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Allowances and Budgeting Can Be a Nightmare for Both Contractor and Client

There are two really frustrating issues that can (and usually do) surface during the course of a remodeling project. Inadequate allowances and/or not identifying and budgeting for all the items a client wants, can really turn a project sour. To anyone getting ready to plunge into a project or to those in the early stages of a project, take heed and insist that your architect/designer help you avoid these pitfalls. This second piece of advice might sting a little, but here it goes…take control of your own budget. If there is a line item allowance for a material and you select another material that is more expensive, that’s your choice as the homeowner. That does not become your contractor’s problem. This is one area where contractors and homeowners sometimes have issues, so avoid this altogether by paying attention that each purchase or expenditure falls within the set allowance for that item. It is, after all, your project and ultimately your check book. Now, to avoid the issue of an inadequate allowance by your contractor, you need to be very clear about what you want in the early stages of design and planning, so both of you are clear on what is expected. Material samples are a very important part of gaining clarity. When a material is chosen from a sample (be it flooring, cabinetry, tile, trim, whatever), budgeting is a piece of cake and no one gets hit with a surprise when it’s installed or when the bill comes. The other communication that needs to happen is a design. Cabinetry, for instance, needs to be planned in terms of layout, door style and finish and accessories installed inside. All of those details need to  be understood, and there’s no better way to communicate those details than with a set of approved drawings. It can be difficult for a contractor to create a budget, when the client isn’t extremely specific about what they want. I tend to budget “middle of the road” when figuring allowances for materials that are not specified, rather than going low just to get the job. I can closely predict what a particular house may dictate construction-wise, but I cannot possibly know what finishes an individual may want in their home. The vast amount of selections required with an even larger range of pricing for these items makes it nearly impossible to define a budget. Ultimately it is up to the homeowner to decide how much they want to spend and what finishes they would like in their home. Because I am also a designer, I help my clients make all those decisions.  Plan, plan, plan is the only way to have a project hit budget. And if you choose not to plan and wing it along the way, please do not blame the contractor. We would love to have detailed material lists, so we may price your...