Top General Contractors Handle Everything From Basements to Skylights

When it comes to home improvement and renovation, hiring the right professionals is crucial. Whether you're planning a basement renovation or installing skylights, a top General Contractor can handle all aspects of your project. From initial design to final touches, these experts ensure that every detail meets your expectations. 

Comprehensive Project Management

A skilled General Contractor oversees every phase of construction, acting as the single point of contact for clients. This role involves coordinating with architects, designers, and subcontractors to ensure that the project runs smoothly and efficiently. By managing all the moving parts, contractors help to minimize delays and unexpected expenses.

Their expertise is particularly valuable in complex renovations, such as transforming a basement into a functional living space. These projects often require structural changes, electrical work, plumbing, and more. A general contractor has the experience to handle these tasks seamlessly, ensuring that everything complies with local building codes and safety standards.

Expert Design and Planning

One of the primary advantages of working with a general contractor is their ability to turn your vision into reality. They work closely with you to understand your needs and preferences, then translate these into a detailed plan. Whether you're aiming for a modern look or a traditional style, they have the skills and resources to bring your ideas to life.

For example, installing skylights requires precise planning to ensure optimal placement and performance. A contractor considers factors such as roof structure, insulation, and light exposure to recommend the best options for your home. This attention to detail ensures that your skylights not only enhance natural lighting but also improve energy efficiency.

Quality Assurance and Materials

Top contractors prioritize quality in every aspect of their work, from materials to craftsmanship. They have established relationships with suppliers, allowing them to source high-quality materials at competitive prices. This commitment to quality is evident in every detail, from the durability of the basement finishes to the weather resistance of the skylights.

Furthermore, a general contractor ensures that all work meets the highest standards. They conduct regular inspections and address any issues promptly, maintaining a high level of workmanship throughout the project. This focus on quality assurance provides peace of mind, knowing that your investment is protected.

Timely and Cost-Effective Solutions

Time and budget constraints are common challenges in construction projects. A general contractor has the skills and experience to manage these effectively, delivering results on schedule and within budget. They develop a realistic timeline and budget at the outset, then monitor progress closely to ensure that everything stays on track.

By identifying potential issues early and finding innovative solutions, contractors help to prevent costly delays. For instance, in a basement renovation, unforeseen structural problems can arise. A skilled contractor anticipates these challenges and adjusts the plan accordingly, keeping the project moving forward smoothly.

Enhancing Property Value

Investing in home improvements is not just about enhancing your living space; it also increases your property value. A well-executed project by a top General Contractor adds significant value to your home, whether through a beautifully finished basement or energy-efficient skylights. These upgrades make your property more attractive to potential buyers, offering a strong return on investment.

Personalized Service and Communication

Effective communication is a hallmark of a top general contractor. They keep you informed at every stage, providing updates and addressing any concerns promptly. This personalized service ensures that your project aligns with your vision and expectations.

Whether you're upgrading your basement or enhancing your home with skylights, partnering with a skilled contractor ensures a successful and satisfying outcome. 

Take the Stress Out of a Home Remodel By Hiring a Great General Contractor

Home remodeling can be a daunting task with its complexities and potential for unexpected challenges. However, employing a skilled General Contractor can significantly ease the process. Here's how a great General Contractor makes all the difference in remodeling projects.

Expertise and Experience

A seasoned General Contractor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to your home remodel. They understand the intricacies of construction codes, permits, and the latest building techniques, ensuring that your project adheres to all local regulations. Their expertise also allows them to foresee potential issues and handle them proactively, minimizing delays and cost overruns.

Project Management Skills

One of the key benefits of hiring a General Contractor is their project management skills. They coordinate with architects, suppliers, and subcontractors to ensure that your project runs smoothly from start to finish. This coordination is crucial for maintaining a timeline and keeping the project on budget. Their ability to manage all aspects of the construction process reduces the burden on you, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is another critical aspect provided by a General Contractor. They ensure that all materials and workmanship meet the highest standards. This not only enhances the durability and aesthetics of your remodel but also ensures safety standards are met. By choosing a General Contractor committed to quality, homeowners can feel confident in the longevity and value of their remodeling investment.

Communication and Customer Service

Effective communication is vital during a home remodel. A good General Contractor will keep you informed throughout the process, providing updates and being responsive to your queries and concerns. This ongoing dialogue is essential for ensuring that the project aligns with your expectations and for making timely decisions.

Streamlined Decision-Making Process 

Adding a streamlined decision-making process as another advantage highlights how a General Contractor can simplify choices for the homeowner. They can guide you through selecting materials, colors, and designs, which can be overwhelming due to the vast options available. This guidance helps in making decisions that align with both the project’s budget and aesthetic goals.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Finally, a General Contractor can provide cost-effective solutions to your remodeling needs. They have established relationships with suppliers and can often secure materials at a lower cost. Additionally, their experience allows them to recommend budget-friendly alternatives that do not compromise the quality or aesthetic of your project.

In essence, hiring a reputable General Contractor not only helps manage the logistical aspects of a remodel but also ensures that the end result is as stress-free and successful as possible.

