A complete bathroom remodeling could involve
all of the following skills:
- design
- demolition
- plumbing
- electrical wiring
- tiling
- sheetrock and plastering
- painting
- cabinetry
As a result, many homeowners turn to a general contractor or to individual professionals for many
of the tasks.
If you decide to tackle organizing
the project
yourself, remember to follow
your community's
building codes and schedule inspections
as
required. Also, work with each
of the tradesmen
you intend to hire to understand
what requirements
they have before you start your
project.
For example, knowing that a plumber
wants
to run the pipe to the shower
head before
the wall is enclosed can save
you the aggravation
of knocking holes in new sheetrock.
If you decide to hire a contractor,
here
are some tips:
- get references and inspect the quality of
their work; see examples of work done a year
or more ago to see how the work holds up
to normal wear and tear (bathroom humidity
can cause a lot of problems over time if
the work is not done well)
- get the details (materials, fixtures, finishes,
cost, time, etc.) in writing and review the
contract with your lawyer before signing
- pay only as significant milestones are completed
Even with an experienced contractor, there
may be unforeseen problems; however, the
reason you use a contractor is to minimize
the number and severity of such problems. |
