Dos and Don’ts of Remodels and Renovations: Plumbing Tips & More
While you love your home, at some point, you may need to make some changes to it. Remodels can be complex and extensive, while renovations may only take up your weekend. Below, you’ll learn how to plan your project, when you should call a contractor as well as some pro plumbing tips. No matter your project, these pros offer helpful advice that make tackling a home refresh easier.
1. How do I plan my renovation project?
2. What prep work should I do?
4. How do I hire the right contractor for the job?
Meet the Pros
Chip Wade (@chipwade)
As an Emmy-winning television host and producer, Georgia Tech engineer, HGTV designer, and third-generation craftsman, Chip Wade’s career is dedicated to helping people and businesses make educated and inspired decisions in the home and lifestyle category. Chip is also the owner and lead designer of Wade Works Creative, offering services in video and digital productions, residential and commercial design, architecture and building one-of-a-kind stuff.
Brad Royce
(@royce_renovations)
Brad is the contractor and creator behind the Royce Renovations social media pages. With his wife, Kelsey, they renovate houses and share tips on how to improve, maintain or fix things within your home. Brad started his renovation journey by watching YouTube videos and tackling projects with trial and error, but now this team completes almost all renovation jobs on their own.
Dan and Steve Tuer
(@refreshhomeimprovements)
Dan and Steve are the owners and operators of a successful home renovation business in the heart of Toronto, Canada. Since 2014, it’s been their mission to bring their brand of professional-yet-approachable building to people’s homes and screens. Renovations can be intimidating, but these brothers know they don’t have to be. They have just one goal in mind: Make professional more accessible.
Josh (@excellent_laborer)
Although Josh worked with many companies in his 15 years of construction experience, he mostly learned how to build new homes from his father. Josh started The Excellent Laborer channel to document and share his journey of building houses and being his own contractor. He loves transforming a space, creating something lasting, and helping others gain the confidence and skills to take on their own projects.
Remodel vs Renovation
Before starting your project, you’ll want to determine whether it’s a remodel or renovation, as this will set your expectation for budget and timelines.
Remodels. According to Brad Royce from Royce Renovations, a project is a remodel if it changes the form or purpose of something, such as removing a jetted tub and replacing it with a walk-in steam shower.
Remodels are somewhat of a mixed bag. At least this is how design pro, Chip Wade from Wade Works Creative, sees it. After completing over 2,000 remodels during his career, he says there are always hidden issues and unforeseen challenges that come up. Wade’s advice for remodels is to account for a 20% unknown factor in your project as a safeguard in case something goes wrong.
Learn More: SharkBite Remodel Solutions Brochure
Renovations. In contrast, renovations typically focus more on cosmetic changes to something old to make it look and feel new, like replacing the tile of an existing shower.
Tips for Homeowners
If you’re eager to improve your home but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Rest assured, these experts have known this feeling themselves and have some advice to help you prepare for and execute your vision.
1. How do I plan my renovation project?
Define your goals.
What changes would you like to make to your home? Make a list of these changes and prioritize your must-haves. If you’re struggling to decide, pick the things you’re willing to spend the most time and money on or the changes that you can’t live without.
Set a budget and timeline.
It’s best to answer the big questions of a project first before moving on to the details. This is especially true when dealing with plumbing. Be honest and detailed with your budget and timeline restrictions as you plan your project, as this will inform the rest of your project decisions.
With over 10 years of renovation experience, Dan and Steve Tuer of Refresh Home Improvements know home projects always come with unexpected obstacles. So, they recommend you set a budget and double it. Wade echoes this sentiment, saying homeowners must establish a realistic budget and timeframe.
Main Takeaway: Map out how much time and money you will realistically have to spend on each goal of the project and include room for project setbacks.
2. What prep work should I do?
No matter how simple your project may be, do your due diligence before buying any materials or attempting a home project on your own. This will keep you, and your wallet, safe during your remodel or renovation.
Research local building codes.
Josh from The Excellent Laborer says this step is crucial to ensure your project meets all the local regulations and requirements, so you don’t have to make changes once the project gets inspected. Checking before you start will save you time and effort. You can do this by visiting your state government website, often found under ‘construction codes.’
Find the right materials.
Josh also knows it’s important to pick products that streamline the process and provide reliable results, especially when you’re trying to get the project done quickly. In his view, SharkBite fittings are a perfect example since they save time without sacrificing quality. They also allow for quick, secure connections that streamline the plumbing process.
Get recommendations. Royce takes a personalized approach. He says to look at the tools that pros recommend for your skill level, budget and how much you’ll use it. He suggests only gathering information from reputable sources, like experienced friends or family, online videos from reputable accounts, and different brand websites.
There are many products — SharkBite, for example, has many — that allow you to quickly and easily tackle a project without buying a bunch of tools that you can’t afford or you’ll never use again.
Test different products yourself. For the Tuers, trial and error usually helps them find the right materials. In their experience, you can only truly know a product’s value when it’s either solved a problem or let you down on a project. Not every product review will accurately describe how useful a tool will be, so sometimes you need to find out for yourself.
Invest in tried-and-true brands. Wade’s rule of thumb is to never skimp on materials when it comes to foundational or infrastructure elements. In his opinion, it’s a combination of experience working with products or brands and knowing how to identify great products when you see them. He says to look for brands that have been in business for a long time, and consider how easy it is to get technical support if needed, as well as a solid warranty.
Be vigilant when looking for plumbing products, as the wrong products could cause costly damage to your home from leaks, burst pipes and more. To avoid this, look for products that have a reliable warranty with the proper code approvals.
