For a Home Remodel, What Is the Value of a Full-Service Contractor?

Table of contents

• Dedicated Team
• Specialized Knowledge & Relationships
• Informed Insight On Budgeting A Home Renovation

You’re planning a remodeling project, but you’re not sure that you really need to hire a full-service contractor or design-build firm. Surely you can save some money, especially if you’re a savvy planner yourself, right? That may be true, but even the savviest of planners can’t dedicate themselves to the project like someone hired to do the job. A full-service contractor or design-build firm like Gallery specializes not only in the design and renovation, but the full scope of project management, too. 

DIY can be a great option for certain projects, especially smaller-scale ones such as a single bathroom renovation or retiling a kitchen but not updating anything else in it. But if you’re planning a full home remodel, you’d do well to consider the value of a full-service contractor or design-build firm like Gallery. Keep reading to find out why!

[#Team]Multiple people are dedicated to your home Renovation, but they’re all under one roof[#Team]

At Gallery, we always have two dedicated managers: a project manager and a designer. The designer will help select materials and plan out the full scheme and layout, while the manager will ensure that all materials are procured, make sure lead times are confirmed well in advance, and other technical aspects such as the building approval process. That alone includes gathering and submitting a number of documents to the building management company (unless it’s a private residence, of course) and the Department of Buildings (DOB), as well as the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) if the property qualifies as a historic landmark.

Working as a team alongside the laborers, a full-service contractor or design-build firm ensures that multiple individuals have the successful completion of your project, on time, as their ultimate goal.

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[#Specialized]Full-service contractors and design-build firms have specialized knowledge & relationships[#Specialized]

Full-service contractors and design-build firms are typically experts in their field. Rather than a general contractor who may only be experienced in one type of job or space, the value of a full-service contractor or design-build firm is their experience in all aspects of renovations and home remodels, from gut renovations which include demolition, design, and dealing with the Department of Buildings, to transforming a kitchen in a New York apartment building without running into wet-over-dry restrictions. With a team of specialists working on your home remodel, you’ll get all that technical knowledge plus the benefits of relationships built over time with building supers, local city officials, subcontractors, material suppliers, and just about every person that could possibly be involved in a renovation project. 

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[#Insight]Full-service contractors and design-build firms offer informed insight on budgeting a home renovation[#Insight]

One of the most potentially challenging aspects of renovating your home is figuring out the budget. One of the most important parts of an apartment or home remodel is to set the proper expectations for costs per square foot. Typically, a full higher-end remodel comes in around $250 to $450 per square foot, which is inclusive of all labor and materials. But it can certainly vary, especially if you have your heart set on specific materials or are looking to make significant changes to wet spaces like kitchens or bathrooms. It may be challenging when facing all the options on your own. By working with a full-service contractor or design-build firm, you can tap into the industry knowledge and figure out whether that layout change really is necessary. 

In addition to these three main reasons that tend to apply to full-service contractors and design-build firms across the board, consider that we at Gallery offer additional home remodel value in two specific ways. 

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1. We’re brand-agnostic

This means that we can work with any brand, vendor, or local artisan to procure materials for your project. Some firms or contractors have relationships with specific vendors and only carry their materials. We don’t do this and will happily order you tiles from a specialty kiln that is only fired under the third harvest moon every twelve years in Madrid, if your heart is set on them and we can properly account for the shipping time. (Seriously, though – that is our style.)

2. Our project management software

We use a software called JobTracker to make it extremely easy for our clients to have full digital access to their home remodel projects. Within this software, clients can view a project calendar with schedule details, review and approve digital renderings and material options, view relevant documents and daily logs, and just about anything you could ever need to know about your project. 

full-service renovation contractor in New york city

If an apartment or home renovation in New York is in your future, these considerations will be vital when finding the right full-service contractor or design-build firm. Ready to renovate? See what clients are saying about Gallery and our NYC apartment renovation and remodeling services, then review our Before + After portfolio. Or, contact us to speak with a design consultant and find out why our full-service approach makes most sense when choosing a home renovation contractor in Manhattan or Brooklyn.