How a Condo or Co-op Board Keeps Tabs on a Unit Renovation

Independent oversight vs. what the contractor should give you

Independent oversight means the board hires its own engineer, architect, or owner's rep to review the work. Contractor transparency means the crew doing the job keeps you informed. Most boards need the second; some want both.

If your board wants an independent check, it can hire its own engineer, architect, or owner's representative. That's separate from the contractor, and we're glad to work alongside whoever the board brings in.

We're the contractor. We don't inspect our own work for the board, but we make it easy to see.

What boards usually require before work starts

Most boards or managers require written approval, a signed renovation (alteration) agreement, the contractor's certificate of insurance naming the association or management as the building requires, and agreement to set work hours before anyone starts.

An alteration agreement is the building's sign-off form for unit work. It spells out the rules the owner and contractor agree to follow. Rules vary, but many buildings ask for:

• Written approval from the board or management before work begins
• A certificate of insurance with the association or management named as additional insured
• Weekday work hours, often around 9 to 5, sometimes with quieter hours for noisy work
• Elevator protection, daily hallway cleanup, and bagged debris
• Water shutoffs scheduled with management ahead of time
• Permits as required

Check your own building's renovation rules early. For the full list, see our condo and co-op remodel guide.

Six things a board or manager should get from the contractor during the job

Once work starts, a board or manager should get one contact, regular progress updates, a record of the work, photos of hidden work, signed change orders, and a schedule that fits the building's rules.

Here is what to ask for, and how we handle each one.

• 1. One main contact. Ask for one named person who answers for the job, so questions don't bounce between a salesperson, a scheduler, and a crew. With us, Ed McCluskey is the single main point of contact for the owner, the manager, and the building.
• 2. Regular progress updates. Ask how often and how you'll hear from the contractor while the job runs. We give regular progress updates by text, phone, or email: what got done, what's next, and anything the building needs to know, like a scheduled shutoff.
• 3. A record of the work, start to finish. Ask what record you'll have once the job is done. Every bath and kitchen job we do is recorded on GoPro timelapse and TimeWarp. The footage goes to the customer, who can share it with the board or management.
• 4. Photos of work that gets covered up. Ask for photos of anything that will be hidden behind tile or walls. We take photos of the Schluter Kerdi waterproofing before tile, and they're available to the owner or manager on request. We also flood test every tiled Kerdi shower before tile, holding water in the pan for about 24 hours. More on what the board wants to see before tile.
• 5. Signed, written change orders. Ask that every change be written up and signed before it's built. With us, every change gets a signed, written change order before the work changes. No verbal changes.
• 6. A schedule that respects neighbors and the building's rules. Ask how the work fits the building's hours, elevator, and shutoff rules. We work inside the building's allowed hours, schedule deliveries and debris removal around the building's elevator schedule, and give notice before shutoffs. When it's the only bath, the toilet works at the end of each workday. A tiled shower runs about 5 to 8 days, depending on size, complexity, and building rules or access limits.

Questions to ask a contractor before the board signs off

Before approving a unit renovation, ask who the single contact is, how often you'll hear from them, what records you'll get, and how changes get approved.

• Who is our one main contact, for the building and the owner?
• How often will we hear from you while the job runs?
• What record of the work will the owner have at the end?
• Can the owner or manager see photos of work before it gets covered up?
• How do changes get approved, and is every change signed in writing first?
• How will the work fit our hours, elevator, and shutoff rules?

For more, see the questions to ask before an occupied hall bath remodel and the 5 things to ask before an occupied kitchen remodel.

Kitchens and baths in occupied units

Kitchens and baths matter most to boards because they touch shared plumbing and the units around them, and in an occupied unit people are living there the whole time.

We do kitchens and baths in occupied condo, apartment, and co-op units. Most unit work falls under our hall bath ($15,000–$30,000), primary bath ($25,000–$55,000), kitchen ($35,000–$70,000), or stock-cabinet kitchen ($25,000–$45,000) packages. Ranges finalize after we walk the unit. See our packages.

Buildings we've worked in

Buildings we've worked in include Residences at Dockside, Siena Place, 511 Condominium Residences, William Penn House (a co-op), and Bridgeview Place Condominiums.