Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Planning Your Garage Remodel

By involving a contractor at the design stage when planning your garage remodel, you can design your garage’s new look to be both practical and within your investment. Only a professional has the experience to foresee the potential cost implications of a difficult site. Most remodel specialists provide a design and build service. This means the consultation service is generally included at no extra charge.

A professional will also have the right team in place to handle the more complex side planning your garage remodel. It often takes a team including your contractor to scope out legal requirements and any permits required to make sure what you want can actually be built. Getting your design and specifications right in the beginning will save you in potential redesign fees and months of wasted time.

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Do you have an immovable hard and fast deadline for handover? Do you need to have your garage completely finished by Christmas or before a new family member arrives? If you have a fixed deadline, it’s a good idea to share this with your builder before you start.

A professional contractor will be able to provide a guide for timeline once the initial design has been completed. This will enable you to visualize how long all the different processes such as construction drawings, engineering and quoting take. You’ll also see the impact they will have on the start date and ultimately the completion date of your remodel.

> Keeping Your Garage Remodel on Schedule

Depending on the size and complexity of your remodel, you may have to partially or completely move out of your home for the construction work to take place. If you are able to just live in a section of your house during work, be prepared for construction noise during the day.

Areas under construction need to be completely cleared out. It will become a construction site with access being strictly controlled by your contractor. Agree in advance the frequency and times when you will be permitted to enter the site. This is for your own protection as construction sites are dangerous places.

While it may appear there is no rush to decide on the color and style of your garage cabinets before you sign a contract, it’s important to realize every selection decision has the potential to delay your project. Tiles, for instance, may have to be ordered up to four months in advance, so it’s important to make all of your selection choices during the design stage of your remodel.

Making changes to your selections after signing a building contract can incur delays as new orders have to be placed, and delivery times may impact the construction schedule. If a selection choice delays construction, this will lead to a variation and an Extension of Time (EOT) added to your potential completion date.