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Contractor Tips: How to Shop for Your Remodel
Small mistakes in buying remodeling materials can add up to huge cost overruns. Here's how to get things right the first time
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com), a remodeling company based in Philadelphia, PA.
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com),... More »
Roughly half the costs of a remodel are for materials, so it pays to be mindful of potential pitfalls. If you're a DIYer, avoiding some minor and major mistakes can help you make the most of this significant investment. You probably already know it's best to buy well-tested quality materials from trusted local vendors and to install classic, long-lasting materials that will be around for generations. Here are more tips I've learned over the years that can help you pick out the best materials and products for your home.
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by Janet Paik
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| 1. Know the pitfalls of buying off the shelf. Check the box. Does it look like it has been opened or returned? Don't buy it. Returned items may have damage and missing parts. You can get some great deals on good products at your local home store, but you have to know what you're looking for. For instance, plumbing fixtures should be made of brass, not metallic-looking plastic. And cheaper paint often requires more coats and fades more quickly. 2. Get recommendations for showrooms and lumberyards. A good builder should have established relationships with reps he or she trusts, so use the recommended suppliers if you can. If you're a DIYer, try asking around for some good suggestions. When all else fails, add 30 percent to any delivery time frame you're told and build a healthy contingency fund into your budget, just in case. |
by Kenny Grono
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3. Just because it looks like a duck ... A lot of houses are still piped with copper, so repairs and remodeling will generally be done in copper as well. Half-inch copper pipe is 5/8 inch in diameter, but the thickness of the copper depends on the type. Many stores sell type M and L. Type M is cheaper because it's thinner — but saving money in materials now could mean tearing open walls later to find a pinhole leak that has sprung.
Whether you are paying someone else or doing work yourself, labor is expensive. Buy quality materials so you don't have to do the work twice.
Whether you are paying someone else or doing work yourself, labor is expensive. Buy quality materials so you don't have to do the work twice.
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by Kenny Grono
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| 4. Sometimes you don't get what you thought you were paying for. In my experience, some brands spend more on advertising than on making quality products. Do your research and make sure the product you're buying is current. The situation is always changing, but make sure you know what you're getting and who you'll call if it turns out to be a dud. |
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by Paul Anater
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| 5. Let someone else be the guinea pig. I have tested materials and products on my own house over the years so I can vouch for them in my work. If you are not in the business, you should be buying products that have been well regarded for many years. Even if you are trying to remodel your home using environmentally friendly materials, you don't have to use products that haven't stood the test of time. True linoleum flooring (not vinyl, which people often call linoleum), like in this photo, has been around for more than a century and is a hypoallergenic natural material, for example. |
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6. Buy local. There are many reasons to buy local and support your region's economy, but two big ones have to do with shipping. Make sure to factor in the cost of shipping when pricing out materials. A local vendor will usually not charge extra for shipping, and you can schedule the delivery. Shipments of online purchases can result in headaches if no one is around when a big, heavy delivery shows up. If you are concerned about the environment, the distance a product ships should always be a concern. Bamboo flooring is made from grasses that are rapidly renewable, but if it's coming to you from across the world, a flooring product made close to home might be a greener choice.
Galbraith & Paul, the manufacturer of this wallpaper, is a local company in my hometown of Philadelphia.
Galbraith & Paul, the manufacturer of this wallpaper, is a local company in my hometown of Philadelphia.
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7. Buy salvaged. You can often get better-quality building materials with more character for less money by buying salvaged. You will pay more in labor, but once again, this is an opportunity to support your community.
Sinks and tubs are good if the finish isn't damaged, but avoid faucets unless the seller can show you they work without leaks.
Doors, hardware and masonry are all great items, and stone, wood and glass are great materials, to buy salvaged. With light fixtures, keep in mind that they may need to be rewired, but this is a way to keep a great period fixture out of the Dumpster.
Sinks and tubs are good if the finish isn't damaged, but avoid faucets unless the seller can show you they work without leaks.
Doors, hardware and masonry are all great items, and stone, wood and glass are great materials, to buy salvaged. With light fixtures, keep in mind that they may need to be rewired, but this is a way to keep a great period fixture out of the Dumpster.
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8. Buy extra. "Waste" is the term we use for extra materials ordered, because the cutoffs usually end up as just that (unless they're recycled). The best way to figure out how much waste to order is by following a manufacturer's or installer's recommendations.
