You don’t have to go far to hear a horror story about a construction project that went horribly wrong. It seems like every homeowner has had at least one bad experience with a contractor.

A lot of homeowners don’t know how to avoid having this happen to them. They feel like they are at the mercy of their contractor and the construction industry as a whole. They feel like they have no control over the outcome of their project. So, they hope that the contractor they hire will do a good job and attend to their needs, and they pray that the outcome of their project won’t be another horror story. 

Thankfully, this feeling isn’t entirely accurate. There is, in fact, a lot that a homeowner can do to ensure that they have a good remodeling experience.

What causes a construction project to go wrong?

 Let’s step back for a second, to get a wider angle shot. When we look around at our society as a whole, it seems like we humans, as a species, have a problem taking responsibility for the things that affect our lives. 

Do we do this because we don’t feel like we have control over our lives, because we feel like someone else is to blame for our woes, or because we just don’t want to pay the price for the poor decisions we sometimes make? I don’t know why we do this, but whatever the reason, it seems like our society likes to shift our own responsibilities onto others whenever we can.

Unfortunately, homeowner/contractor relationships are not immune to this problem.

I have seen many contractors refuse to take responsibility for projects that go poorly, choosing, instead, to blame a project’s failure on an “impossible” client instead of their own mismanagement.

The same thing happens on the other side, where a homeowner will blame a “bad contractor” for their bad experience, without taking responsibility for the role they played in the failure of the project. 

When both parties try to shift their own responsibility onto the other party, it spells certain disaster! 

How can I keep a construction project from going bad?

The best way for a homeowner to avoid having their project become a horror story is for them to be vigilant in taking responsibility for their part of the project and be just as vigilant in finding a contractor that will take responsibility for his (or her) part of it. 

If both parties understand and accept their responsibilities in the project, the project won’t become a horror story. 

Now, I’m not saying that if this is done correctly, nothing will go wrong. This is construction, something will surely go wrong. But when things do go wrong, you will be able to work through it and find a solution that is a win for everyone. This can’t happen when neither party will take responsibility for things that do go wrong.

Below, I will outline the responsibilities of both parties, so that you (the homeowner) will know what you need to take responsibility for, and what your contractor needs to take responsibility for.

What are a homeowner’s responsibilities in a construction project? 

Your hiring decision

First and foremost, it is your responsibility to choose the right contractor. Finding a good contractor can feel impossible, especially in a booming market, where good contractors are booked out many months, or even years, in advance. But, who you hire is ultimately your decision, so it is your responsibility to do your due diligence to make sure the contractor you hire will be a good fit for you and your needs.  

Your needs

Every person is a unique individual. Your needs as a homeowner and an individual, are different from every other homeowner (and individual) on the planet. So, it is your responsibility to be aware of your needs and to communicate them effectively.

Your priorities

Just as your needs are as individual as you are, so are your priorities. Some homeowners need their home to be spotlessly clean and perfectly organized, others need to have the latest gadgets and tech, and others yet need to feel like they are getting a good deal when they remodel. 

Every homeowner has different priorities, and it is your responsibility to decide what your priorities are and to communicate them to your contractor. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your contractor is prioritizing things in a way that properly matches the priorities you created.

Your budget

Remodeling isn’t cheap, especially today. Material costs are at an all-time high, and labor is getting more expensive every day. You may feel like your budget is at the mercy of the current market. In some ways it is, things cost what they cost and there is nothing we can do about that. But, what you choose to spend your money on is still your decision. You get to decide how much work will be done and the quality of the products that will be used in your project. 

Your communication

Communication is a critical component in any relationship, and business relationships are no exception. Each party needs to be able to communicate their position in order for the other party to understand it and act appropriately toward the end goal of a successful project. 

Both parties need to take responsibility for communicating their own position. Therefore, it is your responsibility to communicate your needs, priorities, budget, etc. Don’t assume, communicate!

Managing your past experiences

We have all had experiences that affect us for years to come. Some of those experiences have been bad, and they affect us negatively, others have been good, and they affect us positively. It is difficult to keep these experiences from clouding our judgment as we move forward with our lives.

For homeowners, some of these experiences are remodeling experiences. Many homeowners who have had bad experiences in the past will find it difficult to trust a contractor to come into their home and complete a project for them.

