There are so many disastrous home renovations that entire television shows are devoted to making it right and restoring sanity to the homeowners.

If you think hiring a professional means you can just delegate the renovation to him and he’ll take care of it, you’re a statistic - and a home-disaster show episode - waiting to happen.

A home renovation isn’t a task to delegate; it’s a task to manage. You need to ask questions upfront, in the middle - and all the way through to the end. Because no matter what happens on this job, your contractor is going home to his house. This “job site” is where you go home. So demand nothing less than excellence.

So, where do you start?
Here are 10 things your contractor won’t tell you - that you absolutely need to know before you start a renovation.

Larry Smith,
LS Architectural Design

• I’m not going to be at your house every day.
  Sure, this renovation is a big deal to you, but for your contractor, it’s just another job. Contractors juggle jobs- they need to have multiple jobs going to stay afloat, which means that they’re almost definitely NOT going to be there every day. You have to accept this as fact, but what you don’t have to accept is a lack of communications. Just make sure you stay on top of them and know what days they’re going to be in your house, how many guys they’re bringing and what they’re doing.

• I know you’re the one paying, but my loyalties lie with that grungy guy I just let into your house.
  When you hire a lawyer, personal trainer or a general contractor you think, “That’s my guy. He works for me. He’s looking out for my best interest.”
  When it comes to a general contractor, sorry to tell you - he’s not looking out for you. He’s doing his job. Unless the errors are flagrant and truly in-your-face, most general contractors allegiance tends to be toward his trades and subcontractors. Each directly depends on the other to make a living. “Unfortunately, as the client, you’re the odd man out.

• I’m a Jack of all Trades- but a master of none.
  You have to ask your contractor how he plans to execute your renovation - is he doing it all himself or hiring subcontractors?

• 
  You may be inclined to think that having one guy do it all is better - you’re met him and vetted him, plus it’s cheaper to have one guy instead of 10, right? Not necessarily. “Lots of guys are a Jack of All Trades - but master of none.” Most guys are probably well-versed in a trade or two but probably not so well versed in all of them. With plumbers and electricians, for example, you’re probably better off getting someone licensed.

• I have a police record in three states.
  It’s easy to check a doctor’s qualifications- chances are, he’s in your insurance network. And, when you walk into his office, you’ll see his degree on the wall. But how do you know if your contractor is licensed and insured, or if he has bad credit and a criminal record in three states? You don’t. Because you’re not walking into his office - he’s walking into YOUR home. Before you open the door, you should check to make sure he’s licensed and ask for proof of insurance for him - and any subcontractors.

  
  

OK, time for some tough love. Someone has to tell you that your contractor - is NOT a DESIGNER. Most contractors aren’t going to tell you that you could get an extra foot of space if you simply bent a pipe and ran it in another direction, or that they are capable of making your new flooring flush with the old floor with a little extra work. They just want to make all your cherry wood and marbled granite dreams come true, take your money and move on to the next job quickly. So, you either need to hire a designer - even for a consultation - or start thinking like a designer and insisting that your contractor execute your vision.

Part of it is laziness but it’s also money. These are the things that add costs. A lot of contractors are afraid to add costs to a job. And remember: They’re not in the hand - holding business. Designers are. A designer will say to you: “”How do you want to change your space? What’s important to you - open concept? Extra storage? Better work space? If your contractor scratches his chest and says, “What’s important to you, darling”? - you’d better pinch yourself, because you’re probably dreaming!

Let’s talk trash.
It’s easy to get excited about paint colors, exotic woods and granite countertops but once you nail all of those things down, you’re still got a long list of things to talk about - and it’s not pretty.
What are your working hours, when is it OK to use the noisy equipment, who’s going to clean up all the dust, who’s going to take out the trash, what are the rules of eating, drinking and smoking on the job, etc.

You don’t need a air conditioner/furnace that big.
It happens all the time - you need a new unit, but knowing nothing about them. So, you call in a contractor and delegate the job to him. Well, here’s the reality: contractors often put in units that are 50 percent to 300 percent larger than the home actually requires, the reason? They don’t want you calling them back and having to go back out there. The solution is to have your house tested to find out exactly what your energy load is - and make sure you get a unit that’s neither too big, nor too small - but just right.

If you pay me too much up front, I’ll leave before the job’s done - or rob you blind.
OK, by now you know that home renovations always cost at least 10 percent more than you budgeted for. But what you may not realize is - if you pay him too much up front, he’s not going to finish the job. You need to pay on an installment plan. The only front money is for cabinets, appliances, etc. The rest should be paid as the contractor finishes each step of the renovation. The final 10 percent should only be paid upon completion of the job. You must know what extra work or changes to project will cost before you make those changes! Don’t get sucked into paying as you go. Otherwise, your renovation will be one big string of profanity-laced tirades, instead of the dazzling granite-topped transformation you imagine it to be.