The stress-free Siding Renovation
by blue jay exterior renovations
While working for James Hardie, we became frustrated watching Edmonton siding contractors repeatedly mistreat the homeowners they were working for. Whether working without the appropriate licensing, leaving in the middle of the project for days to take care of something for a “more important” client they work for, or ignoring manufacturer’s recommendations and cutting corners with their installations, we saw it all.
That’s why we came up with our own process: we call it the Stress-Free Siding Renovation. It starts in the research stage (possibly before you ever contact us), and ends when the project is completed to your satisfaction. From start to finish, we have removed the pressure points in a typical home renovation process that can cause stress for customers.
Here are the 9 stages of a Stress-Free Siding Renovation:
1. Research
Odds are that if you’re reading our website, you are probably well into step one of your renovation! Most siding contractor websites are pretty bare bones, often made up of 4 or 5 photos of houses and a phone number. Any actual product information is often generic and probably not that helpful or interesting.
Our website is different. To ensure that we are providing our customers with good information, we’ve written every page and article on this site ourselves (with occasional copy-editing from our wives). We invite you to take a look and see for yourself! Here are a few pages to get you started:
• Weighing the pros and cons of different siding materials? Check out our thoughts here.
• Wondering where to get design ideas for your new exterior? Take a look at some of Edmonton’s newer neighbourhoods with different design styles, or check out our project page to see detailed information on more than 25 renovations that we recently completed.
• Just looking for general knowledge in the world of siding? Read our informative blog.
We are always working on new articles and pages, so if you’re still months (or years) away from starting your siding project, you may want to “Like” our Facebook page or bookmark our website so you don’t miss any of the new information that we publish.
If you have a few questions and would rather just have a conversation than poke around on the internet all night, call us anytime.
2. Get in touch
Now that you are ready to find out exactly what your project will cost, it’s time to set an appointment. You can reach out by phone, text, or email, or by filling out the request form on this website. No matter how you choose to contact us, we’ll respond promptly and professionally.
Before our first meeting, you’ll receive a short information package that answers a few frequently asked questions and tells you what to expect during the measurement meeting.
3. Measurements
This is where we get to meet for the first time and discuss your project in detail. We will talk about the products and design options you are considering, as well as what you are looking for in a contractor. We’ll also take digital measurements of your home and start working on your quote, which will usually be ready in less than a week.
The measurement appointment is usually a casual meeting taking somewhere between 15 and 45 minutes, but it all depends on how many questions you have – we’ll stay and answer as many as you’d like! We never present pricing or contracts at the measurement meeting.
4. Design
48 to 72 hours after the measurement meeting, you’ll receive an email with digital renderings of a few of the design options that we discussed. This gives you a chance to get a feel for what the final transformation could look like depending on what options you eventually choose. If you have any feedback on the designs, you are welcome to ask us for changes. If you’d rather wait until after the quote is ready, that’s just fine as well.
5. Formal quote
4 to 7 days after the measurement meeting, pricing will be ready for your review. You will receive a formal quote, not a non-binding “estimate”. A quote from Blue Jay Exterior Renovations is our promise to complete the proposed scope of work at the price we have indicated (The only exceptions to this rule are items that we couldn’t have anticipated from a visual, exterior inspection, such as structural rot damage to the wall framing.).
You may choose to review the quote with us at your home again, or at our showroom (4214 99 Street NW). Our quotes are detailed but simple to read, and the itemized portions of the scope make it clear what is included. If you’d like to make changes or additions from there, we can revise the quote as you see fit from there.
Reviewing the quote in person gives us the opportunity to walk through the scope of work line item by line item, and make sure everything you want as part of your project is accounted for. These conversations are important as they make for a smoother process should you want to proceed with the installation.
We will not bring a contract to the meeting. This is simply a chance for you to review the numbers and the proposed scope of work, and to ask any questions that might come up. In fact, our quotes are valid for 6 months, and the scope of work does not have to be completed in that time period to lock in that price.
6. Selections
Once you have decided on the final scope of work and quote, it’s time to make your final colour selections. For standard order items, you will receive actual pieces of the products you are selecting in as many colours as you like. You’ll also have full access to our digital rendering tool so you can be sure that the colour scheme and design are just right. If you’d rather, we would be happy to work on the digital rendering over coffee with you, so you can focus on your ideas while we put them on the screen.
If you’re a bit unsure about your own ideas on how to make your house look perfect, that’s ok too! We’ve been consulting on siding designs for years, so we will help you with ideas and simple concepts to bring out your creative side (This is honestly one of the most fun and rewarding parts of our job.).
Once your selections are finalized, we go through a checklist to make sure everyone is on the same page as to what the design will be. At this time, we will also discuss where materials will be placed, as well as bin and trailer parking if necessary.
7. Contract
Now that we have agreed on the price, the complete scope, and the final selections, we will present a contract for your review. The contract will match the final quote that you approved, with the same scope of work and payment terms. The terms and conditions listed in the contract will be the same as the ones you saw in our initial quote.
Because Blue Jay Exterior Renovations is a licensed prepaid contractor with the Government of Alberta, your contract will include a 10-day buyer’s right to cancel in case you change your mind for any reason whatsoever.
We are set up for E signatures if you would prefer to sign your contract digitally, but can also drop off a physical contract for you to sign if you prefer hard copy - whatever you prefer!
You will not be asked for a deposit payment at this time, even if your project requires special order materials.
8. Scheduling
You will be informed of our installation schedule throughout the consultation phase, but now that the contract is signed, we will place your project in the queue. You will be given a 2 to 3 week window of time when we expect to start work on your home, but this may be a moving target if there are significant delays (weather or otherwise) on other projects. What we can promise you is that you will receive regular updates from us on our progress, and you will be notified within 24 hours of any delays that may impact your start date.
9. Installation
We will notify you at least 3 days before material is to be delivered to your property, and we will confirm that the laydown area we discussed still works. On the day we start work, we will meet at your home to go over the project scope a final time, just to make 100% certain that we haven’t missed anything. On the day that material arrives, we check the delivery to make sure it is complete and cover the materials to keep everything nice and dry. The initial deposit payment of 39% is due on the day that materials arrive or on the day that we start working, whichever comes first.
You can expect both Paul and Bjorn to make routine visits to your home to check on progress and proactively address any issues that arise. We focus exclusively on renovation projects, so we are used to the fact that unusual or unexpected issues can arise. These are usually addressed without any changes to the appearance or price of the project. In cases where a significant adjustment needs to be made due to an unexpected problem or a change you would like to make to the scope of work, we never proceed without a formal change order that you approve in writing. Formal change orders ensure that you always know exactly where your project budget stands, and you don’t have to wonder what the final bill will be.
At any point during the project, you are invited to accompany us on one of our walk-arounds or conduct your own inspections at your convenience. We can make time to walk through together, or if you’re busy you can send an email/text or give us a call to review a specific item or detail. We want to make sure you’re happy and informed throughout the installation.
Once we are finished the scope of work in the contract, we will inform you in writing that we have reached substantial completion. At this time, the second payment of 46% will be due, leaving you with a 15% holdback on the initial cost of the job. We will schedule a final walkthrough together within 7 days of substantial completion, during which we’ll agree to any deficiency items that need to be addressed, and summarize those for you in an email. Only after we have addressed those deficiency items do we submit our final invoice of 15%.
Summary
The reason we follow the Stress-Free Siding Renovation process is pretty simple: we want to make sure you get exactly what you want at the price you expected, and that you stay in control of the project from start to finish.
Are you ready for stage 2?