On the other hand, those who have had a good experience may trust contractors easily, even contractors who shouldn’t be trusted. 

One of your responsibilities, as a homeowner, is to manage your past experiences and keep them from clouding your judgment.

Protecting Yourself

A lot of things can happen in a remodel, and you need to make sure that you are protected if something bad happens. Make sure your contractor is insured, your home is insured, and your contractor has the appropriate licenses (if applicable in your jurisdiction). Make sure that there is a contract that protects you, that you have the necessary permits, etc., etc.

It is your responsibility to make sure that you are protected!

What are a contractor’s responsibilities in a construction project?

Their needs

Contractors are people and we have needs, too! But the great thing for you, the homeowner, is that those needs are not your responsibility! Your needs are your responsibility, and your contractor’s needs are their responsibility, period. 

Of course, we should all be empathetic and understanding of each other’s needs, but it’s not our job to take responsibility for other people’s needs. Your contractor’s needs are 100% their responsibility.

Their communication

Communication is a two-way street. Just as you are responsible to communicate your position to your contractor, it is their responsibility to communicate their position to you. 

You don’t expect your contractor to read your mind, so your contractor shouldn’t expect you to read their mind. Your contractor is responsible for communicating with you.

Their schedule

The workload most contractors are facing today, coupled with the instability in the material market, makes managing a construction schedule incredibly difficult. These days, almost every project will have a monkey wrench thrown into it at some point.

Sorting out these issues and making the appropriate changes to the schedule is not the homeowner’s responsibility, though, it is the contractor’s. A homeowner needs to be flexible when problems arise, but it’s not their responsibility to solve scheduling issues.

Their team

Whenever humans are involved, things get complicated. People get sick, people make mistakes, and people let emotions get the better of them. Anything can happen when people are involved! 

Your contractor’s team is full of people and it is your contractor’s responsibility, not yours, to manage those people and to take responsibility for their actions.  

Their workmanship

There are building codes and industry standards that a contractor is required to build to. It is their responsibility to ensure that your project is built to these standards.

Courts regularly uphold that a contractor is responsible to ensure that his work meets code and industry standards. Even if a homeowner wants him to deviate from these standards, and even if she offers to take responsibility for the results of this deviation from industry norms, if anything were to go wrong, a court will hold the contractor liable. Therefore: Your contractor is always responsible for their workmanship, whether they (or you) believe them to be or not. 

Their finances

The financial end of a construction company can be pretty hectic: managing cash flow, budgeting, tracking costs, and ensuring profitability while working on multiple projects simultaneously can overwhelm even the most experienced contractor. 

Many a contractor has asked for payment advances or additional money from a client when they have gotten overwhelmed financially. If this happens to you, you will need to remember that your contractor’s finances are their responsibility, not yours!

Their past experiences

Contractors work for tens, hundreds, or even thousands of different people every year. Contractors are also human, so we are not immune to having our experiences with one homeowner cloud our judgment with others. 

Just as you have taken responsibility for managing your past experiences with other contractors, your contractor needs to take the same responsibility for their past experiences with homeowners. 

Protecting Themselves

Obviously, it is your contractor’s responsibility to protect themselves. They need to buy insurance, get licensed (when required), pull the necessary permits, retain an attorney, provide a contract, and otherwise protect themselves. 

The unique situation here is that, while it is your contractor’s responsibility to protect themselves, the tools they use to do that (like insurance, licenses, and contracts) also protect you. If they don’t take responsibility for protecting themselves, you likely won’t be protected, either. So, each party taking responsibility for protecting themselves is, in a way, taking responsibility for protecting the other party as well.

In conclusion

Well, there you have it! Entering into a service agreement is a lot more complicated than purchasing an item at a store. Both parties have a lot of responsibilities. The homeowner has a lot more responsibilities than just providing payment, and the contractor has a lot more responsibilities than just providing workmanship. 

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of your responsibilities, as a homeowner, so that you can do your part to make your home improvement project go smoothly. 

You also have a better understanding of your contractor’s responsibilities so that you can make sure that the contractor you hire is going to take responsibility for the their part of the project.

This knowledge will help you maintain control of your project and ensure that it goes smoothly. Armed with this knowledge, you and your contractor will be able to work together, sharing responsibilities, and together you will turn your dreams into a beautiful reality!