Unfinished basement contracting?

Question

Please advise me on what avenue I should go to hire a contractor to finish my basement. Should I hire the electrician, plumber and drywaller seperately...or should I hire a contractor that sub-contracts all those people? My husband and I love to work together on our house projects, so we would like to do some of the work ourselves. For amatures, what could we get away with doing ourselves with a "dummy" book? Also, is there any advise anyone can give me to avoid any tack-on costs and confusion. (My friend had a house built with a front porch...but found out that the railing was extra.) Stuff like that. Thank you so much for any advice you pros can give me!!!

Answer 1

First thing you should do, is sit down and make a list of the features you want in your remodel.

You need to check with your local municipality to see if you must have a permit for the work -- this may impact how much of the work you will tackle yourselves because of time restrictions, or licensing requirements.

Check with local contractors and handymen... ask for references, and get quotes (shouldnt cost you anything for these) - CHECK those references! Ask if they are happy with the work, and whether the contractor was well organized, how easy to work with, etc. (Believe it or not, there are crews and individuals that are skilled in ALL aspects of remodeling, and repair work, hehehe) Also ask about their insurance!

Since you want to do some of the work yourselves, you also need to find a contractor who is willing to work with you. Sometimes this can be a challenge, hehehe

Not knowing your skill levels, its rather difficult to suggest what work you could do.... what I would be comfortable doing, might now be what you would want to tackle.


Plan the work, Work the Plan, hehehe... just take it all one step at a time.

Have Fun

Answer 2

You need to make a list of everything you want to do. Then figure out exactly what you are going to do. Remember once you start, and any changes cost money. Hire them separately, A general contractor will also make money on the other skilled trades. Be careful, and get references.