Getting Started

Someone asked me recently if I had any advice for folks working on their first rehab project. Everyone’s experience levels are different, but if you’re new to this game, there are some basics that really help.

Plan the work.

Have a master plan to the entire project. There’s a general workflow that you need to follow for all construction work. Skipping around will make it several times more complex and more expensive. If you’re “brand new”, the sequence I try to follow is:

• Demolition
• Masonry
• Framing
• Roofing
• HVAC
• Rough Plumbing
• Rough Electrical
• Sheetrock
• Hard Flooring
• Cabinets & Finish carpentry
• Finish plumbing & Finish electrical
• Carpeting
• Paint

Note that these trades do sometimes need to overlap, so don’t just go crashing forward without understanding how the next few pieces will fall into place. Side note- if you’re using contractors, they’ll want to come and do the entire project at once- not “one room at a time”.

Get bids in advance

You’re likely to need to call in professionals for some of the work- either because it requires a particular license (electrical, etc.) or because you don’t have the specialized tools/ skills needed. Talk to those folks several phases ahead. Explain the scope of your project, and ask when they’d like to come take a look and prepare a proposal. You’ll get a better sense of how far in advance folks are booking. They may also have specific thoughts about how they’ll work with other trades. For example, the HVAC gets installed after framing is complete, but the framers may need to come back to enclose the ducts into some soffits. Plumbers need to do their rough-in work before concrete is poured, but they’ll do the “above the slab” work later. You can work that out other them when they’re proposing the work.

YouTube can be your friend- but be careful

I’m a huge fan of learning as I go. Having broadband access is critical, because I often consult YouTube or other sources to see how to solve a problem. One caution, though- not everyone who posts a video is an expert, even if they say they are. I’ve seen a lot of random “handyman” channels where the repairs are really shortcuts and disasters-in-the-making. I try to stick to highly qualified sources. This Old House has a great YouTube channel that is free. I also like Home Renovision DIY because it is well explained and aimed specifically at the homeowner doing their own work. Jeff (the host) is a General Contractor and seems to be pretty knowledgeable. You’d be hard pressed to go wrong following either channel. For more advanced work, I find that finehomebuilding.com is hard to beat, and well worth the subscription price.

Understand Your Contracts

The second biggest “gotcha” I hit was not understanding what each trade does around the periphery. For example, a roofer obviously puts shingles on the roof, but they also usually hang gutters and downspouts, and flash into the chimney. Knowing exactly who is responsible for that interface is important. Occasionally the laborers on site will say “oh, the next guy will do that part.” However, if the next trade didn’t include that in their bid, then you’re paying your mason to do something the roofer should have done. Worse, the mason didn’t bake that into his proposal, so he needs to hit you with a change order before you start, AND the job is already a couple of days behind on Day 1. Being knowledgeable about who does the little details will help ensure each trade does the full contract. The best way to make sure this happens is to ask a lot of questions when you’re getting bids. “What do you need to have done before you start?” is my very favorite question, and I use it to work back upstream in the bidding process.

Use Licensed Tradespeople

See my other post (License and Insurance, Please) for more detail on this, but this is the big one. Make sure that every outside contractor who works on your house is licensed and insured. Ask for the information when you get the bid, and VERIFY IT. Most states have a website where you can check to see if a contractor’s license is current. An insurance certificate also is a fairly standard form, so you should get familiar with how to read it. Know the basic requirements in your area, and make sure the people you hire are fully qualified. If you don’t, you’ll risk losing time and money, probably failing an inspection or two, and you could end up in deep trouble legally. For example, an electrician is generally liable for the life of the building. If s/he takes a shortcut and it causes a fire, you’ll want to know that they had valid insurance to cover that problem. This isn’t just theoretical. On a recent project, my plumber died from COVID. If I find a problem, I’d have to call his insurance carrier to get the problem resolved. That’s still better than having to pay someone else to redo the work.

Of course these aren’t all of the important things to remember- just the first ones that come to mind for me. Share your experiences in the comments section below!