above the national average cost.
| Below are some projects, price ranges and the source | Here are our thoughts on the project and the price range |
| Washington Post article 02 August 08 by Renae Merle..a 5*7 ft bath remodel is just over $16000. | For several years the cost of a full 5*8 ft (Small bathroom) has been over $15000. That includes replacing everything in the bath, ceramic tile and repainting. This is a Partially Upscale Bathroom as homeowners have not been satisfied with midrange items |
| DirectoryM article 01 Dec 08 "Cost of Bathroom Remodeling Sterling Va"..Major remodeling of a large master bath can run from $15000 to $30000 and can cost several times more if you include luxury fixtures in the design. | More than half of the bathrooms can be remodeled with luxury fixtures for less than $30000. |
| Washington Post article 02 August 08 by Renae Merle..$20000 is not enough to remodel a kitchen but could replace counters, cabinetry or floors | In most kitchens, $20000 is more than enough to replace kitchen floors and the backsplash with ceramic, or replace countertops with granite. It would be enough to replace cabinets in most small kitchens, but wouldn't make more than a serious dent in a large kitchen. |
| Washington Post article 02 August 08 by Renae Merle..for $20000 can consider a complete renovation of a master bathroom. | Complete master bathroom renovations run from $16000 to $75000. As you can see, $20000 will remodel some of them. To be realistic, the cost was more than $20000 10 years ago. It depends completely upon the choices the homeowner makes, the integration of the bathroom into the bedroom suite, and the homeowner's expectation of the results. |
| Washington Post article 17 Jan 1998 by Katherine Salant..an average of $20000 to $30000 to remodel a master bathroom | If you want a breakfast bar in your bedroom/bath suite, a $23000 carrara marble tub (without fixtures and installation), his and her spaces, a workout area, a large screen hd tv, a spacious shower with the latest sprays, and the suite completed to complement the above, your bathroom remodel is soaring above the price range quoted above. |
| Remodeling Cost Value Report 2008-2009 by Remodeling Magazine, National Average Midrange Bathroom Remodel is $15899 | Most people are asking for granite and other amenities in the Upscale category, the typical cost is above $16000. |
| Remodeling Cost Value Report 2008-2009 by Remodeling Magazine, National Average Upscale Bathroom Remodel is $51455 | Complete master bathroom renovations run from $15000 to $75000 Small through Large bathrooms, where a small bathroom is 40 ft sq and below). |
| Remodeling Cost Value Report 2008-2009 by Remodeling Magazine, National Average Midrange Major Kitchen Remodel 200 ft sq (Medium sized) is $56611 | Most people are asking for granite and other amenities in the Upscale category, the typical cost is above $56000. |
| Remodeling Cost Value Report 2008-2009 by Remodeling Magazine, National Average Upscale Major Kitchen Remodel 200 ft sq (Medium sized) is $110964 | Our kitchen remodeling prices have been running between $25000 and $125000 Small through Large kitchens). |
Why Reject Low Bids
If your home remodeling project includes your master bathroom suite, then in our experience, 90% of the contractors will provide you with incompetent workmanship for some part of the project. Based upon the work we get called to correct, 20 to 30% of the contractors are completely incompetent in key aspects of bathroom remodeling. It is just about impossible to hire a fully competent contractor by random selection.
Let us propose hypothetically that you made no effort to determine the viability of a home remodeling contractor but randomly chose ten contractors from your favorite media advertising. In our experience, statistically you would have chosen one contractor completely competent in all areas of your project. That contractor probably bid more than the lower seven bidders. You should only look at the upper three price bidders and try to figure out which one is the best (one would be competent). Note that if you choose one of the seven lowest bidders you have essentially guaranteed that you have chosen a contractor incompetent in part of your project. The lowest three bidders are probably incompetent to the point where you are going to have leaks and premature decay of your bathroom.
If your home remodeling project includes your kitchen, then in our experience, 30% of the contractors will provide you with incompetent workmanship for some part of the project. Based upon the work we get called to correct, approximately 30% of the contractors are incompetent in some aspects of kitchen remodeling. In order to preclude hiring a contractor incompetent in some area of your project, do not hire one of the three lowest bidders.
Obtaining Bids and Designs and Selecting Your Contractor
If you have completely followed the process until this point, you should have a short list of contractors. Invite these contractors separately to your home. Provide them with your requirements or any design information you already have. As best as possible, give them the same requirements. Wait a reasonable time so that you get all the bids and designs. This is the time to ask them for certificates of insurance. These are signed certificates that will come from their insurance company. This is also the time to ask "how do you" questions about how they accomplish various tasks in the project. One of your tasks during this meeting is to determine whether you trust the contractor. If the answer is no, mentally strike them off of the list.
