When you are considering some changes to your home, your first thought might be to call a few contractors for their advice and maybe a proposal to get an idea of how much it may cost. Each one is going to come in with different ideas. Its really difficult to compare their proposals when they aren’t for the same thing. Also, even when the contractors are fully qualified, you cannot be sure that they’ll know the details of the town and state building regulations, Board of Health requirements, and so on.

Your first call should be to Dave Olson. He can answer all of those questions, and provide a detailed set of plans, for you to present to a number of contractors, who will then be quoting you on the exact same project so that you can accurately compare their proposals.

Many contractors will tell you that an interior remodel does not require permitting. While this is often true, depending on the scale of the changes, we do not recommend taking the chance. In addition when walls need to be moved or taken out, you should have the design reviewed by a structural engineer to make sure the building’s strength will not be compromised. This is especially important when the property is close to the ocean, where the 110mph wind code must be adhered to, or your building’s insurance may not cover wind damage.