Planning a whole home renovation

The order that saves money

1. 1StructureAnything that changes walls, beams, the roof or the foundation.
2. 2SystemsElectrical service and wiring, plumbing and drains, heating and cooling, all sized for the house you will have, not the one you have now.
3. 3The shellWindows, doors, insulation and roofing that keep weather out.
4. 4FinishesFloors, cabinets, tile, trim and paint, last, so they are installed once.

Systems are the hidden budget

A larger kitchen, a new bathroom and central air can all ask more of the electrical service than an older house has. The same goes for the water heater, the heating system and the drains. Check each system against everything you want, so an upgrade shows up in the estimate instead of halfway through the job.

Live in it, or move out

Living in the house saves rent but makes the work slower and the days harder, especially without a working kitchen or bathroom. Moving out lets the work run faster. A phased plan, one zone at a time, can be a middle path if the house has room for it.

Older houses

• If the house was built before 1978, renovation that disturbs painted surfaces falls under the federal lead-safe rules. Ask whether the contractor is certified under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.
• Some older building materials need testing before demolition, and the testing is done by an independent firm.
• Old wiring, undersized drains and tired heating systems are common finds. Budget room for what the walls hide.

One company or several

A whole home project usually runs best with one licensed general contractor responsible for every trade, one contract, one schedule and one point of contact. Revival introduces contractors; it never manages trades, schedules work or takes payments.

Before you sign with anyone

• Check the contractor's county home improvement license yourself: Suffolk or Nassau, plus any town license on the East End.
• Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the insurance agent, not a photo of one.
• Get the contract in writing and signed. New York's home improvement contract law, General Business Law section 771, requires the contractor's license number, a description of the work and materials, the price, the approximate start and completion dates, and a schedule if there are progress payments.
• Know your two protections under that law: you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign, and payments made before the work is finished must be deposited as the state's Lien Law requires, unless the contractor gives you a bond or similar guarantee instead.
• Match each payment to finished work. A payment schedule that runs ahead of the work leaves you carrying the risk.