4 Dirty Secrets About the Bathroom Remodeling Industry

Whenever you decide to remodel your bathroom it can be quite a chore to even find someone who is qualified to do the work.  The most common ways to find a contractor are:

• Referral from neighbors or friends
• Internet
• Angie's List
• Advertisement
• Home Shows
• Yard Signs
• Vehicle Wrap
• Radio
• TV

Chances are no matter how you hear about the person or company, you are entrusting them with your home.  So what are some things to look out for whenever you have someone come out to your house?

Change Orders

This is the first and what we consider to be one of the most important things to look out for are change orders.  You won't typically see this happen with bigger companies but definitely a go-to for a lot of the smaller contractors.  A change order is when the contractor will give you a low price to win your business but after they start your project will you that certain details were not included in the original bid and can up the cost thousands of dollars.

This can easily mount to be more expensive than a bid you may have had with a larger company.  What we see happen in most of these cases is the customer will refuse the pay and then the contractor will walk away from the job.  Not a fun experience for someone excited to have their bathroom remodeled.

Whenever you have someone out to your home, make sure that the price they give to you is set in stone and will not be effected by change orders.  It's one thing to change the price because the customer wants an upgrade but another to change the price just to get more money.

Insurance and Bonds Are Not The Same Thing

Whenever you have a reliable contractor out  to your home, they should be going over their insurance plan with you to show that they are in fact insured.  This will protect your investment and your property.  However, a lot of times when people cover insurance they bundle the word bond in there because it's an easy roll of the tongue.

An insurance can protect the company and homeowner in case something were to happen during the installation of the project.  A bond can protect people on all kind of different things depending on the type of bond that they have.  The most common bond carried in the bathroom remodeling industry is a dishonesty bond which protects the homeowner from theft.  One of the most important things to note about a bond is that a bond can not be carried by a felon.

We believe that it is important for a bathroom remodeling company to carry both insurance and bonds.

Outrageous Discounts If You Sign Today

This industry is filled with all kinds of different sales techniques and styles that enforce high pressure sales.  A lot of these high pressure sales tactics will offer a very high discount if you were to purchase the same day the salesman is out at your home.  It's one thing to ask for someones business but it's embarrassing to cut your price by a third to make the person sign on the line which is dotted. You will hear everything from a FedEx story, to time is money and I don't have enough time to come see you, to it's an accounting thing.

What this tactic really shows is that the original price they showed you is inflated and the price they are showing you for the "same day" price is what the actual price should be.  Don't fall for this approach.  We promise you if you called the salesman back a week from that day and ask for the same price, you would get it.

We believe all companies especially after a presentation have the right to ask you for your business and it is acceptable to offer a small discount the same day due to travel fees and appointment cost.  However, if the salesman is offering you more than 10% discount to buy the same day then we believe it is utter nonsense and high pressure.

No Presentation = No Accountability & Corners Cut

If you have someone out to your home and they do not cover any details about how they will be doing the work in your home then it's best to look for someone who can.  In this industry, there are a lot of ways to cut corners and to do things the "wrong" way.  It's best if the company you have out cover the following with you:

• Years of Experience
• Warranty - Service & Product
• Products Being Used
• References or Testimonials
• 3D-Design
• Installers Doing The Work

Fortunately some of these questions  are answered within the first visit.  You can typically tell the experience of the contractor based on their professionalism and how they carry themselves.

You want to make sure that they will be using quality products behind and on the walls.  The most expensive bathroom is one you have to do twice.

Make sure they have plenty of references or testimonials.  You do no want to be the test run.

A 3-D design of a bathroom remodel can go a long way.  It helps you get a visual.  It helps with the ordering process and it helps with the building of your project.

Lastly, make sure that the people who are going to be in your home will be able to communicate properly with you and that they have the craftsmanship to pull your project off.

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