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From HVAC repair to electrical upgrades, some home improvement projects require the help of a professional. But even though contractors are well versed in repairs...
While some home improvement and maintenance projects require professional help, others are easy enough to do yourself. But most homeowners can’t get through a DIY...
We Americans are a can-do crowd, particularly when it comes to maintaining and improving our homes. Need proof? Look ...
Already found a contractor for your next project? You might be happy with your hire, but planning ahead is the best w...
Replacing the roof: Many people do it only once, if at all, in their tenure as the owner of a home. For that reason a...
So, you’ve finally hired a contractor for your home renovation. You’ve done your homework, checked references, and even have a written contract. You think you're ...
Any suburbanite with a driveway knows the drill: A couple of guys arrive in a beat-up truck with a bucket of asphalt in the back, claiming to have done a job “jus...
Whereas other home upgrades are purely elective, roof repairs aren't a choice; they're essential. Besides being crit...
Is the roofer or tile setter not returning your phone calls? Don't take it personally. Economists agree that home im...
If know what I want, why do I need a designer at all?Perhaps you don't. But understand that, strange as it may seem, ...
Dankmar Adler—architect and partner of the great Louis Sullivan in the firm of Adler and Sullivan—once remarked that ...
A general contractor or GC is hired to take a set of plans and turn them into a building. He'll orchestrate the comin...
The routine for hiring a general contractor is not radically different from that of hiring a designer. You want to hi...
There is no mystery to being a general contractor, though some skills with people, finances, and general good sense ...
A construction manager is another alternative to hiring a general contractor. It may be a good way for the homeowner ...
Do you need contracts? Yes is the short answerContracts are a crucial part of the paper trail that will help assure t...
Cost overruns are certainly common in renovation work, but there are steps you can take to try to anticipate some of ...
There'll be surprises along the way, some of them delightful and some not. But here are a few matters for which you s...
So, you tried to anticipate everything. But the fact is, no one can plan for every exigency. So here are some ways to...
When your job nears completion, you may want a couple of other pros to come in and help with the finish. I can't emph...
As real estate markets across the country deal with sluggish sales and plunging prices, many people who, just a coupl...
It’s important to oversee the details of any repair or remodeling job done on your home. There are a number of ways t...
When Fern Dickey saw what a fantastic job a contractor did on her neighbor’s remodel, she had no problem figuring out...
Hiring an architect should save you time and money, minimize bumps, streamline the building process, and provide an a...
Job site theft is a rampant and growing problem that costs the construction industry more than $1 billion a year, acc...
For eight months, Sue Gladstone’s home in Suburban Boston was a maze of plastic construction sheeting covered in a ha...
Construction Manager vs. General Contractor?A construction manager is an alternative to hiring a general contractor. ...
What follows is a long – yet hardly exhaustive – list of costs common to home building projects. You probably won't h...
Whether you plan to talk directly to a contractor or to begin by hiring a designer, you will save both of you time an...
Interior designer Patricia Brown has counseled hundreds of clients through renovation projects large and small. She e...
Before you dive headfirst into that renovation project, make sure to assess the full scope of the job—from budgeting to sourcing materials to hiring the right con...
Re-roofing our 1908 American Foursquare-style house reminded me of a Frank Capra movie. For once, things actually wen...
Unhappy with the job your contractor did? Peeved at your local hardware store's churlish service? Annoyed with the ru...
"Satisfaction goes up when you have concrete expectations," says CA-based contractor Dan Fritschen. The unglamorous ...
If you are thinking that this is the year to tackle a bigger renovation project that you’ve been postponing, you’re n...
Licenses, bonding, and insurance: Every contractor is required by law to have these essential documents in order, but...
[Ed: This post was updated with additional information from Redbeacon on 1/28/2013. ]Three-year-old startup Redbeacon...
While they’re always inconvenient, major remodeling projects can also become a real strain on your relationship if yo...
All contracts you sign should begin with the parties to the agreement. Your name and address and that of the contract...
The Bidding Process Is Telling By now, most homeowners know that you need to get quotes from several contractors befo...
During your construction project, you will have to deal with the workmen. Even if you feel comfortable with them—and ...
How long do the steps take? No two jobs are the same, but here are some reasonable estimates of what will be required...
Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing)...
What was I thinking when I promised myself—and more importantly my husband, Phil—that we would be ready to move into ...
As your renovation or construction project is going on, you will have to deal with the workmen. Even if you feel comf...
When you hire a GC, subs, and other on-site workers, ask whether they have insurance coverage. Each should have a bla...
All contracts you sign should begin with the parties to the agreement. Yours and the contractor's names and addresses...
After a damaging storm, it can be hard to find a contractor who will repair your home right away. Although it is temp...
Bob meets with homeowner Sarah Monzon to recap the project, from the initial preparation to the renovations to the finishing touches.
Bob meets with the architects, Mark and Geoffrey, who visit the project site every two weeks in order to check on progress, and to make sure their plans are being...
Bob and carpenter Paul Morse go over the details of the budget and discuss whether or not they'll be able to finish the project under the estimated cost.
Restoration contractor Richard Marks shows Bob around the elegant, though quite run-down, Federal-style project house.
Bob visits a Federal-style home undergoing reconstruction, and having an addition put on, in Charleston, SC. Restoration contractor Richard Marks guides Bob throu...
Bob and developer Joe Fitzgerald discuss what to look for in a general contractor.
Bob and contractor Bob Ryley review costs for the Victorian-style remodel-and-build project in Martha's Vineyard, MA.
Bob meets with homeowner Paul Paresky and tours the project. Expanding the lakefront home with a second floor addition will be a major undertaking. General contra...
Bob accompanies carpenter-contractor Bob Ryley on a "contractor's tour" of the home with the aim of assessing any needed modifications to the interior.