Biggest Fears When Hiring a Contractor
Your home is likely your largest asset, so it's natural to have concerns—even fears—about hiring a contractor. Let's explore some common concerns, why they arise, and how KSC addresses them to ensure a smooth project. From managing unexpected costs to ensuring high-quality workmanship, we discuss what makes a successful renovation or custom build project that meets your expectations and protects your investment.
1. Cost Overruns and Unexpected Expenses
Fear: The project will go over budget, leading to unexpected costs.
Why it Happens: Changes in project scope, unexpected structural issues, or material price fluctuations. Or, with certain contractors it is due to a lack of organization and preparation for the project.
How we manage it: Our thorough planning process prevents unexpected costs from poor preparation. Rather than providing an estimate and moving forward, our planning process produces a detailed Scope of Work and an Exact Quote for the work being completed. At the end of the project, you can be confident that the price of your project will not be changed whatsoever….except for two possible reasons.
The only two reasons that a project price may increase is due to: Changes in the Scope of Work and Unforeseen Expenses.
A change in the Scope of Work occurs when you, the homeowner, request to add or remove something from the project.
An Unforeseen Expense occurs when we uncover something that we could not reasonably foresee before beginning the work. Think of finding rock underground or hidden pipes in the walls.
When these situations occur, we will always communicate these to you immediately and ask how you would like to proceed. Once we receive confirmation from you, then we will continue to proceed with the work that needs to be done. We will also file a formal Change Order that again states the change in the cost of the project and the full payment will be due at that time.
2. Poor Quality Workmanship
Fear: The contractor will deliver subpar work, leading to issues down the line.
Why it Happens: Lack of experience, poor attention to detail, or cutting corners to save time or costs.
How we manage it: KSC has been producing quality work since Keith Smith started the company in 1997. We have built a name in our community for providing quality work with a quality experience.
To build trust, we share project photos and detailed videos on our website and social media, showcasing our quality work.
3. Lack of Communication and Transparency
Fear: The contractor won't communicate progress or problems effectively, leading to misunderstandings and surprises.
Why it Happens: Poor communication skills, disorganization, or lack of clarity on project expectations.
How we manage it: Systems and processes that are followed on every project can keep this from happening in any company. From the very first phone call to the completion of the project, we follow the same process for every homeowner. Whether it’s follow up emails or calls, project updates, or the final walkthrough, we ensure that you are communicated with on a regular basis so there are no surprises throughout the project.
Our Foreman for remodels, when he is onsite, will give you daily updates. The Project Manager will keep you updated on inspection days or the schedule for a subcontractor. On custom homes, our Project Manager’s job is to update you regularly throughout the project with emails and calls, but we also do formal walkthroughs at the end of each stage of construction!
4. Delays and Timeline Issues
Fear: The project will take much longer than originally estimated, disrupting daily life.
Why it Happens: Delays in material delivery, weather issues, or scheduling conflicts with subcontractors.
How we manage it: Unfortunately, we live in a broken world and therefore nothing is perfect. BUT, we can do our best to limit these from happening the best we can. If we’re impacted by weather, we will simply communicate how that changes our schedule. Otherwise, we have Project Managers who are dedicated to no more than 3-4 projects at a time who keep our projects on schedule every day.
5. Hidden or Unclear Contract Terms
Fear: There will be hidden fees or unclear terms in the contract that the homeowner didn't understand.
Why it Happens: Complex contracts, unclear scopes of work, or ambiguous change-order policies.
How we manage it: Detailed Scopes of Work, Job Schedules, and Contracts are our thing! The Scope of Work lists every single thing we plan to do on your project. If it isn’t there, it isn’t included in the quote for the project. The Contract lays out the terms of how are going to work together and what the expectations are for certain situations. It also can be used to protect you and the company if the relationship were ever to go sour. Thankfully, we have never in our company’s existence had to use the contract for that purpose.
6. Damage to Existing Property
Fear: The construction process will damage other parts of the home or the property.
Why it Happens: Lack of care during demolition, poor preparation, or use of heavy machinery in sensitive areas.
How we manage it: Not if, but when. Yes, this will happen at some point on some project. We are not perfect, but we can control how we handle it when it does happen. If we make a mistake, we’ll fix it quickly and make it right.
7. Contractor Not Completing the Job
Fear: The contractor will walk away from the job before it's complete or after receiving payment.
Why it Happens: Financial issues with the contractor, taking on too many projects, or disputes with the homeowner.
