Home Owners Guide To Remodeling

Do I need a permit for my project?
Some smaller projects do not require a permit. However you should always
check with your city or county building/planning dept. before proceeding with a
project. A licensed Contractor is required by law to obtain a permit when
necessary.

Is there a charge for an estimate?
Most estimates are free of charge. There may be charge if extensive research
and/or drawings, or developing a scope of work is required.

Do you mark up materials and sub-contractor fees?
Yes. It is necessary to add a small mark-up to cover costs such as supervision,
contract administration, materials research, pick-up and delivery, etc.

What if we change our mind after signing the contract?
After signing a contract, the customer is legally entitled to a "Right to Cancel"
within three business days. Any deposit paid when the contract was signed will
be returned. Even after three days most contractors will cancel a contract if the
customer wishes to do so as long as any expenses have been compensated for.
It is important to maintain a pleasurable working environment and that is not
possible when one party is not happy.

Can I be the "owner-builder" and hire you to do part of the project?
Yes. Read the "Owner Builder" clause of the building permit carefully. You are
required to hire only licensed contractors and are responsible for "Workers
Compensation" insurance for any employee not covered by a licensed
contractor. Make sure that the contractor is licensed for the particular trade
involved.

Can we do some of the work ourselves to help cut costs?
Yes, you can choose to cut costs by doing some simple demolition, removing
appliances & fixtures, painting, etc.

Can I add another sink or mop sink?
You will need to check with the Monterey County Water Management District.
They will let you know if you have water credits available and, if not,
how you may gain the necessary water credits.

Can I add another bathroom to my house?
Any room addition requires a call to the city/county planning department. For a
bathroom addition, you will need to find out if you have room on your lot and if
you have the necessary water allowances/credits.

Do we need a set of plans for our remodel?
Plans, drawings and blueprints are always a good idea. They are not always
required, and sometimes not cost-effective, for small remodel or repair
projects. However for larger remodels and additions they are required by the
city/county for the permitting process.

Do we have to use fluorescent lighting in our kitchen?
The current building code requires fluorescent lights as the main source of
kitchen lighting. Lighting companies are starting to offer better alternatives to
the old long tube fluorescent lights.

We want stone countertops but worry about staining.
Many new man-made stone counter tops are stain resistant but most natural
stone products will stain. Any natural stone product should be properly sealed
and will perform well if done so.

How long does a bath remodel take to complete?
From 1 to 4 weeks depending on the type of remodel. A basic remodel using
solid surface countertops, vinyl flooring and no tub or tub wall replacement
could take as little as 1.5 to 2 weeks to complete. When adding labor-intensive
work such as tile floors, walls or changing the floor plan, the project will take
more time to complete.

How long does a kitchen remodel take to complete?
The same rules apply to a kitchen remodel. To help save time on a remodel it
is important to have all the fixtures, appliances and materials on hand to avoid
delays. A full week can easily be lost because a special order under-counter
sink or tile trim is not on site when ready to be installed.

How many workers will be in my home?
The number of workers in your home depends on the scale of your project. If
you are residing in the home during a remodel, we keep the number of workers
to minimum (2 or 3 at the most).

Am I covered in the event an accident occurs in my home?
Yes, our General Liability insurance covers any accidents, if they happen
during, and as a result of, the construction project.

What is the procedure for remodeling the only bath in my house?
This is a tough one, especially when a tub replacement is part of the project.
The toilet can usually be reset at the end of the day's work however, the
tub/shower typically requires more work to get it minimally usable. This
scenario should be discussed in depth between the customer and contractor to
make life as easy as possible for both parties. We typically try to get through
this part of the remodel as fast as possible, which means having spent a lot of
time planning out the project.

How do we live without a kitchen during the remodel?
You can move a microwave and/or portable electric burners to your laundry
room or bar area. We can temporarily move your refrigerator as well.

Is there a way to prevent dust during the remodel?
There is no way to prevent all dust, but we can eliminate much of the
construction dust -- we use a dust control system that utilizes plastic zip-walls
and an air filter unit. We also try to control airflow by creating negative
pressure in the work area thereby preventing dust from flowing to the other
areas.