Having subcontractors spend any length of time in your home - particularly when you're embarking on an extensive home renovation that requires several months of work - requires great trust on the part of the homeowner. The fact is that you're opening your door to a complete stranger (or strangers, depending upon the size of the project) who will spend the next several weeks or even months in your home, reporting for duty in the morning and remaining there until evening. Because your life must go on during your remodeling project, you've got to go to work and trust your subcontractor(s) to do their jobs, respect your home and your belongings, and lock the door on their way out.

This imperative trust underlines the importance of comparison shopping - of calling references and asking friends for recommendations - when you begin searching for a company to remodel your home. Regardless of whether or not you've received a glowing report prior to the first day the subcontractors report for work at your house, you'll need to lay down ground rules with them that will stick throughout the duration of the project.

What should you expect from your subcontractors? You don't want to micro-manage so much that their ability to perform their jobs is affected. And yet, you've got to outline your expectations from day one so that there are no surprises. Begin by establishing what the basic ground rules will be in your house. For instance, what time are they expected to report to work each day, and at what time will they leave? Assuming that they'll break for lunch at some point, how long will their lunch break be? If you don't want your subcontractors running by the local drive-through window and having an impromptu meal on your kitchen floor, speak up.

Through which door in your home will workers come and go? If they'll be letting themselves in and out while you're not home, do you have an alarm system they'll need to disengage, or will you leave it turned off altogether?

It may be best to leave your system off for the duration of the project. Since you've hired strangers to enter your home, it's best for security's sake not to give out the pass code on your security system; although you can always change the pass code when the project is finished. Where may workers store their materials in the evenings when they're off work? Unless you want to be stepping over a mess every night, reserve a spot (your garage is the most obvious choice) where workers may store their tools and other materials.

Each day, after workers have left, do a "walk-through" of your home to make sure that the mess has been properly cleaned up, and that workers have honored your requests. Don't do this inspection while workers are still on duty unless you want a crew of resentful people in your home. If you're noticing a consistent lack of cooperation with your requests for general order and cleanliness at the end of each day, report the problem to the contractor.

When nature calls your subcontractors, which bathroom may they use in your home? Do you want them strolling up the hallway to use the kids' bathroom, or would you prefer that they used only the guest bath off the kitchen?

Let's say a subcontractor points out that a set of French doors might look best in the kitchen, which he and his fellow workers are in the process of remodeling. Sure, the job is going to cost you a few dollars, but isn't it worth it? Don't say yes and accept an offer from the subcontractor. Instead, your single point of contact for all such weighty decisions is your contractor, period. And before you agree to any change in your original plan, you'll need to find out if making that change will cause you to have to make additional changes - adding substantially to your expenses. In many cases, a single "change" will trigger a domino effect. Suddenly, you're tacking on many, many more changes to your home than you or your budget had bargained for.

What if you arrive home from work one evening to discover a mistake? A big mistake? Before you fly off the handle, notify your contractor. It could be that the project specifications weren't clearly communicated by the contractor to the team of subcontractors. Document the problem in writing, and in return, have your contractor document in writing when and what will be done to rectify the situation.

As you're approaching the proposed completion date of your project, conduct your own walk-through (once again, after the workers have left), and determine the aspects of the project that remain outstanding. Write down everything that still needs to be done in order to finish the project. Fax that list to your contractor, and call him or her to set up a time during which the both of you may review the list as you conduct a walk-through of your home together, discussing when each outstanding item will be corrected and/or completed (and don't forget to get each one of those dates in writing alongside the contractor's signature).

Remodeling projects are never simple, and mistakes can and do happen, sometimes despite good intentions. For major decisions as well as the finer points of your project, maintain a single point of contact with your contractor; and keep the lines of communication open with your team of subcontractors, encouraging them to approach you with any questions or concerns they encounter. Communicating more frequently and openly with your contractor and his or her team means you'll be left with a finished product that most closely meets your specifications.

Published: December 13, 2000

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