How To Properly Communicate With
Your Remodeler

Choose a Communication Method

Choosing the most effective method of communication must be your top priority once you’ve hired a professional to oversee your project.

Ask your contractor how to reach them for updates, when you might hear back from them for unimportant matters and the best phone number to call in an emergency.

Do they prefer to be contacted over the phone, or is it best to leave a paper trail through email and text? Will you hear from them at the end of each workday, or can you expect an update every other day?

Square these details away early on to eliminate confusion and setbacks.

Put Everything in Writing

Your contractor’s experience, portfolio, and schedule should have demonstrated their reliability and availability for completing your renovation before hiring them. However, it’s important to put every detail of your project in writing when aiming to improve communication between you and your contractor.

Ask your contractor to immediately provide a written contract with your budget, expected timeline, payment schedule, insurance information and additional components. This way, there are no surprises.

Any changes or additional expenses should be written down, reviewed and consented to throughout the remodeling process before continuing with the project. Of course, construction is rarely completed without a change order.

If you’re not cautious, change orders can hinder the working relationship between you and your contractor. While contractors often feel that change orders disrupt workflow and the project timeline, you may feel you’re being asked to pay for mistakes others made.

Putting your desires for your home improvement project in writing informs your contractor of what they need to do to earn your confidence and leaves a paper trail that ensures little details are met without error.

Know the Chain of Communication

Working with a single contractor is one thing, but when you opt to work with an innovative design team to bring your remodeling project to life, you should know who your point of contact is at all times.

Ask your contractor who on the design team is responsible for keeping everyone in the loop during your home renovation.

Is there someone you can speak to at the office who will relay messages to everyone? Will your point of contact be on-site every day to talk with in person?

Suppose you’re working with a team of designers and builders. In that case, you have the reassurance they share your goal of meeting project deadlines while working together to exceed your expectations for your home remodel.

Be Brief

Regardless of your agreed-upon communication style with your contractor, your conversations and messages should be concise and clear.

Your contractor could potentially have multiple projects occurring at once. As such, they’ll have to allocate their time efficiently to stay on top of each renovation’s progress. Being respectful of their time goes a long way to enhancing communication.

Steer clear of composing long-winded emails and talking on the phone about unnecessary personal matters. If you have multiple items you need to address about your project, create a bulleted list in the body of your email or keep it in front of you for reference when you call.

Use Multiple Platforms

Flexibility and adaptability are necessary during remodeling. Sometimes, things just happen, including emergencies.

You may want to consider communicating your needs with your contractor through multiple platforms for these essential matters.

Was the wrong tile installed in a bathroom remodeling project? Calling your contractor immediately so they can find out what happened and order the correct tile is essential. Since 2021, 90% of homebuilders have reported significant supply chain issues and shortages that may prolong your project.

In addition to calling your contractor, you might want to send them a text or email with a photo to give them a visual of the problem.

However, if the issue is nonessential, stick with your chosen communication method and send multiple messages only in dire circumstances.