Remodeling is by its very nature a contentious process. But there is no magic bullet to protect against run-ins with customers or, worse, with their lawyers. The best protection, many remodelers agree, is as simple as establishing the rules and then making sure everyone follows them. More
The Artisans Group in Olympia, Wash., uses allowances for most of the products and materials used for its projects ó one project could have as many as 25 or more allowances. To track these allowances, the company created a simple Excel spreadsheet that lists the allowance, the actual amount spent, and the difference. More
Before any work begins, clients sign off on language stipulating that every small change they request will cost them a $75 administrative fee, a flat labor rate of $55 per hour, plus the cost of materials and subcontractors, with a 25% markup on all but the $75 fee. More
The transformation of the 1977 ranch house with its cramped box of a kitchen to a 3,965-square-foot house with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a wide open kitchen overlooking a great room ó inhabited by a happy client ó is a testament to Levy's, and project manager John Brechel's, perseverance and flexibility. More
BQE Software introduces a new tracking, billing, and project management software that supports both Intuit QuickBooks and Microsoft Business Accounting platforms. More
The job has been sold, the contract signed, and the preconstruction meeting held. The clients are excited to get started ó but they can't remember some of their selections, or some things are on allowance, or some items are wrong because a designer used examples as place holders. More
Do you have guidelines for employee-client interaction? More
There was a time when change orders represented a large part of a company's profit on a project. This was particularly prevalent in commercial construction, where every proposal was bid by at least four companies. Most lowered their markups to win the bid, counting on change orders to make up the loss once they had the contract. Many residential remodelers have followed the same approach. More
