KBB - May/June 2015 - 12

INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT

Project Perfect
How to create a win/win experience for all involved - a contractor's perspective
There are distinct differences between a designer and contractor as
far as the remodeling relationship goes, but both are important parts of a
project and can make an awesome team when they work well together.
Working with designers who have a lot of expertise about building
and pricing (budget, labor and materials) is wonderful. From my experience, designers add aspects to a project I'm not well versed in and vice
versa. For example, designers have an eye for the completed project and
other aspects visually that I may not. A contractor brings the overall pricing knowledge, as well as knowing when a beam can be moved or how
the ceiling joists run, which can eliminate extra costs in a removal.
A successful project is achieved when there is clear communication
and teamwork among the homeowner, designer, contractor, lead carpenter and crew. Having a great team is what creates a win/win experience for all involved. It's not about anyone being right or wrong, it's about
creating an amazing experience together.

Designer and Contractor Working Together = Dream Team

Communicate Your Way to Win/Win

To Manage or not to Manage - Who Is the Question?

In working with many designers, I've had some willing to communicate
and some not so much. Such things as mismeasurements, suggesting a
change to a client and quoting a price without checking with me ﬁrst
have been challenges.
During a recent kitchen remodel, the price of a suggested beam removal the designer quoted the client actually ended up being $4,000
more. When my foreman went to conﬁrm this could easily be done, he
found out that it absolutely could not - nor had the homeowner asked for
the removal to be done in the ﬁrst place.

Have clear communication prior to the start about who will manage
the project - this is crucial. If the contractor is the project manager or
has a project manager on staff, and the designer wants to manage the
project, who's in charge? One way to determine this is by who secured
the client. If it is the designer, he/she may (or may not) want to be the
project manager, but at the very least I'd say they'd want to be involved. If
a designer brings the client, I always manage the project and schedule
the ﬂow. but I will keep him/her in the loop as much as they like.

I once worked with a decorator who called herself a designer, but she
was not. When it came time to tile around the new Jacuzzi tub, I asked
to make sure my team and I were present when she laid out the tile. She
said that wasn't necessary, but I explained that we needed to be there to
make sure everything she designed could be carried out in terms of the
building process. We were not notiﬁed, and she laid out the tile with three
inset niches to be included, which she had placed on three supporting
studs that couldn't be cut.
We redesigned the layout and the project came out beautifully, but it
could have easily been a disaster. If we'd not been willing to or capable of
redesigning the tile layout and built according to the decorator's design,
problems would have become apparent in the future. Even though one
would think a contractor would know better than to cut down something
that is weight bearing, we've opened up enough walls to know it's done.

Schedule Regular Meetings
Find Out What Things Really Cost
A designer should not suggest any change to the homeowner without
checking with the contractor on cost. Even though something as simple
as a color change may seem minor, if paint has already been purchased
or cabinet stain color has been applied, purchasing more paint and having to remove the stain can be costly. I feel it's of the utmost importance
that when a suggestion is made a cost comes with it.

Schedule meetings or conversations between the designer and
contractor about how the project is progressing before, during and after. When regular communication is practiced throughout the project, it
keeps things rolling and is a great way to avoid any problems. The after
conversation is important to determine what might need to be added,
enhanced or reworked so a future project ﬂows better. The before and
during conversations are crucial so challenges can be nipped in the bud.

What Does the Contractor Bring to the Table?

Ego, Who Me?

Whenever I work with a designer, I make sure my foreman takes his
own measurements before any cost estimating, ordering or building take
place. We also must be part of any suggested change in the design so
the cost of said change in terms of labor and materials is accurate.
During the initial stages of one kitchen remodel, the cabinet renderings were ﬁnalized per the designer's measurements but were off by a few
inches in several areas. My foreman remeasured them and built them
to ﬁt, but that may not always be the case if a contractor builds according to the original plan without remeasuring. This oversight could have
caused major problems when it came time to install the cabinets.

Don't allow ego to get in the way. It's really only about creating win/
win, not, "I'm right, and nothing else matters." This is why it's really about
effective communication, which is both listening and speaking among all
parties up front and ironing out the details prior to beginning the project.
I also love the "how it's progressing" discussion to address any mid-project
glitches and change orders ahead of time. This is what creates amazing
remodeling experiences and happy clients who want to refer you. n

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K BB

- Reva Kussmaul is CEO of Eye for Detail, Inc., a residential remodeling
company that has served California's San Gabriel Valley for 30 years.

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KBB - May/June 2015

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