Maybe the real question is: How does the client deal with the possibility that, soon after their project is done, it starts falling apart?
I'll answer this as a remodeling contractor - the role I fulfilled the majority of my life - but also as a client, who has had remodeling work on our current home done by others. It's important we stand in the shoes of our clients, as we all can.
Set Clear Expectations
The remodeling company must set clear expectations about what will happen after the project is completed. This can be a challenge, because it often is taking place at a time when the remodeling client is excited and apprehensive about the project starting and is overwhelmed with information.
When running our company, we would review how the completion list at the end of the project would be handled. The never-ending punch list was something we and the client wanted to avoid.
After the project was done, we wanted the client to call us first whenever anything needed attention. We would tell the client that if it was our responsibility, we would fix it at no charge. If it was their responsibility, we would give them a price to fix it.
Getting very clear before the project starts about what the client can expect from the contractor after the work is done gives the client a sense of security that the contractor won’t disappear.
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