[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-detail-how-to-find-a-reputable-contractor-for-your-renovation":3,"blog-related-how-to-find-a-reputable-contractor-for-your-renovation":29},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"subtitle":7,"bodyHtml":8,"heroImageUrl":9,"heroImageAlt":7,"authorName":10,"authorImageUrl":7,"publishedDt":11,"categories":12,"tags":18,"products":21,"inlineProducts":22,"seo":23},300,"how-to-find-a-reputable-contractor-for-your-renovation","How to Find a Reputable Contractor for Your Renovation",null,"\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">A remodeling project gone wrong is a nightmare situation for any designer or homeowner... and it happens way more often than it should! You know the story: Work goes on longer than expected. Jobs aren't done properly. Shortcuts are taken. Costs are higher than they should be. We live our lives in our homes, but too frequently, less research goes into hiring a contractor than buying a new car or choosing a hairdresser. Luckily, today on the blog we are discussing the best way to find a renovator or general contractor. Here's what to expect when hiring a contractor.\u003C/span>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cem>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular; font-size: 10pt;\">All images courtesy of Sweeten and the Sweeten blog\u003C/span>\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11381 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/sweeten_1.jpg\" alt=\"kitchen interior design\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" />\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"What are a contractor’s key responsibilities?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">What it boils down to is superior project management and communication skills. Contractors should be getting things done and making your life easy—not a headache. Here's the checklist of responsibilities any good contractor will be able to fulfill:  \u003C/span>\r\n\u003Cul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Obtain proper licensing, insurance and additional documents required by city, state and specific to building needs.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Review site conditions and all relevant documents and drawings in order to fully understand the project and generate a bid or proposal.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Specify the final scope of work, schedule and eventually a contract.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Define the payment and deliverables schedule.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Request and follow advice from the architects, engineers or design team.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Manage and coordinate general aspects of a project, like site requirements.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Provide skilled labor, tools, equipment and various services.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Coordinate subcontractors and other trades required by the scope of work and oversee the quality of their work.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Maintain schedule and communication with clients to track deliverables and payment.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli style=\"text-align: left;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Review project completion with client and final payment.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n\u003C/ul>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11386 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/sweeten2.jpg\" alt=\"dining room interior design\" width=\"1200\" height=\"784\" />\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"What should your expectations be when working with a contractor?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">When you first meet with a potential contractor, you should partner together to make decisions about the scope of the work, materials, timeline, and how you two will be communicating. Contractors have lots of skills, but mind-reading is not one of them. How often do you expect them to check in with you? What is the payment schedule going to look like? Be clear, be direct, and be decisive. Don't be afraid to speak up about what you want. At the same time, it's important to be open to a contractor's ideas and suggestions; they're the professional with a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding construction. And perhaps most importantly, make sure you have everything in writing. \u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">It's very important to trust your contractor and trust the process. So do your due diligence and ask for references and actually call them to make sure they are happy with the contractor's work. Ask your contractor to see similar completed work. And make sure some of the previous work and references aren't too new. It's easy for new projects to look great. Research how an older project has held up over time.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11388 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/sweeten_3.jpg\" alt=\"bathroom interior design\" width=\"1200\" height=\"784\" />\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"How do you know when you need to hire a contractor?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">When considering your scope for a renovation and whether you need a general contractor versus a handyman or DIY,  a good place to start is by weighing the level of labor your project will require: are you hanging things on walls or actually breaking into them? Are you re-grouting tiles or replacing them?  Smaller projects to make repairs or patch over errors are handyman ready, whereas larger-scale projects that may implicate your electric or plumbing will naturally require a permit or inspection, in which case a contractor with a state Home Improvement License will be obligatory.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">For first-time renovators, labor intensity may be hard to navigate. If you live in a building with a co-op or condo board, your alteration agreement may have parameters that will give you guidelines for whom to hire. In other situations, checking out your state's Department of Building will give you a sense of what types of projects will require a permit. The most important thing to remember is that cutting corners with unlicensed workers may not be worth the risk.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11390 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/sweeten.jpg\" alt=\"living room interior design\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" />\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"How much should you be paying? What are the real cost expectations?