When your contractor give you a square footage price on your project, what does that mean?
Make sure that this is honestly exposed, understood by all parties and discussed in detail. Your contractor cannot read your mind, so don’t make any assumptions! Spell out the level of the following to express the quality of the project:
- Flooring
- Trim Package
- Faucets & Fixtures
- Door and window quality
- Paint: do you get to paint rooms different color or is the paint price for 1 coat, 1 color?
- Lighting: Ideally, you should have a lighting plan and know where you will have recessed, sconces, under counter and specialty lighting. You will want a generous budget for specialty lighting. I suggest going online to find a few fixtures that you like and make sure that these roughly fit into the budget.
- Cabinetry: People will spend their most square footage price in kitchens and bathrooms. Make sure that you are getting the quality that you desire for your allowance. Make sure you are working with a certified kitchen & bath designer when you are laying out the kitchen especially to avoid mistakes and access all the newest features that are offered.
When your drawings are done, your designer should be able to spec out all the finish materials and put them on the plans so that it can be properly priced out.