Author : Brad James

A new build in most U.S. markets costs between $150 and $250 per square foot before land, permits, and site work. An existing home in the same neighborhood often sells for $110 to $180 per square foot once you factor in the age of the structure and whatever updates the current owner already made. That […]

A contractor who asks for a 60% deposit before touching your property is telling you something important about how they run their business. So is one who can’t produce a current insurance certificate within a day of asking. Most bad contracting experiences don’t come out of nowhere. They show up early, in the bid process, […]

A draw schedule breaks the total cost of a construction project into a series of payments, each tied to a specific point of progress. Instead of paying a contractor the full contract amount up front or waiting until the very end, the owner (or the bank, if a construction loan is involved) releases money in […]

Three contractors walk your kitchen remodel and come back with bids of $42,000, $58,000, and $71,000. The instinct is to call the $42,000 contractor and start scheduling. That instinct causes more change orders, more disputes, and more unfinished jobs than almost any other decision homeowners make during a renovation. A bid is not a price […]

A punch list is the written record of every incomplete, incorrect, or damaged item on a construction project, compiled before the owner signs off and makes final payment. It’s not a suggestion sheet. On most contracts, it’s the document that determines whether a contractor gets paid in full and whether an owner has legal grounds […]

Homebuilders in the Capital Region of New York are going to be seeing a lot more inventory coming on the market soon. That’s because the rising number of people moving back to the city is driving demand for new housing projects. In fact, there are now so many locals and transplants alike looking for new […]

Whether it’s because the old faucet is broken, or it’s simply time to upgrade the look of the bathroom, you have decided it’s time to replace the bathroom faucet. Replacing the bathroom faucet is one of those jobs that most homeowners can do themselves. Here are a few tips on how to get the job […]