No doubt the pandemic has impacted all of our lives. I wanted to speak about the field of construction, specifically how the pandemic has effected the cost of the goods, tools and materials used to build and remodel.
You have likely seen an increase in certain materials since the pandemic has started if you’ve been to your local hardware store or lumber yard. The purpose of this article is to inform any of you who are looking to do some remodeling or any other type of project where you or your contractor will need to purchase materials (which is most projects). Very simply put: A project done today is NOT going to cost the same as it did before the pandemic! The project that you did 5-10 years ago is easily going to cost you double if done now! Even in the last year, prices have continued to climb.
Please keep the above paragraph in mind when seeking a bid or estimate from a contractor. Yes, there are those contractors still our there, just trying to rip people off. But the majority will give you a reasonable bid. (Remember that not all do the same quality of work either, which is just as important as the bottom line. But that’s a subject for another post.) However, if the price quoted to you seems higher than you expect, it is probably the effect of the pandemic and rising material costs. Here is a TIP to keep costs down in some situations: Ask your contractor if you can purchase and pick up your own materials, based on the materials list provided you by your contractor. Not all contractors offer this option, and not all home owners want to take on the extra hassle of getting their own materials. It can be a real headache, especially if the wrong materials are purchased, the homeowner doesn’t have an appropriate vehicle to transport materials in or there is poor communication between the home owner and contractor. But with some jobs, especially the smaller ones, this can save the home owner some money. We have successfully done this with some of our clients and communication is important! Talk to your contractor about this option and see if it would work for you. I hope this tip helps you and have a great project!
