6 Ways To Keep Your Covid-19 Home Renovation Project On Solid Footing

As millions of Americans work—and go to school—from home because of Covid-19, they’re also looking at the spaces around them. Sure, your house might offer enough room during most times, but with more people crammed together trying to get things done? Not so much.

You have a couple of options: You could buy a new home, but renovating that space is showing itself to be a popular move.

In fact, Houzz saw a 58% jump in project leads for home professionals in June 2020. The online home design platform also found high demand for home renovation projects continued into the fall, as its project backlog measurement increased to 7.2 weeks, according to an October report, two weeks longer than the same time last year.

If you’re considering expanding that kitchen for all the meals you’re making at home, putting on that addition to give you more space or adding another bathroom so that your family isn’t fighting over the shower, you’ll have to find a contractor. Here’s what to consider in finding a reputable company for the job, while protecting your investment, too.

Take Your Time

Good contractors can be hard to find in the best of circumstances. But when there’s a sudden demand for home improvement work, like after a hurricane or during a global pandemic, bad actors come out of the woodwork.

Demand hasn’t reached the level of a hurricane recovery, says Tom Ashley, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council and partner at Expand Inc., a home remodeling company in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Still, homeowners may see elevated demand and feel tempted to “just reach out and grab [someone].”

Instead, ask friends and family for recommendations and about both the good and the bad experiences they’ve had. Was the work done well? On time? Did contractors promptly return calls? What did the contractor do when it found surprise asbestos in the walls? Or when the oven for the kitchen renovation arrived three months late?

You also can search for your National Association of Home Builders chapter and look for remodelers. Ashley says these contractors are more likely to know the local rules, regulations and municipality requirements, especially when it comes to what’s needed for permits and inspections.

Ask for References—And Call Them

Even if you’re considering a contractor based on a recommendation from a friend or family member, ask the contractor for more references, especially for those that match the kind of project you have in mind.

And make sure you can see their work. While Covid-19 might make it harder to see that work in person, getting a look via a video call can give you a better idea than just seeing pictures will.

David Dynega, CEO of Detail Renovations in Great Neck, New York, says the more references the better. Dynega will provide a list of 100 clients “so [potential customers] can pick and choose who they want to speak to,” he says. He also itemizes the list so potential clients can call past clients based on the type of job.

Check the License

Each state has its own contractor licensing board, so check to make sure the contractor you choose is legitimate (because yes, sometimes people do lie). Where you can search licenses depends on the state. For example, in New Jersey, it’s with the division of consumer affairs; with Pennsylvania, it’s with the attorney general. Many state contractor boards have set up their own searchable websites.

Not only will a license prove that a contractor has met general requirements to operate in your state, but you can typically also see any outstanding complaints filed with your state.

Hiring a licensed contractor also gives you a layer of protection in case things go wrong. If needed, you can report the contractor to the state licensing board, says Nat Nason, managing partner at Nason Yeager, a law firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. “If a contractor down here ignores the process or does not make good on it, the contractor can lose their license,” he says.

Your state also has a contractor’s recovery fund (though the exact name may vary), which can compensate homeowners if a licensed contractor bungles and doesn’t fix—or doesn’t finish—a job.

Create a Detailed Plan

The more specifics you include in the plan from the start, the better, Ashley says. “People want to jump to the work first. The painful part is getting through that process of figuring out exactly what you want and how much it’s going to cost.”

Make sure your plan is detailed. For example, a contractor’s bid shouldn’t just say “paint the room.” Rather, ensure it says something like this: “I’m going to paint two coats and we’re going to do the ceiling and the trim,” Ashley says.

This also helps create a realistic schedule. “If the decisions are getting made as the job is going on, now the job stretches out and the timeline changes because all the decisions weren’t made in advance,” Dynega says. That might mean changes—and a ballooning budget, too.

For a big job, Dynega often recommends the homeowner hire a designer or architect. “I want them spending the time to really evaluate the process,” he says.

Make sure payments are part of the schedule, too, and are in line with your state’s regulations, Nason says. In Florida, for example, if a contractor takes more than a 10% down payment, the contractor must apply for permits within 30 days of the payment, and start work within 90 days of permits being issued. In California, down payments are 10% of the total cost or $1,000, whatever is less.

You should also be wary of estimates that sound too good to be true—or track with a TV home renovation show schedule, for example. Ashley says part of his job is sometimes reeducating people about what something really costs when a camera crew isn’t around.

Talk about Covid-19

Any plan should include discussions about safety around Covid-19. Ask the contractor about what precautions it plans to take, its personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and what the contractor expects of the people living in the home. Should homeowners isolate to specific rooms while workers are in the home? Move out all together? Ask about the contractor’s plan of action if an employee tests positive, or if a homeowner the contractor is working with does.

You also should consider whether this is the right time for a project that would bring a lot of people into the living space, especially if one of your family members is elderly, immunocompromised or otherwise at risk for developing severe complications from Covid-19. You may want to do a smaller project, or just wait.

Be Flexible, Especially Right Now

Even with the most detailed planning, things happen—especially if you’re renovating an older house or adding on to it. Who knows, for example, what previous owners did that may need to be mitigated or undone?

Keep in mind, too, that the crush for contractors also is affecting the materials they need to do their work. Supply chains have been and will continue to be disrupted for a wide variety of building materials, from interior doors to electrical components. Dynega says he’s still waiting on a faucet he ordered for a client more than eight months ago. That doesn’t mean his client can’t use the tub; instead, he installed a temporary faucet until the correct one arrives.

Still, you don’t have to accept any and all delays, but planning for these kinds of hiccups, especially if a specific item or material has been hard to get during the pandemic, can help.

More From Advisor

• Your Guide To The Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation Loan
• Today’s Mortgage Interest Rates: Nov. 19, 2020—Rates Smash Another Record Low
• How Much Money Can You Borrow With A HELOC?

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.