Los Angeles Contractors & Home Builders

The terms “contractor,” “remodeler,” and “builder” are often used interchangeably. This is incorrect, however. Generally speaking, a (residential) builder builds homes. A (residential) remodeler remodels and renovates existing residences. “Contractor” is a general term that might be applicable to both a builder and a remodeler, but it is typically used interchangeably with “remodeler.”

The sharp downturn in new construction has changed the market for many home builders. Los Angeles builders in particular have turned to remodeling work in droves to stay in business. Likewise, many construction workers previously employed by large-scale builders have flooded the marketplace in search of work. As a result, an established and competent Los Angeles contractor who specializes in remodeling might find that he or she is competing with an ex-builder and/or a new-construction worker for a remodeling project.

This situation is a double-edged sword for homeowners. On one hand, increased competition tends to create downward pressure on prices. Spending less for the same product is always welcome! On the other hand, the remodeling market, long infamous for its less-than-stellar practitioners, has been infused with newcomers blind to the particularities of remodeling. For an unsuspecting homeowner, this might spell real trouble and greatly increase their risk.

Much like any home builder Southern California homeowners might hire, remodelers vary greatly in experience, competence, and mindset. Stated plainly, some are great and some are terrible.

Furthermore, LA home builders have a different skill set than remodelers. Building, be it a one-at-a-time custom house or a sub-division, requires a different system of management, approach to supervision, scheduling, and mindset. In what is required to accomplish each, a whole house remodel or a second-story addition are very different from building even a single custom home.  An experienced Los Angeles home builder might become a good remodeler with enough forethought and practice (naturally the same is true for a remodeling contractor aiming to become a builder), but one most certainly does not equal the other.

Choosing one’s contractor well has always been tricky yet critical for a positive outcome. These days it is even more so. However, many of the tried-and-tested strategies used to screen LA architects, builders, contractors, and remodelers for years are still viable.

Homeowners should check licenses, check the company’s record with the BBB, verify insurance coverage, insist on several references (and check all), and look at completed and in-progress jobs (as opposed to merely being blindsided by a “too good to be true” quote). They should also be attuned to any indications that the contractor they are considering is really a builder with little to no experience in remodeling or a remodeler so desperate (indicated by conduct and/or pricing) that he or she could become a liability and run out of money mid-job or simply run off the job altogether. Following these steps and using copious discretion is the best way for homeowners to ensure that they’ve contracted a quality remodeler.