How to Communicate with Your Contractors For an Easy Construction Project

After countless hours of HGTV and Discovery Channel remodeling shows, we bet you’re just itching to grab that sledgehammer and get your hands dirty with a good ol’ fashioned DIY Home Reno.  As tempting as it might be, we do urge you to pause before you start knocking down walls and tearing things apart!  While the home improvement sector of Reality TV makes everything look glamorous, lickety split, and easy peasy lemon squeezy, the fact of the matter is that actual reality is far from it.  Before you start the hands-on approach, we recommend researching your desired projects for budgetary planning, realistic timelines, and current market material costs.  Embarking on the journey to renovate your home can certainly be done DIY style, but for most homeowners and property managers, this is a job best left to the pros.

Even if you’ve done the research, found your contractors, and are leaving the bulk oif teh work to the professionals, we understand that a curious and inspired mind is sometimes left unsatiated, and you still want to see the work as it happens!  In today's blog, we’re going to go through a little homeowner etiquette to ensure that your home renovation goes smoothly as possible, so you and your contractors can exist safely side by side while you peek at the progress.  We’re also going to share some tips we’ve found with contractors working on our own personal homes, as sometimes we also get the itch to want to “help out” as it were, being as we work in the industry, too.

It’s our hope that after you’re done reading this friendly guide, you’ll be more confident in navigating the renovation process not just with railing and stair installers like us, but perhaps with any contractors you hire down the road, too.

Do’s and Don’ts for Communicating and Working with Contractors in Your Home

• Do the research on your project and decide on your budget, and stay flexible with regards to options. When we schedule an estimate appointment with our clients, we love it when they’re able to provide reference pictures of both the current stairs and rails and surrounding area, as well as any inspiration our clients have for the updated look.  When you call your contractor, have these photos ready to send via e-mail, text, or DM so they can have a solid reference point. Most contractors will also want to make an appointment for a walkthrough to take precise measurements to give an accurate quote before you receive the estimate. Make sure the area is cleared and ready for them to walk around, measure, and take photos

•  If you have any questions, ask for clarification before your contractors start work!  Your contractors will have their finger on the pulse of current industry standards and materials pricing, so you can feel free to ask about different price points and materials to help you make a budget decision.  It’s okay if you change your mind about something once, but it’s important to let contractors know of any adjustments before materials are ordered and/or any work has begun. Changing your plan frequently may delay work or cause the project to incur additional costs, or even restocking fees for material exchanges. Likewise, any changes may incur additional labor charges if things must be removed or repaired to make accommodation for your adjustments.  Try to limit your changes and swaps for everyone’s convenience.. 

• Prepare your home for work and help us stay safe on the job. Ensure that your driveway is empty and open so that your contractors can easily unload materials, move tools around, and go back and forth to work vans/trucks.  Keep entrances and exits your contractors will be using free and clear of obstacles.  Do a thorough sweep to ensure that your floors, doorways, and hallways are clear and free of clutter and belongings, so that contractors may move freely about the work area and reduce risk of accidents.  Lock pets away in a secured, quiet area and do not allow them to move freely about the home while contractors are working; we love your pets as much as you do, but we need to focus on doing the job safely to avoid injury to ourselves and your pets!  Please let us know where the bathroom is for use during our work period, too; if we have to go offsite to use facilities, work will take longer and project timelines may be extended. 

• Check-in with your contractors periodically, but don’t interrupt while they’re using tools nor hover over the work site.  For your safety and security, it’s important not to hover around the construction area as we don’t want you to incur any injuries. It’s also important to wait until a break in the “action” so you do not distract the crew while they’re holding dangerous equipment or machinery.  We know its tempting to want to ask questions and learn, but remember we’re trying to focus and can’t offer you a personal tutorial session.  Feel free to inquire if they would like some hydration or light refreshments; that’s a kindness that’s always appreciated!   If you’ll be off-site during our work appointments, please let us know the best number to reach you if we need to communicate delays, issues, questions, or changes to the project.

• Love your new stairs and rails or other home reno project? Let your contractors know!  Aside from the initial happy faces and smiles we love to see after a job well done, the best way you can show your appreciation is to share the good news with those around you.  Let your friends and family know who completed the work, and hand out our business cards. Pop one of our marketing signs on your lawn to share with neigbours.  And most helpful of all, feel free to drop a note via e-mail detailing what you love about the finished project, send some snaps ofthe project once it’s been tidied and styled with a little “lived-in” flare.  We can’t think of a single contractor who doesn’t love seeing those updates and positive feedback!  Consider leaving a kind review on social media or Google – even just a few short sentences and a tap for 5 stars can help us reach new customers. Your feedback can really help sustain our business and promote positive growth!

Here at Pinto Carpentry, we aim to bring you the best of the best work with indoor handrails and bespoke stair builds. We are available to work in most regions of New Jersey, and accept work for both commercial and residential projects.   If you’re a builder, homeowner or businessowner, or property manager looking to upgrade your indoor handrails and stairs – give us a call! We’ll use our 20+ years of industry experience to get you the best prices and top quality work.  At the time of publication, new installation appointments are being booked into Summer of 2025 with a projected June and July timeline.  We aim to give each of our clients the same personal care and attention to detail as we would while working on our own family homes!  Give our expert admin staff a call to schedule an estimate and custom consultation today, or shoot us a DM on social media to get set up.