How we manage it: We almost never have more than 3-4 projects going at one time for any of our Project Managers. We are clear on our expectations for each other in the Contract, which keeps this situation from ever happening. The Scope of Work is also very detailed and clear on what is to be done. When we sign a contract for that Scope of Work, that is the work that will be completed.
8. Liability and Safety Concerns
Fear: A worker or subcontractor might get injured on the property, leading to potential lawsuits or insurance claims.
Why it Happens: Lack of proper safety protocols, inadequate insurance coverage, or unqualified subcontractors.
How we manage it: KSC always has General Liability and Worker’s Compensation Insurance. We also require that our Subcontractors have insurance themselves. If anyone gets hurt on the jobsite, it is our insurance that will cover the claim.
9. Use of Low-Quality Materials
Fear: The contractor will use cheaper materials than promised, compromising the durability and appearance of the project.
Why it Happens: Cost-saving measures, dishonest practices, or supply issues.
How we manage it: KSC builds to the NC Builder Code at a minimum and often above the code requirements. There are still many things that meet code, but do not meet our expectations and standard. We are always looking for ways to increase the quality of our builds and remodels so the homeowner has a better experience for the life of their home.
10. Subcontractor Reliability
Fear: The subcontractors will not be reliable or skilled, leading to poor-quality work or delays.
Why it Happens: Contractors relying on low-cost subcontractors or lack of vetting and supervision.
How we manage it: Many of the contractors we work with are companies that we have used for years. If they’re newer to our team, we likely found them through trustworthy referrals from other contractors that we trust. No matter what the situation is, we will always stand by our work and make sure the job is done correctly, even if it has to be redone due to improper installation.
11. Legal and Permitting Issues
Fear: The contractor won't obtain the proper permits or follow local codes, leading to fines or legal issues.
Why it Happens: Inexperience, intentional shortcuts, or oversight.
How we manage it: For every project that requires permits, KSC will get a permit for it which requires us to meet code at a minimum for the work being completed. A homeowner will never be expected to pull a permit themselves or schedule an inspection. Also, your final payment for the work is dependent on that Final Inspection passing so it is in our best interest to pass inspections as well.
12. Not Listening to the Homeowner’s Vision
Fear: The contractor will not understand or respect the homeowner’s design preferences and ideas, leading to a final result that doesn’t meet expectations.
Why it Happens: Miscommunication, differences in taste, or reluctance to adapt plans.
How we manage it: We most likely will not agree on everything and that is okay. At the end of the day, it is your home and we are being invited to execute a vision. To help prevent this from happening though, we partner with interior designers and our in-house design consultant to design projects and ensure we can convert your dreams into a reality.
13. Mess and Clean-up Issues
Fear: The worksite will be left messy, with construction debris, dust, or materials not properly cleaned up.
Why it Happens: Lack of proper clean-up protocol or not including clean-up in the contract.
How we manage it: On every custom home, we hire a third party cleaning crew to come in and make sure the house is move-in ready! For our remodeling projects, we include the cost of cleaning up in every Quote.
14. Disputes and Conflicts
Fear: Disagreements over project scope, changes, or payment might lead to a strained relationship or legal disputes.
Why it Happens: Ambiguous contracts, differing expectations, or changes in the project.
How we manage it: Our Scope of Work, Quote, and Draw Schedule is so detailed that this rarely happens. If there is a question about what work is to be completed, we will always go back to the original documents and any change orders that have been agreed to. This typically is all that is needed to resolve these issues. If there is any ambiguity left to clarify, we’ll work with you to find a solution everyone agrees on.
15. Project Not Adding Value to the Home
Fear: The renovation or construction won’t increase the home’s value or might even reduce it.
Why it Happens: Poor design choices, using low-quality materials, or not considering what future buyers value.
How we manage it: We have an in house design consultant and we often partner with interior designers on new homes. Because of this, the design of our projects fall in line with current or timeless trends.
However, that does not mean you will always get a full return on your investment when it comes to renovations. Many realtors will recommend, and we most often agree, that if you are renovating before selling a home that sometimes it is better to sell as is. The reason being is that renovations WILL increase your homes value, but they WON’T always increase it to or above the amount that you invest in it.
If you’re wanting to renovate your home, we recommend doing it because you want to increase the quality of life in your home for several years so you get to enjoy its benefits and increase the value of your home, making it a worthwhile investment.