Michael K. Walker, a veteran remodeler in Sarasota, Fla., points out two danger signs along the horizon: permitting lag time and new wind-zone insurance requirements. More
Remodelers and architects are notoriously uneasy partners. Interior designers and decorators also often leave contractors leery. For most firms, though, third-party design partners remain a fact of business, and making those partnerships work is essential to completing jobs on time, on budget, and to everyone's satisfaction. More
Seven years ago, when Michael Jensen and Susan Strober bought a 40-year-old home on the Gulf of Mexico, they knew that a renovation was in their future. What the couple didn't know was that the renovation would eventually involve more than 2 years of planning and getting the required permits, and 2Ω years of construction, during which time the original 3,970-square-foot house would do a vanishing act. More
