Reply to Seeking input on major addition with Case Design [DC]

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We are almost done with a very large renovation by Case.  We have been pleased overall.  If you are doing a big renovation, the key is getting a very strong and experienced project manager; second key is to get a top carpenter.  There may be some variation in quality with a big company like Case, so ask to see other similarly-sized projects they have managed and speak with past customers.  If your renovation is big enough and you can get Kevin Morrissey to PM it, I highly recommend him.  He is very good at what he does.

Advice:

-  It is very hard to know in advance what "options" you will add onto your project.  For example, we did not even think about the fact that the insulation package that was included with our project, while up to code, was the minimum required to meet code, which is not the same thing as the minimum required for you to feel warm in the winter without blasting the heat.  We didn't know that until we were told about possible "upgrades," which to us were not really options but pretty much required.  It would be helpful to go through each of the major contract categories -- electrical, plumbing, trim, insulation, etc. -- well before you sign the contract to discuss what options you will be asked to consider so that you can decide in advance if they are actually options or if you will consider them mandatory.

-  Ask for plenty of time to review the contract, and if you can afford it, get someone (consultant, lawyer, friend who has done a renovation) to review it in detail with you.  There are dozens of things in there that we didn't notice when we signed, and partly that was because we were under serious time pressure to sign it.  Tell Case in advance that you will need 10 business days to review the contract and that the contract price may not change before those 10 days are up.  Then use them to go through everything and ask lots and lots of questions.

- Case was very open to adding provisions into the contract upon our request that we felt we wanted in there to protect us.  They are a big company, but they are also very accommodating if you have requests that might modify the contract.

[/quote]

OP here.  Very thoughtful response -- thanks so much!  Question about your "options/upgrades" point.  Do you feel that Case intentionally didn't include items like better insulation as a bait-and-switch tactic?  During our initial mtg the guy from Case emphasized how the proposed budget was based on the stuff people typically want in an affluent area rather than the cheapest possible option.[/quote]

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