Ever start a home project that was supposed to take “3 months” but turned out being much, much longer?

This isn’t unusual and there are reasons for this. Sometimes it’s the fault of the homeowner. Sometimes it’s the fault of outside circumstances. Often it’s the fault of the basement contractor. 

Here are the most common reason most projects, including basements, take longer:

Basement Contractor’s Communication (or lack thereof)

The basement finishing industry and construction, in general, has a horrible reputation for communication. Part of this problem is the industry is slow in adopting technology– specifically technology that will aid in communication and project management.

They rely on old school methods such as sticky notes or often, from memory (which fails us all at times).

This not only includes poor customer communication, but poor communication to any subcontractors or tradesmen involved in the project. Inevitably, this delays handoff points in the projects and increases the interruption time in your home.

Homeowner’s Decision Making

This one mostly falls on the shoulders of the homeowner, but it comes to taking more time in decision making. (Note: It may be the basement contractors fault if they don’t give adequate time and notice to homeowners on when to make decisions)

We’ve talked to other basement companies and sometimes the hangup on a project is the homeowners indecision. This could be two spouses not agreeing on finishes, one spouse waiting on another to agree, or simply taking extra time to make important decisions.

Either way, it’s the job of the contractor to let homeowners know that any delays in decision making will ultimately cause delays in the project. This help recalibrate expectations to minimize disappointment.

External or Uncontrolled Factors

Lastly, there are sometimes issues that revolve around factors neither party can control. This includes:

  • Delays in permitting and inspections
  • Severe weather delays (albeit less likely with basements)
  • Unavailability of Subcontractors

These are factors often our of the control of both parties that will affect the timeline. Again, it’s the responsibility of the basement contractor to communicate this delays and adjust timelines.

Summary

We recognize that there are tons of Basement Contractors in Omaha that you can choose from. We believe that our communication, organization, and competitive pricing model set us apart.

If you’d like to get started on a basement project, fill out our contact form or email hello@hawthornebasements.com.