When you are thinking about remodeling, the best place to start is with a professional contractor, who can guide you through the process of design and construction.
He can guide you through the process of finding a designer or architect, setting a budget, submitting your plans for city or county approval and, of course, constructing the project. By talking with your contractor first he can give you a realistic idea of what your project might cost, thereby helping you to broaden or narrow the scope depending on your budget.
Your contractor may even offer design/build services, a concept developed to benefit the homeowner by providing quality design and construction services within the same company. A design/build contractor will be able to see your project through from start to finish, keeping design, engineering and budget in mind.
If your professional remodeler does not provide design services he can probably recommend a good designer or architect. It is best to work with a designer or architect experienced in remodeling – he or she will be more sensitive to the special challenges that remodeling presents.
By working first with the contractor to define the budget and scope of the project, you can then provide the designer with more accurate information. This helps the designer to be more efficient and it helps the designer to be more efficient and it helps you to avoid paying for a design that isn’t designed to your budget.