Qualified Remodeler Magazine

DEC 2013

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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PROFITS: Market Insight cian is on-site doing work per the contract and the client asks for additional electrical work, the electrician wants to do it right then and there, rather than having to come back. At the same time, however, we don't want to have the electrician do that extra work without first giving the client a price, because then the client could come back and argue the price. Sometimes we need to put the job on hold until a client signs the change order." Many of the small commercial jobs Watson works on involve committees that make selections. When too many of the committee members are communicating with the remodeler, it can become difficult to keep up with all the decisions. In these situations, Watson Probably 15 percent of our budgeted production time was spent being movers. We basically became part-time movers to get the job done. –Jim Bacon, Slavin Construction, Elmira, N.Y. Thinkstock/ Konstantinos Kokkinis COMMERCIAL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT INNOVATIVE STORAGE SOLUTIONS • Eliminate lost inventory & tools • Save time with more organized storage • Quiet and fuel effcient lightweight composite van interiors www.masterack.com • 800-222-8785 For more information circle 46 34 December 2013 QR ForResidentialPros.com encourages the committee to choose one person to be the spokesperson and point of contact. E. DeForest (Sandy) Winslow, LaGrange, Ga.-based Splash Kitchens & Baths, recently completed a wholehouse remodel that included 50 change orders; a typical project involves only one to five change orders, Winslow says. To stay ahead of any potential misunderstanding or disagreement down the road, Winslow required all change requests to be in written form, and that any change order must be made immediately, and all communication to be documented. Because of the online scheduling, communication and change order system Winslow uses, the client could see the amount of money being spent on changes, causing the client to remove several changes that otherwise would have further inflated costs. Scott Sevon, GMR, GMB, CGP, CGR, CAPS, of Palatine, Ill.-based MAW Chicago, also deals with continuous changes. "We have clients that continually make changes or bring in designs, real estate agents or others who want to make their selections." Another new challenge of recent years is unrealistic expectations, he notes. "As we deal with more high-end clients, their expectations — no matter how we set them — are very difficult to meet," Sevon says, due in part to television shows where jobs are completed almost overnight. "Most programs don't show any behind-the-scene selections, which on TV are being mostly made by professionals and are not client-driven." Although not all clientcontractor problems can be eliminated, setting realistic expectations and maintaining open and clear communication lines before and during the process can greatly alleviate frustrations. QR

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