In the absence of those, use these tips. If you are confident about your measurements and the method of installation, you could get away with ordering 10 percent more of items like flooring or wall coverings, but 15 percent waste is a safer bet. If the item is special order, 15 percent is the minimum, and 20 percent may make sense depending on the situation.
Store leftovers of items, like tile and grout, in labeled containers in the basement in case repairs are ever needed.
In the absence of those, use these tips. If you are confident about your measurements and the method of installation, you could get away with ordering 10 percent more of items like flooring or wall coverings, but 15 percent waste is a safer bet. If the item is special order, 15 percent is the minimum, and 20 percent may make sense depending on the situation.
Store leftovers of items, like tile and grout, in labeled containers in the basement in case repairs are ever needed.
9. Have someone else check your work. Before you approve a special order, especially for windows and doors, have someone else familiar with the job look over the order. You can't send a custom door back because you didn't notice they got the door swing wrong or because the window is designed for 2-by-4 walls, not 2-by-6.
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by Kenny Grono
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| 10. Buy early. Stopping work to wait for materials to arrive is costly. Double the lead time you were told and you'll usually be safe. Delays happen all the time. If the materials are onsite, the contractor can check measurements and answer questions that the spec sheet doesn't address. If you don't want to expose items to theft, store the materials offsite where your general contractor can get to them, but don't try to time material deliveries for the moment they're needed. Next: What to Look for in a Contractor's Contract |
Ideabook updated on Nov. 28, 2012.
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If I'm doing the work myself, I don't have a general contractor, nor have someone else familiar with the job, nor am I paying for outside labor.
Recently I was talking to another tradesman about doing his own painting. (always a good DIY job since everyone "knows" how to paint) I suggested to him that he might be better off hiring someone to do the painting because he could get a painter for a lower per hour rate than he charges to his clients. A professional painter will have the knowledge and tools to get the work done quickly and probably has more knowledge about how to make the paint job look good. I asked my friend "why would you take 3 days to do a 1 day project?" I said hire a painter for one day, go work your own trade for the day earning enough money to pay the painter and you end up with two free days for no additional expense. Better yet, swap labor with the other guy and you both get your projects done quickly and done right
For products that are normally in stock, we place the order well in advance but schedule the delivery with the caveat "MUST DELIVER ON TIME." They almost always do. For special orders, we order early but have the distributor hold the product until we need it. Worst case, we might have to pick something up ourselves, but 95% of the time, deliveries are on time. And that can be improved by calling the day before to be sure you are in the delivery schedule.
A do-it-yourselfer might want to allow one extra day for delivery simply because builders and contractors are in the front of the queue in the delivery schedule because of their volume. DIY deliveries are often complicated -- "carry the materials to the Southwest corner of the house, then down the stairs and around the corner..." -- which almost guarantees your delivery will get a low priority.
Just a thought for those folks: There are a lot of experienced trades people and contractors who will be happy to help you do it yourself (but not all of them of course). A lot of DIY folks don't want the scrutiny of a tradesman because they fear ridicule or criticism. Don't be silly. When we renovate houses, we get a steady flow of neighbors coming over asking about their DIY projects and how best to do this or that. We are always happy to give them advice and I visit lots of projects and help keep them on track. I'm excited that folks like to do what I like to do. There are a lot of professionals who are like me. Shoot straight about your intentions (don't pretend you're going to hire me!) and I'll be happy to help you out. Developing relationships with retired contractors and tradesmen is a good idea too. I also see during renovations some really dangerous DIY fixes that could have been avoided had they gotten a consultation with a pro.
For bigger jobs that you want to do yourself, it makes sense to find a contractor who will help keep you on track for a fee. A few thousand dollars for advice on a twenty thousand dollar or so project will pay for itself more than twice -- I guarantee that!
We do get a lot of work when homeowners talk to us about how to do their project and find out that doing the job right is a lot more work than they want to do. Or, we've picked up a couple of small painting jobs recently when a homeowner started and got frustrated like the guy who was still working on the weekend project at 11:00 on Sunday night. We even pick up work advising DIYers we meet while out shopping for materials. So, unless we're really on a tight timeline, we try to always talk with people looking for some advice.
Tsudhonimh, the finish on a tub or sink can only be coated if you don't like the look of it, and those coatings often fail within a couple years. Drains can be swapped out with new unless they are rusted in place, which does happen. So if it looks like the drain assembly will need to be replaced, have the salvage store remove it before you head home.
:) Rhoda