A full list of SharkBite materials you may need can be found here.
Explore different techniques.
Be honest about your limits. Josh suggests being realistic about what you can do yourself and when to bring in a professional for more complex tasks to ensure the project is done correctly. Read more on this under Skill Level Requirements.
For plumbing projects, if you don’t have experience with soldering, use safer, quicker and easier connection methods like push-to-connect fittings, EvoPEX, expansion and crimp fittings.
Stick to one style.
According to Royce, pick all colors, fixtures and materials in advance. He warns homeowners against selecting as you go, since you may change your mind throughout the project.
If you don’t choose materials ahead of time, you could end up with elements that don’t match. In Royce’s experience, this could leave you with finished floors that are all wrong for the new shower tile you like.
Read More: Residential Renovation Case Study
3. Should I use a contractor?
Pros know the importance of getting a job done right. Before you tackle a home renovation or remodel on your own, follow these tips to make an informed decision about hiring a contractor or plumber.
Safety.
When it comes to plumbing renovations, Royce says there are many basic tasks that can be safely attempted once the water to your home is shut off and the lines are drained. On the other hand, if you feel that it’s outside of your abilities or if you dig in and nothing seems to go as expected, then you should give a plumber a call to ensure it’s done correctly. This will prevent a water leak or much bigger headaches in your home.
More specifically, Josh advises that homeowners avoid working on any type of plumbing that may cause a health hazard such as the risk of sewage leaking in a house from cutting a primary drain pipe. So, before starting a plumbing project on your own, make safety a priority.
Read More: 3 Common SharkBite Installation Mistakes to Avoid
Skill Level Requirements.
Refresh Home Improvements suggests you get to know how your plumbing system works. If you have the proper tools, breadth of knowledge and take the proper time, you can accomplish many tasks that usually would require a plumber or contractor. They warn that if you are missing even one of those aspects, however, you should call a professional right away.
There is no rule set in stone for when to call a plumber, and it depends on your personal skill level.
Royce encourages you to try new things, but if you don’t feel comfortable after some research, don’t do it. Josh agrees, saying that he believes it's a good time to get a plumber if you have to deal with anything that feels beyond your skill level.
More specifically, if you are dealing with drain systems, Wade suggests having a plumber handle it entirely. Drain lines are hidden sleepers that you really only get one shot to get right, he says. Many homeowners assume pressure lines are more hazardous than drain lines, but in Wade’s experience, they are much easier to work with and it’s easier to know if you’ve done the work correctly.
Efficiency.
Trying new home projects is exciting and challenges you to expand your skills, but practically, you may not have time to complete them. Consider if these challenging tasks are worth your time and effort.
Think of your timeline. If efficiency is the name of the game for you, hiring someone to do the job is a great option. If you are not comfortable with a plumbing project, for example, Josh says it's not worth wasting your time since a plumber can do it quicker and has more experience. In short, hiring someone can save you time and unnecessary frustration.
Complete minor projects. If you'd like to be more involved, Royce recommends starting with small renovation projects you feel comfortable trying and hiring out the bigger remodeling portions. This is how he and his wife started, which allowed them to learn what can happen and how to overcome different hurdles --- with the safety of pros. Now they have the experience to do most remodels entirely on their own.
Get a pro perspective at the beginning. For design projects, Wade recommends putting together a formal plan before hiring a contractor. Wade suggests working with an experienced architect or designer to make this detailed plan. This allows you to brainstorm with experienced professionals and still work on the project yourself.
4. How do I hire the right contractor for the job?
If you need a contractor for your project, or part of your project, make sure to get the right tradesperson for the job.
Screen your options. One of the most important things you can do is interview contractors and then call their references, the Tuers say. If your contractor doesn’t offer a list of references, ask for one and make sure to call each person on it. This list should include the name and number of previous customers and project owners.
When interviewing a plumber or any remodeling contractor, Royce recommends looking at before and after images of projects they’ve done and analyzing their work in detail.
Evaluate past projects. Royce says to read reviews of prior customers as well, which will help you verify that their workmanship, knowledge of building code and communication throughout the project aligns with your expectations. Wade says that you should expect them to have experience, referrals, and show an on-time and on-budget completion of at least five of those referrals.
Confirm details. It’s also important to check that contractors are fully insured so you're protected in case anything goes wrong during the project, Josh says. Ask about their availability and whether they can complete the job within a reasonable timeframe.
You don’t want to be left waiting too long or dealing with unnecessary delays, especially on time-sensitive projects. In his experience, clear communication on both scheduling and insurance is key to avoiding potential headaches down the line.
Watch: Testimonial: Sweeney Plumbing & Remodeling
Key Takeaways
1. Remodels and renovations are not created equal. Remodels often take longer to complete and are more complex. Before setting your goals, keep your project type in mind so you know how much time and money to budget.
2. Plan your project with realistic and detailed goals. This will help you avoid costly mistakes, like running out of time on your project. First, define your goals, then set a budget and timeline to accomplish them.
3. Set aside time to prepare for your project. Research your local building codes, the materials you’ll need and the techniques required to accomplish them. Then, pick your desired style and stick to it.
4. Determine if you need to hire a contractor. Whether you’re trying to decide if you need a plumber or architect, you can make a call by evaluating the safety, efficiency and skill level required of the project.
5. If you need a contractor, take steps to vet them. Choose someone who offers references and call them. Make sure to look at any examples of their past work and be clear about your expectations too. Create open lines of communication and ask about their availability so you know they will complete the job in your timeframe.
Learn More: Keep Kitchen Remodel Plumbing Jobs on Schedule with SharkBite