Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Calgary Renovation Contractor

When it comes to renovating or building in Calgary, one of the most common questions homeowners ask is “Why should I pay a renovation contractor?”  It’s true that some small DIY jobs make sense to tackle on your own, but for other little projects, and especially larger projects like kitchen renovations, basement developments, home additions, and custom homes, it is highly advisable to leave it to the professionals.  There are far more reasons than what we are showing here, but we’ve narrowed it down to what we consider to be the top 5:

1. COST

Yes, really.  Cost.  One of the most common misconceptions homeowners have is that by being their “own general contractor” they will save money as compared to hiring a custom builder or renovation contractor. However this is seldom reality.  The fact is that most professional builders and contractors buy at wholesale or contractor-discounted prices that are substantially less than what a homeowner would pay buying building products at retail. And because professional contractors have a stable of regular trades they work with, this can be especially true for renovation or construction labour costs. This means that even though your kitchen renovation contractor charges a fee or markup for his services, typically those costs are mostly or even fully absorbed by the savings he can provide on materials and labour. Professional Calgary home renovators also won’t make the same costly mistakes commonly made by inexperienced homeowners, and because they have qualified and competent trades and suppliers to complete your renovation project, they will also help ensure better future resale value for your home.

2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE

You may be a very organized person, but are you experienced in construction management?  From the start of your custom home or renovation project to the finish, a professional renovator helps you navigate through the sometimes daunting process of turning your remodelling ideas into successful results. They are experienced in managing timelines specific to home building and renovations and they understand the critical path and the proper sequence of trades and events.  They will organize and handle the procurement of materials, and the scheduling of those tradespeople and suppliers, and will execute the job efficiently and in a timely manner. Renovating any existing structure can reveal surprises. The experienced and competent home renovator in Calgary will bring solutions to those renovation challenges and will have the knowledge and experience to catch potential problems early in the project, and know what to do when they arise.

3. TRADE CONNECTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS

Ask almost any professional Calgary home renovator, and they’ll tell you one of the biggest challenges in becoming a successful renovation contractor in Calgary (or anywhere) is finding the RIGHT trades that are timely, reliable, conscientious & honest, and do excellent work - all at a fair and competitive price!  It can literally take years to build an top-quality stable of trades, and often it comes by trial and error. Professional, full-time general contractors come with established working relationships and discounts with the sub-trades and suppliers who they know, from experience, will deliver excellent workmanship and value to their clients. As a homeowner embarking on a basement development or a home addition, there can be considerable peace of mind in knowing that your home renovation contractor has properly vetted the trades that you are placing your trust in. After all, your home is usually your biggest single investment, so you owe it to yourself to protect it.

4. ACCURATE PRICING

Have you ever talked to someone who was planning a major home renovation project, and in the end it ended up costing 20%, 30% or even 50% more than they had anticipated? Yes, it happens all the time. Calgary’s experienced custom builders and renovation contractors know what it takes to do a job right, and they have current knowledge of what each piece of the home renovation puzzle costs. They will use that experience and knowledge to help you establish a realistic budget based on the estimated scope of work. When the design is finalized and all finishes and details are worked out, your contractor can give you a detailed price on your home remodelling project. By choosing a design/build renovation contractor, and talking to your contractor early on in the design process, or better yet, using their in-house designers, you’ll gain a much better understanding of what is achievable within your budget.

5. FASTER PROJECT COMPLETION

There’s a saying in legal circles that says, “The man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client”.  In other words, there is no replacement for experience and knowledge. By virtue of their profession, experienced, professional Calgary home renovation contractors know everything that is involved with the home renovation process in Calgary. They know what decisions need to be made, when they need to be made, and in what order; and they know what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and by whom.  They understand through experience that the scheduling demands of construction projects are very unique, and are often a moving target.  As a result, they are able to avoid the pitfalls and delays that can typically occur on homeowner-run renovation projects. And when something does go wrong - and it always does - their full-time availability, and their knowledge and experience helps them provide timely solutions with minimal impact to the project schedule.  In our experience, the average timeline to complete a major Calgary kitchen renovation or basement development project is about half when a professional renovation contractor is used vs. homeowner managed remodelling projects. This means that by hiring a good builder/renovator, not only are the chances of success greater, but you will save money on costly mistakes and delays and get to enjoying your home sooner.

TLTR (too long to read)

In the short version: When planning your custom renovation, hiring a Calgary Renovation Contractor can provide expertise in regards to:  COST, PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE, TRADE CONNECTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS, ACCURATE PRICING AND FASTER PROJECT COMPLETION.

Questions? We’re here to help.  Call (403) 398-6514 or email info@livingscape.ca to discuss your project.