When planning for a remodeling project, homeowners are generally advised to get bids from at least three contractors so they can compare apples to apples. However, when the bids come in, homeowners are often confused and/or discouraged by what they read. For one thing, it’s common for bids to have substantial price variations, despite being for the same project. Furthermore, bids are often much higher than homeowners expect. In fact, the American Institute of Architects reports that over 60 percent of building plans never get built, in many cases due to the projected costs exceeding the amount homeowners are willing to spend. Read more

Is your garage a mess? Has it become a ragtag catch-all for anything that doesn’t have a place? Don’t feel bad—this is a common scenario among homeowners. The problem with garages is they’re too often regarded as separate from rather than part of the house. When you shift to the latter perspective, you can start to appreciate your garage’s potential as a functional and even enjoyable area of your home. Read more

Are you ready to remodel your home? Before you knock down any walls, you’ll need to figure out your design. What style are you aiming for? What are your aesthetic and functional requirements? What kinds of products do you want to incorporate? These are all important questions that need to be answered before the building can begin. To help you find the answers, we’ve asked six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to provide their professional insights on remodeling design. Read more

Following a disaster such as an earthquake or a wildfire, people are anxious to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible. For many, this includes cleaning up, repairing and rebuilding their homes. Unfortunately, there are many bad actors out there ready and willing to take advantage of overwhelmed disaster victims. Read more

Replacing cabinetry is often the most expensive part of a kitchen remodeling project. If you’re on a tight budget or you simply don’t want to spend a lot of money, a good alternative to consider is having your cabinets refaced. By adding new doors and drawer fronts over your cabinets’ existing structure, you can give your kitchen a fresh look for a fraction of the cost. Read more

When it comes to remodeling a kitchen, budget is naturally a concern. Most homeowners want to invest in quality, but they also want to save money wherever they can. Read more

The California State Licensing Board (CSLB) wants consumers to know that all home improvement contracts are required to contain certain language. If you aren’t aware of this prerequisite, the CSLB’s website has plenty of information that will get you acquainted with the elements of a proper contract. In addition, you can prevent stress and conflict during a construction project by tactfully requesting that your contract contain the following three elements:

A payment schedule with a task-by-task breakdown. The easier it is for you to read and understand your contract, the better. If the payment schedule is broken down by “percentage of job completed,” ask for a task-by-task breakdown instead so you can verify the work that has actually been done. Read more