Many times, homeowners will consider many different avenues for completing a remodeling project. This is, of course, as it should be. Homeowners should always seek out at least three bids for any given design build remodeling project. Of course, the lowest bid is always tempting. But don’t be fooled by the promises of the “Fly-by-Nighters” or those with “low-ball” estimates. Most likely, the firm with the lowest bid will not have true Design/Build capabilities.

You might ask what is so important about Design/Build. It’s a buzzword that’s been used for a long time. Of course, the most important element of Design/Build construction often goes unmentioned. True Design/Build projects must include Scope Development. There are many firms that use the term “design/build” but don’t scope out the project like a true Design/Build remodeling firm should. CITY is all about scope development.

What is scope development, then? Scope development is what it sounds like it is: scoping out all of the different elements of a project and accounting for any potential problems that may come into play and try to limit any oversights that might be made. It’s important to have a professional that will scope out all of the different elements of the project and be truthful and realistic about costs and possible problems. There are contractors that simply read the plans, does a simple take-off, gets the materials, and goes to start working.

There are multiple problems that can arise when scope development isn’t done. First of all, there may be something in the design plan that isn’t properly accounted for, and a problem arises that can result in extra labor costs that weren’t originally intended. Also, planning ahead with scope development also reduces change orders. Some contractors will use lower-end or builder-grade material cost estimates, but when it turns out that what the homeowner really wants is far higher, cost overruns occur. With a professional contractor using scope development, product selections are figured out before the build contract is completed.

It’s also possible that a project may not stay in budget with a one-man band for other reasons, including time scheduling and unexpected labor issues, or problems with sub-contractors. Design/build contractors like CITY have everything efficiently organized to expedite the project in an orderly and productive manner. We make sure that everything is under one roof, and go over everything with you to make sure that things should go as planned. If not, we have a dedicate project manager to work with you should any problems arise.

The next time that you have someone tell you that they are a Design/Build professional, ask them about scope development. If they don’t do it, then they’re not a true Design/Build firm. At CITY, we not only are a Design/Build firm dedicated to scope development that works with you to deliver you exceptional results, but we also have an unprecedented five-year warranty on workmanship. With all these things in mind, we offer you to consider CITY Renovations & Remodeling for your next project.

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