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">In the NYC Metro area, you can expect a kitchen renovation to start at 20K, a bathroom renovation to start at 15K, and a gut of a total apartment to start at a \u003Cem>minimum\u003C/em> of $100/per square foot. The details around your particular project and space will increase or reduce cost. Here are a few items that you should prepare to pay extra for:\u003C/span>\r\n\u003Cul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\r\n \t\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">If you are looking for an extra layer of design assistance on top of what your contractor can provide in terms of space planning, or would like more hands-on direction with decorating (selecting materials, fixtures and finishes, artwork) by hiring a design professional\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">If your project necessitates use of an architect, stamped drawings, and filing and pulling permits\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">If your project requires opening up walls and your electrical or plumbing need to be updated to meet current codes\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n \t\u003Cli>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Changes that affect egress (external entrances or exits, like doors and windows), use (changing a dry space to a wet space, or vice versa), or occupancy (combining apartments, adding or removing number of bedrooms on record), as these need to be on record and approved by the building department, as well as the fire department.\u003C/span>\u003C/li>\r\n\u003C/ul>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11392 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/unnamed-2.png\" alt=\"renovation before and after\" width=\"872\" height=\"1124\" />\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"What are the top three things to look for when hiring a contractor?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">(1) \u003Cem>Are they communicative?\u003C/em> Make sure that you can trust your contractor to be communicative and responsive throughout the entire renovation process, ensuring that both parties are on the same page—especially in terms of timeline.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">(2) \u003Cem>Do they fit with your personality and style?\u003C/em> First impressions \u003Cem>do\u003C/em> matter! Not only is it important to make sure your contractor can successfully carry out your vision stylistically, but make sure you hired someone that you \u003Cem>like \u003C/em>and \u003Cem>want to work with\u003C/em>.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">(3) \u003Cem>Does my contractor have recent, reliable references?\u003C/em> It is important that you are able to view recent references of similar projects that your contractor has completed. You should be aware of satisfaction levels of their past clients.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11394 size-full\" src=\"https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/content/sweeten_6.jpg\" alt=\"dining room interior\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" />\u003C/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Cstrong>\"How do you find a contractor to work with?\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/span>\u003C/h2>\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">When reviewing contractors, start by looking for someone with experience in your neighborhood or with your particular type of project. This can help you narrow down the field from thousands of general contractors to just a handful of experienced professionals. We highly recommend \u003Ca href=\"https://sweeten.com/\">Sweeten\u003C/a>, an online platform that matches your clients to a selection of contractors determined by location, budget, scope and style of that type of job.\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">Once you've done that, make sure to look for someone who is able to provide quality references and photos. When we consider GCs who have applied to join the Sweeten network, we ensure that they have completed transformational renovations and happy customers who are willing to rave about the completed work even years later. This indicates that the contractor's work has held up over the years. Don't be afraid to ask a contractor to see some of their completed projects in person or to speak to their past clients!\u003C/span>\r\n\r\n\u003Chr />\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cem>\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: opensans-regular;\">\u003Ca href=\"https://sweeten.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sweeten\u003C/a> is a free renovation matchmaking service that connects New York Metro and Philadelphia homeowners with the best general contractors, providing personal support until project completion. Post your project on the site at sweeten.com or read more real-life renovation stories \u003Ca href=\"http://blog.sweeten.com/apartments/before-after-henrys-east-village-condo-renovation/#.VqKR5bArK-o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">on the Sweeten blog\u003C/a>.\u003C/span>\u003C/em>\u003C/p>","https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/hero/sweeten2.jpg","Kathy Kuo Home","2017-03-14T11:09:41Z",[13,14,15,16,17],"Home","The Designer's Handbook","Living Room","The Trade Exclusive","Kitchen & Bath",[19,20],"home renovation","sweeten",[],[],{"title":24,"description":25,"keywords":26,"canonicalUrl":27,"noIndex":28},"How to Find a Reputable Contractor for Your Renovation - Kathy Kuo Home","We asked our friends at Sweeten about their top tips for how to find a reputable contractor for your home renovation project.","Sweeten","/blog/how-to-find-a-reputable-contractor-for-your-renovation",false,[30,39,47],{"id":31,"slug":32,"title":33,"excerpt":34,"heroImageUrl":35,"authorName":10,"publishedDt":36,"categories":37},1068,"custom-cabinetry-kathy-kuo-home-unique-kitchens-baths","Custom Heirloom Cabinetry, Reimagined: Inside Our New Collaboration with Unique Kitchens & Baths","Introducing six European-inspired cabinet designs that are completely customizable.","https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/hero/Kathy-Kuo-Home-x-Unique-Kitchens-Baths-Bristol-Rolling-Fog-painted-kitchen-cabinetry.jpg","2026-05-07T10:00:38Z",[13,14,38,16,17],"Bedroom",{"id":40,"slug":41,"title":42,"excerpt":43,"heroImageUrl":44,"authorName":10,"publishedDt":45,"categories":46},1067,"investing-in-heirloom-furniture","Why Heirloom-Quality Home Goods Are Worth the Investment: 7 Pieces to Shop Now and Keep Forever","A designer's guide to heirloom furniture and décor that's worth the investment.","https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/hero/Worlds-Away-Rattan-Dresser-in-a-cozy-traditional-living-room.jpg","2026-05-01T10:00:21Z",[13,15,17],{"id":48,"slug":49,"title":50,"excerpt":51,"heroImageUrl":52,"authorName":10,"publishedDt":53,"categories":54},1066,"sunbrella-interiors-fabrics","Sunbrella Interiors Fabrics We Love for Beautiful, Exceptionally Durable Upholstery","What we love about our newest performance fabrics from Sunbrella.","https://d307biz9bwtpmz.cloudfront.net/articles/hero/Sunbrella-upholstered-furniture.jpg","2026-04-24T10:00:45Z",[13,14,15]]