It’s not until you hear of a remodeling contractor that offers financing, as does Custom Design & Construction in Los Angeles, that you realize how odd it is that more companies don’t do this. Think about it: What if you went to buy a car and your experience was similar to how it is with…
You’ve heard the drill when looking for a remodeling contractor: Get references. But what does that mean? References from a neighbor? A friend? The guy at the hardware store? Yes, yes and yes. But the kinds of references typically NOT that helpful are the glowing testimonials you might find on a remodeling contractor’s website, testimonials…
Based on my observations of the remodeling industry during the last 20 years, here is my list of three common mistakes contractors make (feel free to add to this list): 1. A lack of well-thought-out company policies and systems. Remodeling is an enormously complicated endeavor. You’ve got all the complexities of building houses, plus the…
UPDATE: The Daily Breeze reports that Francisco Linares will not have to report to jail Monday after all if he posts $100,000 bail. Superior Court Judge Sandra Thompson ruled that Linares could remain free while appealing his six-month sentence for violating his plea agreement for municipal code violations. My original posting from Aug. 29: The…
What is better? A flat fee for a contractor’s services? Or a fee based on a percentage of the job costs, such as drywall and plumbing? Frequent Pardon Our Dust commenter Sheila has a strong opinion that a flat fee is much better for the homeowner. Here’s what she wrote: my brother-in-law is a high-quality…
You have several options when hiring contractors or installers to do remodeling work, including: 1. Hire independent contractors from your area2. Hire contractors through local stores, such as kitchen and bath shops3. Use certified installers for such products as Pella windows and Corian counters4. Hire installers through big box stores such as Home Depot and…
See how the wood fails to line up on this railing? Would you accept this? But see how it looks in the bigger picture below? Not so bad? So-called difficult clients will insist the rails be lined up better, even though it’s in a far corner of a deck and will soon be covered with…
It’s pretty late in the evening here, in a completely quiet house, as I troll through my computer’s hard drive and the articles I’ve written, which number in the thousands by now. I come across an article I did last year for Remodeling magazine, an excellent publication read mostly by contractors. The editors there had…
Several readers have asked lately whether or not now — while the building, buying and selling of homes has slowed to a crawl — is the best time to do a remodel. I asked four prominent SoCal remodeling contractors for their perspective. These contractors — Matt Plaskoff, John Sofio, Bob Sturgeon and Alon Toker —…
Has anyone done work on your home who deserves a “shout out”? An “atta boy” or “atta girl”? A pat on the back? It’s funny how the incompetent people get all the press, while the good ones fade into obscurity. Let’s turn that around. To help create a list of reader-recommended Southern California architects, designers,…