Home Remodeling is an Important Investment With Lasting Value

Your home is not just a place where you and your family live. It also is the most significant investment you can expect to make throughout your lifetime. This is especially true after you pay off the mortgage and home sweet home is all yours. The key to getting the highest financial investment out of your house involves making improvements on it in the form of home remodeling projects.

In other words, home remodeling is an important investment with lasting value
You have a seemingly endless number of ideas to choose from for home remodeling projects. At Mares & Dow, our team of highly-rated contractors complete bathroom and kitchen renovations, as well as waterproof basements and repair foundation structural issues. We are also known as the go-to home remodeling contractor for three specializations.

Skylights
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Mares & Dow helps homeowners get the most out of lighting systems. We also install skylights, which welcome sunlight into any room in your home. Installing skylights is an important investment with lasting value for several reasons. First, numerous studies demonstrate increasing the amount of sunlight in a room enhances a room’s ambiance, which translates into elevating everyone’s mood that passes through the room. Second, sunlight represents a free way to warm up a room on a cold winter day. Third, this means you can expect lower monthly energy bills. Finally, our team of contractors directs natural illumination to focal points in a room, such as on an art collection or a valuable piece of furniture.

Siding

One of the most common ways to ensure your house has lasting value involves boosting its curb appeal. Curb appeal refers to the first impression people have of your home’s exterior. You can enhance the curb appeal of your home by installing a new roof and completing an exterior paint project. However, a more affordable home remodeling project that boosts curb appeal involves installing new siding. The right siding acts as a complementary feature to other exterior elements such as your home’s windows. You should choose a color for siding that blends seamlessly with other design elements that are added as part of a home remodeling project.

Retaining Wall

Retaining walls serve several functional purposes that increase the value of your home. Building a retaining wall in a low-lying area of your property diverts rainwater away from the foundation of your house. Adding a retaining wall also protects the most vulnerable area of your yard from erosion. However, retaining walls also can improve the visual appeal of your property, especially if you customize the design of a retaining wall. At Mares & Dow, we work closely with homeowners to design the most visually appealing customized retaining walls.

Hire the Right General Contractor for Your Home Remodeling Project

You have decided on what type of home remodeling project you want to complete for giving your house lasting value. Now, the time has come to choose the right general contractor to get the job done right.

Several factors play a role in selecting the best general contractor. You want to hire a team of home remodeling professionals who have several years of experience working on your type of home remodeling project. With that experience, the general contractor hired for your project should possess a record of proven success completing home remodeling projects. The general contractor should have earned the right credentials, such as the certification that makes the general contractor a part of the Building Industry Association (BIA).

The final factor to consider and the one that confirms the other factors is the positive reviews left by former clients on sites like Yelp and Google.

Home Contractors Transform Basements Into Apartments

Home remodeling projects take many shapes and sizes, from installing new siding to building a retaining wall in the backyard. One of the most profitable home remodeling projects completed by the licensed contractors at Mares & Dow involves transforming a basement into an apartment. Not only does this project increase the value of your home, but it also generates a steady stream of revenue if you decide to rent out the space. Even if you do not rent out the space, the new apartment can become an extra room for a family member or a place for guests to stay.

If you have decided to transform the basement into an apartment, let’s review what you should consider before taking on the home remodeling project.

Confirm the Legality of the Home Remodeling Project

Some local governments place remodeling restrictions on homeowners by establishing zoning laws and regulations. Common types of zoning laws and regulations include limiting the number of occupants in a home, as well as mandating certain types of parking requirements and fire escape plans. You might live in a city that prohibits the transformation of a basement into a residence for someone to rent.

If your city does not allow for a basement transformation into an apartment, you might be able to convert the basement into a space for personal use, such as an additional bathroom.

Cost

After confirming the legality of a basement conversion into an apartment, the next step involves creating an affordable budget. This is the step when the home remodeling contractors at Mares & Dow start providing help for our clients. We closely monitor the supply chain to determine the cost of materials. In addition, we calculate an accurate value for the cost of labor, which includes estimating the number of hours required to complete the transformation of your basement into an apartment.

According to Home Advisor, the national average cost to remodel a basement is nearly $20,000, but a conversion of a basement into an apartment runs much higher than that amount.

Design the Apartment

What style of apartment do you want? Do you want to design a studio or make it a one-bedroom apartment that requires partitions to divide up the space? Although an open floor plan for a studio saves you time and money because you do not have to build walls, a one-bedroom apartment with partitions allows you to charge more money to rent the space. You also have to consider the design of the floor, as well as whether you want to install one or more windows.

The highly rated home remodeling contractors at Mares & Dow help you design the new apartment by creating a floor plan and calculating the square footage.

How to Choose the Right Home Remodeling Contractors to Convert a Basement Into an Apartment

You have decided to convert the basement into an apartment. Now, you must choose the best home remodeling contractors to complete the project. The first factor to consider concerns proven experience. Second, verify every general contractor on your shortlist has earned the proper professional credentials. Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) and Building Industry Association (BIA) represent two common types of professional designations for home remodeling contractors. The third factor to consider is the reviews left by clients on sites such as Yelp and Google.