However, this is known as a custom renovation, and you will pay a contractor a little more than if he were able to start from scratch.
Why will you pay more for a custom renovation, you ask? The simple answer is, your contractor is an expert with a ton of knowledge, and he will have to use that expertise to protect and work around existing structures to ensure it all comes together seamlessly. Instead of seeing the higher cost as a client, let’s look at the job of the contractor to understand what goes into your custom renovation.
It’s all in a Day’s Work
Demolition
When a custom renovation is in order, the most expensive and time-consuming part of the job is the demolition. With existing structures already in place, usually only some of them will be removed and replaced while the rest remain. This part of the job requires forethought, planning and precision to ensure the parts that do remain are undamaged and are able to be used in the new design. Demolition is usually the hardest part of a custom renovation, and mistakes during this phase of the project can be very expensive.
Creativity
Think of your bathroom remodel contractor as an artist of sorts. In order for your vision, the structures you want to keep, and the actual final product to integrate seamlessly, he must be creative. Working with existing structures in a home requires innovative thinking to ensure everything old and new comes together in a way that meets everyone’s satisfaction.
Your Vision
This part of a renovation is often where the most problem comes in. You know how you envision the finished room will look, but conveying that vision to the contractor so that he’s able to get it right can be tough. There are times when your ideas may not be realistic or the contractor finds out along the way that what you want simply isn’t going to work. If this happens, the contractor is sometimes forced to demolish and re-construct work he’s already completed.
Often times, custom renovations do not involve any architectural prints at all – ideas are often little more than scribbles on a piece of paper or verbal ideas tossed around between you and your bathroom remodel contractor. Decisions are often made at the spur of the moment as the project continues from day to day. Because of this, costs can increase over the course of the project.
Tips to Prevent High Costs
As a customer asking for a custom bathroom renovation, here are three tips to keep in mind to help keep the cost of your project as low as possible.
1. Know exactly what you want. Consider if the changes you want to make justify the cost of the job.
2. If there are existing structures that you want to keep, be sure to consider the amount of demolition needed to properly work around that structure and keep it in tact.
3. Convey your ideas and expectations to your contractor as clearly as possible so there’s no question about what you do and don’t want.
