Five Tips to Keep to Your Remodel on Budget and on Schedule

One of the hardest things to do during a remodeling project is to stay on budget and on time. Failing to do so can, at the very least, make the process more stressful than it needs to be, and at worst, jeopardize the entire project.

Most experts will tell you to add at least 10% to the cost provided by your contractor, and it's a great idea, because unexpected things come up. But in addition to the unexpected, little things can add up, break the budget, and kill your schedule.

It doesn't have to be that way, though; you can make the project easier on yourself and your contractor by following these five tips to keep to your remodeling budget and time frame. While an extra day may not seem like a big deal to you, to a contractor with another job lined up after yours, it may be.

Avoid "while you're heres." There are workers in your house, and a switch in the hallway has stopped working, or the toilet's running. Seems like an obvious easy fix to ask him (or her) to take a look, and it may be, but there's a potential down side: they're not in either your budget or schedule.

Few contractors will take on anything (even the simplest of repairs) for no charge. If you do go this route, be prepared to pay the same as you would if you called an electrician or a plumber.

Also remember that the time spent checking out and fixing the new job—no matter how small—is time not being spent on the remodel. If your remodel schedule (or the contractor's) is tight, this might not be time you want to take away from the big job.

Asking questions is fine, but limit them (and make sure you're asking a person who can answer your question). If you see something going on that you really don't understand, or that looks like a mistake, you should definitely ask about it. But repeatedly interrupting work in progress to ask non-essential questions, is not a good way to keep to your remodeling schedule.

When you do ask questions, make sure to ask the contractor, or the person in charge on the job site, rather than a worker who is only doing what he was told.

Don't watch over workers or engage them in conversation. Being friendly is one thing, but hovering and talking to the crew is another way to blow both your schedule and budget. They may personally like you for it, but you're not likely to appreciate the lost time at the end of the job. It may not seem like a lot of time to you, but it adds up. While you may find it interesting to watch how it all gets done, if your presence is distracting, you're costing yourself.

Avoid changing work to be done, or work already done. The estimate or bid your contractor is working under is based on the specific information you provided for the job. The best way to keep to your budget and time frame is to do only that work.

Of course, it's not always that simple: it's entirely possible that as work progresses you'll find that you don't want to add the new cabinet, or you don't like the new drawer you thought would be nice in the corner.

Every time you ask for a change, work stops and your contractor has to redesign, reconfigure, and possibly buy new materials, which means more time and money. If work has already been done, it means even more time to undo the completed work.

If you absolutely have to keep to your schedule and budget, the best way is to stick to the original plan.

Have everything you're responsible for providing on site as soon as possible. Whatever you, as the homeowner, are supplying—tile, appliances, paint, etc.—having it on hand when the job starts or very early on is one of the best ways to stay on time.

If the new countertop is ready, but there's no sink or stove yet, it can't be cut and installed. Not knowing or having what's going on the floor can hold up the entire project. There's a very specific order to the work that gets done in a remodel, and skipping steps is not always an option.

If the necessary materials aren't available, and the crew has to leave or stand down for hours or days, time is lost, which could mean money lost, too—money that wasn't in your budget.

So how can you ensure that you follow these five tips and keep to your remodeling budget and schedule?

Talk to your contractor beforehand: get as detailed a schedule as you can, and know what's going to be done when; review the plans and ask if he or she sees anything that might be a problem; be clear on who's responsible for supplying what; and lastly, let the professionals do their job.

Your contractor wants your remodel to go smoothly just as much as you do. The best way to stick to your budget and schedule is to be prepared, and your contractor can help you do that.