Rough Contractor Selection
If you are going through the Home Remodeling Process, you should know what type of contractor to contract with and a rough estimate of your project by the time you reach this point. Now we are going through the Qualifications which your contractors must meet to work in your home:
- Basic Qualifications
- Licenses
- Insurance
- Bonding
- Unique Qualifications
- Type of Contractor
- Estimated Price of Project
About the Basic Qualifications
Your contractors should be licensed and insured to work in your home. You will go to the Virginia site on line and verify the contracting license of the contractor. Ask each potential contractor for the name under which they are licensed. If they do not have a license, do not select them as one of your potential contractors. Each of your potential contractors should be insured. You should either ask them to provide you a certificate of insurance when you first screen them as a potential candidate or you should tell them that you are going to ask for one if they make it to the short list in the process. If there is a substantial amount of money in the contract, do it. If their insurance company does not send you a certificate indicating their insurance, do not select them as one of your potential contractors. If some of your potential contractors do not have a Class A License, then they must have a Class B License. Do not hire anyone with a Class C License. If they only have a class B License, then they must be bonded. Bonding is a county requirement for Class B contractors to obtain a business license by the counties of Loudoun and Fairfax in Virginia. In either case, Class A or B, you will verify with the county that they have a business license. If they do not have a business license in your county, do not select them as one of your potential contractors. By verifying with the county that they have a business license you will be verifying that they are bonded if they are required to be bonded.
A retail store that "installs" or has a sign "We also Remodel", does not necessarily have the licenses to contract your project
Do not assume that a business with a large storefront or large advertisements in your favorite media is licensed for remodeling work in your county. They may have a retail license only and contract out the work. In this case, the contractor provided by the retail store will be the business for which you must check both the contracting license with the State and the business license with the county. You must ask the county about whether they have a contracting license to remodel or build or whether they just have a retail license. This is very important as you could wind up in a situation where the contractor is not insured or licensed and they are working in your home, which for most people is their largest asset. If you wish to contract with a retail store for remodeling work, you need to read carefully the papers they shove at you. If this will be a separate party with which you will be contracting then this second business is the one you should check out. If the name of the contractor which will do the work is not on the remodeling contract the retail store asks you to sign, do not sign. You will have no protection if you do. If in writing they provide you with the name of the real remodeling contractor, do not sign the papers until you go back to your home and check the contractor. Do not assume that the retail store is on top of the status of what may be many contractors that they use. It is your home, and you must protect it.
Check with the Commonwealth of Virginia
In order to look up a contracting license for the state of Virginia, you will need to know the name under which the contracting license is held and the zip code associated with the contractor. Call each contractor on your initial list and ask them for the name under which they do business listed on their contracting license and their zip code associated with their business. If they balk at supplying the name on their contracting license, there is a fundamental problem. No matter how famous they appear to be, they failed the first step. Strike their name from the list. Go to check contractor licenses. Fill in name, zip code, check Contractor Businesses under Contractors and click Search. The license information for that contractor should be displayed. Note the class and classications/specialties. Write them down. Just to get you started, our contracting license is under Tile Man and our zip code is 20165.
Unique Requirements
For each contractor on your list, strike off all that do not have a Class A or Class B license. In Virginia, a Class B licensed contractor may not legally contract for a project of $70,000.00 or more. If your project is estimated at more than $70,000.00, strike the Class B contractors off your list. Builders and remodeling contractors in the Commonwealth of Va hold a Building specialty classification and a Class A or B license. Strike off the list all contractors that do not hold a Building specialty classification where the contractor type you determined in "Rough Definition of Your Project" was a Builder or a Home, Kitchen or Bath Remodeling contractor".
Check with the County in which you live
If you live in Fairfax County, call the Licensing Section at 703-324-1540. For each contractor still on your list, confirm that they have a valid business license. If they do not, strike them. If you live in Loudoun County, call the Commission of the Revenue at 703-777-0260 and and confirm that they have a valid business license. If they do not, strike them. An odd note for legal qualification: (In Loudoun County, they may bid on your job with no license, but may not work on your job.) However, you do not want to be the first person that allows a new contractor in your county to work in your home, so, go ahead and strike them.
Now you should have a short list of contractors that are appropriate for your project and may legally work in your home.
Final Contractor Selection
You will have to wait a reasonable time to obtain all the bids. Within a reasonable time you should also obtain certificates of insurance from all the contractors. If you do not obtain a certificate, you should strike this contractor. You may get designs back which are different. What may appear as small design differences to you, or differences in the quality of the workmanship will swing the prices by large percentages. If you have at least four contractors at this point, you probably have at least one contractor which would not provide satisfactory workmanship on your project. Invariably, that is the lowest bidder. It is our recommendation that you eliminate all but the three highest bidders. Of the three highest bidders, trade off the design differences with the price to determine your contractor (this contractor may or may not be the lowest bidder of the three contractors). If you wish to see why and under what conditions we recommend you eliminate all but the three highest bidders, go see why.
Home Repair
We repaired the termite damaged joists and the subfloor.
