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Job Schedule
There are many areas where the schedule affects the satisfaction of the project. Did the contractor take too long to get the proposal done or to get back to you with answers to your questions? Did the contractor promise to bring over samples and then have to be reminded? Is the contractor too busy to give you the attention you want? These kinds of things could be early warning signs that schedule may be an issue throughout the project.
If you missed all of those early warning signs and signed the contract, schedule still has a real chance of adversely affecting your satisfaction with the job. Did the contractor say he could fit you into his schedule and then something changes at the last minute? Was the permit pulled before the work started? If special materials were needed for your project, did they get ordered so the workers would have them when they needed them? Were trade partner agreements negotiated in a timely fashion? If there were delays, did the contractor anticipate them, have an acceptable alternate plan and inform you of the anticipated changes?
In general, scheduling are either always an issue for a contractor on every job or are rarely an issue. Companies have systems and habits, and they seldom do things differently.
Do you have special scheduling considerations? Do you want to have your new living room done for Christmas? Do you want this work completed while you are on vacation? These are extremely important considerations since many contractors schedule work many months in advance and many jobs have several elements to coordinate. Find out how you fit into his schedule and be upfront and realistic about a timeline.
One of the things that happens most often in remodeling projects is that the scope of work changes by Change Order but the contractor didn’t make it clear that the additional work would add to the timeline of the project. There are many subtle things that can change the flow and progress of the work. The more experience your contractor has, the more these things can be anticipated. The kinds of things the contractor can’t anticipate are how long it takes you to make decisions, how long it will take you to visit showrooms and pick out products or how long it will take you to do your part of the project.
Ratings
Unacceptable: The contractor has no sense about how long the project will take. He can’t count on his trade partners or their schedule.
Good: The contractor gets back to all clients in a timely manner. The contractor provides a job schedule to the clients prior to commencement.
Better: In addition to the above, the contractor posts the schedule on the job, the lead carpenter is always managing the job on a daily basis and all changes are communicated to everyone who is affected by the changes.
Best: In addition to the above, the schedule for your job is on the contractor’s web site and everyone who is affected by the schedule has access to it on the web site. The schedule is regularly updated. All scheduling concerns are addressed in a timely fashion and to everyone’s satisfaction.
Check out the other 24 factors that every smart house-owner use when they consider their remodeling contractor here.