Remodeling your home can present many challenges. At Lamont Bros., we believe your remodeler should help you navigate the process of solving these challenges. As a design-build firm dedicated to providing our clients with a custom home remodeling experience, we make six promises to every client we work with.
Lamont Bros.’ six promises demonstrate how we use our company’s values to guide our clients through the process of transforming their homes into a place where they can thrive.
The purpose of this article is to provide an in-depth explanation of the six promises we make to our clients at Lamont Bros. After reading this page, you should have a clear understanding of what you can expect from us during the process of your remodel.
We’ll communicate with you every step of the way
The process of designing and constructing a remodel can often take several months. During this time, your project will go through several stages, pass through the hands of many different professionals, and require significant input from you.
With so many moving parts to a remodel, sometimes it can be difficult to understand what is going on. On top of that, contractors often have a reputation for being poor communicators and are often difficult to get a hold of.
To keep our clients from having to worry about these issues, we commit to communicating with you clearly and effectively from the start. You will know exactly where your remodel is in the process, what we need from you, and what you can expect from us at every stage of the project.
To design a remodel that meets your needs and fits your lifestyle, we’ll need a lot of input from you. Throughout the design process, you’ll have a design consultant to help you navigate the process of making decisions for your remodel. In turn, if you have questions or need clarification, you can go to your design consultant.
Once your project moves into construction, the remodeling superintendent assigned to your home will provide you with regular updates on the progress of your remodel. At Lamont Bros., we use the app BuilderTrend to streamline all communication between you and your build team. You’ll receive any progress updates through this platform, often accompanied by photos.
We’ll design an amazing space just for you
No two remodels are the same – and that’s a good thing! When you remodel your home with Lamont Bros., you get a design that fits specifically to your needs and lifestyle.
One of the benefits of working with a design-build firm like ours is that you have a full design team to take the guesswork out of designing a remodel. We’ll help you address the areas of your home that need improvement by working with you to find practical solutions that won’t break the bank.
While we may be the remodeling experts, you are the expert on yourself. The goal of a custom remodel is to create a space that reflects the needs, personalities, and aesthetics of the homeowner. Provide our design team with that information, and they’ll translate it into a remodel design where you can thrive.
We’ll keep you in charge of the cost
One of the biggest fears for homeowners is that they could max out their remodel budget before the project is complete, leaving them with no other choice but to shell out the cash to finish the job. So how do we keep you in control of your budget at Lamont Bros?
A fixed-price contract
It’s not uncommon for remodeling to cost more than you initially expected. For this exact reason, we operate on a fixed-price contract structure. In a fixed-price contract, the homeowner and builder both agree to a set project cost based on the design plans. We’re not out to hide costs from our clients just to spring a surprise fee later on. Rather, we want you to know how much your remodel will cost before we even begin building. The fixed-price contract is one of the ways we prove it.
On occasion, unforeseen circumstances may drive up the cost of a remodel. Lumber price inflation in 2021 is a great example of this. Due to the increase in material costs, some of our remodel projects did end up costing our clients more than they expected. In situations like this, our philosophy is to be transparent with you about potential cost increases and offer several solutions for you to choose from.
Value engineering and budgeting during the design process
Sometimes, the remodel that you want and the remodel you can afford don’t quite line up. In this case, you may end up having to reduce the scope of your proposed remodel to reduce the cost.
Fortunately, our design teams are fully capable of scaling back a remodel and finding ways to value-engineer the design. Will a $140,000 kitchen have all the cool design features as a $200,000 one? No, it won’t. However, it’s still much easier to control your costs during the design phase than it is once you’ve already broken ground.
We’ll respect you and your home
A remodel is great once it’s over, but what about during the construction process? Who’s going to be working on your home? How will it affect your daily life? Could the work we’re doing damage other parts of your home?
Before your remodel goes into construction, these are perfectly reasonable questions to ask. Some homeowners have reservations about who will have access to their home, and certain stereotypes towards construction workers don’t help to calm these concerns.
As a company built on family values and quality craftsmanship, we thoroughly vet the field staff we hire before sending them into your home. This process not only includes background checks and drug screening, but also an assessment of whether a potential employee fits our company’s culture of dedication to the client and the craft. We expect our field staff to be kind, courteous, and respectful to you and your family while in your home.
We also implement a set of jobsite safety protocols to ensure that the areas of your home not under construction remain undamaged by the work that goes on during the remodel. We’ll do our best to protect your home’s interior and exterior, as well as any walls and doors we’ll be moving in and out of. If you have specific concerns about jobsite protection, you should bring these up with your project manager.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve developed custom health and safety plans for each remodel we do. This often includes keeping our workspace separate from your living space, wearing masks, and washing down work surfaces at the end of each day. Beyond that, we follow our clients’ house rules when it comes to COVID-19 prevention. For one homeowner who was especially immunocompromised, our build team wore full hazmat suits to help the client feel more comfortable during the remodeling process.
We’re with you from start to finish
The defining characteristic of a design-build firm is the integration of the design team with the construction team. Using this model, the same entity – your design-build team – sees you through the entirety of your remodel from the beginning to the end.
Full-process remodeling firms like Lamont Bros. have a unique set of advantages for homeowners. The first and most important is that you’ll have your own team dedicated to your project. This includes your design consultant, designer, project manager, and superintendent.
The advantage of this design-build team lies in the shared expertise of these diverse professionals. When designing your remodel, your designer can consult with the project manager and superintendent to explore design solutions that are both buildable and budget-friendly.
In turn, your build team can go to the design team during construction if they need any clarification on the design plans. As a result of their collaboration, you end up with a more detailed, buildable design plan and ultimately, a higher-quality remodel.
Working with a design-build firm also means the cost of your project is tied directly to the design and vice versa. When the same company that designs your remodel is also the one to build it, they can more accurately estimate the total project cost and offer you better ways to lower that cost if you so desire.
Lastly, your remodel will have its own build staff dedicated to the project. This includes your superintendent, plus 1-3 remodel carpenters, depending on the size of the job. Your remodel will be the only project this team works on until it is completed. This system allows our teams to focus on doing their best work one job at a time with no other distractions.
We’ll stand behind our work
At Lamont Bros., we love remodeling people’s homes and we take great pride in the work we do. Our business is built on the satisfaction of the homeowners we’ve helped to transform their homes. As a result, we are committed to standing behind the work we do.
By law, construction companies are required to offer a one-year warranty on their work. However, because we believe in the quality and durability of our work, every remodel we build comes with a three-year warranty. Though a few restrictions apply to the terms of our warranty, it essentially covers any work done by our workers.
In addition to our warranty, we also work with manufacturers to provide specific product-related warranties. So, if for example, your shower water barrier fails, the water barrier manufacturer will cover the replacement cost.
The bottom line is that we want you to be satisfied with your remodel for years to come. If you encounter problems with your remodel down the road, we encourage you to contact us so we can help you find a solution to make it right.
Is Lamont Bros. the right remodeler for your next project?
Do you want to learn more about Lamont Bros. after reading about our six promises? Check out more of our website! Here, you can find tons of remodeling resources, including sample project costs, our work portfolio, and tons of useful information on our blog!
If our six promises have convinced you that Lamont Bros. is the right fit for your next remodel, we would love to hear from you. Click the button below to schedule a video call with one of our design consultants. We’ll help you get started on your remodel project right away.