Planning a home remodel

Write down what needs to change

Start with the problems, not the finishes. For example: two people cannot cook at once, the only full bathroom is too small, or the basement is never used. Then sort your list into must-haves and nice-to-haves.

Save photos of rooms you like. Add one line to each about what you like in it, such as "the open shelves" or "the light wood floor." That tells a contractor more than the photo alone.

Next, look past the one room. A kitchen remodel that opens to the living room can mean load-bearing wall removal, a floor that runs through both rooms and new lighting. On our Westminster main-floor remodel, we removed walls and added a structural beam. Now the kitchen, dining and living areas are one space. New hardwood floors and lighting were part of the same job.

Sometimes the rooms work fine, but the house is too small. Then a new layout will not fix it. A home addition or kitchen extension adds the space you are missing.

What drives the cost

Room size alone does not set the price. Two kitchens the same size can differ a lot. These are the things that move the number most:

• Moving things. Keeping the sink, toilet, shower and range where they are costs less than moving them. Moving them means new plumbing, gas lines or venting.
• Structure. Taking out a load-bearing wall, adding a beam or fixing damaged framing can add engineering and more finish work.
• Electrical. New circuits, more lights, or an older electrical panel that cannot carry the new load.
• Cabinets and counters. Stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets differ a lot in price and wait time. So do counter materials.
• Finishes. Tile, flooring, fixtures and hardware each come in a wide price range. A detailed tile pattern also takes longer to set.
• Repairs around the work. Patching floors, walls and ceilings where an old wall or fixture used to be.
• What is behind the walls. Old wiring, leaks or rot can turn up once the walls are open.

Pick an amount you are comfortable spending and share it at the walkthrough. Then ask what could be simpler without losing what matters most to you. Keeping plumbing where it is and using standard cabinet sizes are two common ways. Also set money aside for surprises found after demolition. Older homes and homes with past repairs tend to need more.

Compare estimates line by line

Give every contractor the same list of work and the same drawings, if you have them. Otherwise you are comparing different jobs. A lower total can mean cheaper materials, fewer rooms or steps left out. Check what each estimate includes before you compare totals:

• Prep and cleanup: demolition, hauling debris away, and covering floors and rooms outside the work area.
• Structure and systems: framing, beams, plumbing, electrical and venting.
• Finishes: cabinets, counters, tile, flooring, fixtures, paint and trim, including where new floors meet old ones.
• Who does what: who buys the materials, and who handles engineering, permits and inspections.
• Allowances: a set amount for items not chosen yet, like tile or light fixtures. Ask what that amount buys.
• Exclusions: what is not in the price. Appliances and painting rooms outside the work area are common examples.

If an estimate is one number with no breakdown, ask for the parts. RSRT gives you a free written line-item estimate after the walkthrough. Each part of the job has its own line, so you can see where the money goes. If the work or the price changes later, we write it up as a change order. You approve it before that work starts.

Permits and inspections

Work that changes structure, plumbing, wiring or gas usually needs a building permit. Additions and finished basements need one too, and so do many new decks. Fresh paint, or new cabinets in the same layout, often do not. Rules and review times differ from one city to the next.

With a permit, an inspector checks the work at set stages, such as framing or rough plumbing, before the walls are closed. Ask each contractor who pulls the permit and who meets the inspector. We handle permits and coordinate inspections where required. We are licensed in Superior, Boulder, Broomfield, Arvada, Thornton, Lakewood and other towns.

Questions to ask any contractor

• Are you licensed in my city, and are you insured?
• Who will I deal with during the job?
• Who does the plumbing and electrical work, and are they licensed?
• What is in this price, and what is not?
• How do you handle changes once work starts?
• What warranty do you give on your work, and for how long?
• Can I see finished jobs like mine and read reviews from past clients?
• How will you keep dust out of the rest of the house?
• What do you need from me, and by when?

Our answers: RSRT is licensed and insured. The owners, Alex and Sergei, do the walkthrough and stay on the job. They do the plumbing and electrical work themselves, licensed in Colorado, plus the framing, drywall, tile, paint and finish work. Roofing and concrete go to crews we work with regularly. Every estimate is written and itemized, and changes go on a written change order first. Our work comes with a 2-year workmanship warranty. You can see our finished projects and read client reviews on this site.

Plan the order of work

A few decisions have to come before the start date. A typical order looks like this:

1. Settle the layout and the list of work.
2. Bring in an engineer if a structural wall or beam is involved.
3. Apply for permits.
4. Choose and order items that take weeks to arrive, such as cabinets, windows or special-order tile.
5. Start demolition once permits are approved and those items are on the way.

If several rooms share plumbing, wiring or one floor, doing them together in a whole-home remodel means one round of disruption instead of several. Doing one room at a time spreads out the cost and the decisions. Our complete home remodel in Boulder did it all at once: a full interior renovation with a new kitchen, new bathrooms, flooring and lighting.

What to bring to the walkthrough

• Your must-have list and your nice-to-have list.
• Photos, rough measurements and any plans you already have.
• A budget range and a target finish date, plus the reason for the date, such as guests coming or a planned sale.
• Things you want to keep, reuse or buy yourself.
• Known problems: leaks, soft or uneven floors, or past work done without a permit.
• HOA rules, if your neighborhood has them.

You do not need finished plans to start. Alex and Sergei, RSRT's owners, do the walkthrough themselves. Use the visit to sort out what can be priced now and what needs a closer look first, such as an engineer's review of a wall.

Get the house ready

• Pick the bathroom you will use during the work. If the kitchen is torn out, set up a microwave and a coffee maker in another room.
• Clear the work area and the path to it. Take fragile items off shelves in nearby rooms.
• Decide where pets and kids will stay, and which doors stay closed.
• Agree on work hours, parking and where materials will be stored.
• Ask when water, power or gas will be off, and for how long.
• If you work from home, pick a quiet room away from the work.

For a big job, staying with family or in a rental for part of it can be easier. Ask which weeks will be the hardest to live through, and plan around those.