Dream to Reality: The Complete Guide to House Renovation Planning

Renovation Planning Guide

Understanding the Scope of Your Renovation

Upgrading your kitchen may only require home remodeling contractors, but if you plan on moving your sink and adding electricity to your new kitchen island, you are going to need to bring in specialists like electricians and plumbers. A full-service design build firm should have relationships with the appropriate subcontractors to handle any of these potential changes. If you want to create an open-concept kitchen, you may need to remove a load-bearing wall, which will increase your budget. Understanding the scope of your project will help you to clearly communicate with your house renovation contractor so you can get an accurate quote and stay on budget. 

Planning Your Home Renovation

It would be best if you wrote down your highest priorities for your renovation and home addition so that you and your contractor are on the same page. A cohesive renovation scope of work allows your home addition contractors to spot potential pitfalls before the project even starts.

A scope of work document will help you keep track of where you are in the project, with milestones and built-in touch points to keep you involved in the renovation process.

Setting Your Home Renovation Budget

The next step is to set a budget for your renovation. This depends on the scope of your project. You want to have 40% of your budget set aside for materials, 30% for labor, and 20% for fees, taxes, and permits, with a 10% cushion for unexpected expenses.

Bigger cities like San Diego are going to have a higher cost for renovations, where space is at a premium, compared to other towns in Southern California, such as Riverside and San Bernardino.

The biggest unexpected expenses are adding additional jobs or renovations to your existing project. That’s why having a scope of work with milestones is so important to staying on budget.

A good rule of thumb is if you plan on selling your house within the next ten years, do commit to house renovations that cost more than 10-15% of the value of your home.

Choosing Your Renovation Team

The most important step to finishing your complete home makeover is choosing between all of the home improvement companies to find the best one that will finish your project on time and within budget.

What is the difference between Home Addition Contractors vs. Room Addition Contractors?

Home addition contractors will build you an entirely new space and expand the footprint of your home or add a story to your home.

 Room addition contractors focus on renovating existing space for new uses. This includes splitting a space room into two smaller rooms, adding a guest bathroom, or converting a garage into a living space.

Finding Home Addition Contractors

The first step is to get recommendations from your family and friends on local contractors they have had great experiences with. You should also use Houzz and Angie’s List to find qualified contractors in your area.

You want to check their reviews and Better Business Bureau rating. Once you have vetted their qualifications and past customer experience, you’ll want to check out their portfolio to see if they have completed similar projects in the past.

Getting Quotes & Interviewing Home Remodeling Contractors

The next step is to ask for quotes and interview potential home addition contractors. A phone interview can be daunting, but it is a great way to gauge the expertise of potential remodeling companies prior to setting up an in-home design consultation.

If you cannot get a hold of the home addition contractor after calling twice on weekdays, you want to skip that business. You don’t want to work with under-qualified companies, and you don’t want to work with contractors who are too busy to return your calls (even if they are the best contractors in your area for your particular type of renovation).

Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask the room addition contractors:

• Have you completed similar projects in the past?
• Can you send me a link to images of your portfolio for those projects?
• Do you have any references I can contact?
• When can you start the job?
• Can you provide me with a detailed quote with milestones?

Navigating Permits and Regulations

Your home addition contractor will help you apply for the proper permits and ensure your home renovation is up to current regulations.

Executing Your Renovation Plan

Finally, it is time to bring your home addition contractor to start the renovation of your home. You’ll want to check in with your contractor to ensure they have access to your home at times that work best for you. Depending on the scope of work, you may want to plan for time away while construction takes place.