frequently asked questions
DESIGN
what's the difference between decor and design?
Decor is a facelift on the color palette, furniture, and accessories of the space. Think new pillows, rugs, etc. Design is a bit more involved- think remodels and adding character or architecture. We love both!
can you just tell me what to do?
Absolutely! We offer Designer For a Day sessions. We'll walk your home and give our professional opinions and suggestions of how to update your home. Then you take all the notes and spruce up your space!
WHERE DO YOU SHOP?
We will work with your financial and style preferences to purchase from several retailers and vendors to make your house feel like home. We also love to incorporate family heirlooms, travel relics, and anything else that holds meaning to your family.
DO you clean my house when you decorate it?
Housekeeping services are not a part of our services unless our construction team contracts it separately. Please see your contract with Beyond Home Services for your construction project details.
CONSTRUCTION
why do i need a licensed general contractor?
Legally, there are many reasons. North Carolina currently does not license or qualify Handymen or other Home Maintenance/Remodel companies. Although it happens all the time, it is in fact ILLEGAL for any individual or company that is not also a licensed North Carolina General Contractor to bid on any work exceeding $30,000. North Carolina licensed General Contractors must also pass multiple state tests, complete yearly continuing education, and meet certain financial criteria (working capital) for licensure. The state of NC has enacted strict laws and guidelines on who is allowed to complete various tasks, including plumbing, electrical, and other trades. General contractors typically have a team of qualified individuals to complete the work under state guidelines. Handymen and Home Maintenance companies are not legally able to provide these services unless they hold a trades license in that specific field of work. So, in NC a handyman can't legally do things like install your plumbing or hang your chandelier. In addition, a General Contractor acts as the responsible party in the permitting process and therefore carries a license, bonding, and insurance. This is for YOUR protection and theirs. Without all of these protections in place, you as the homeowner become responsible and could be held fully liable for anything that happens on the job-site and for the quality of services provided. In short, if you're project is completed with anyone other than a NC Licensed GC, you're assuming far too much responsibility for the monitoring, safety, and quality of work with little to no recourse if something goes wrong. We fix unlicensed tradespeople's mistakes all the time- the time, money, and emotional stress just isn't worth the initial promise of saving a few dollars. In fact, it costs a lot more to fix someone else's mistake than to do it right the first time.
specific questions to ask your gc:
DO YOU PERSONALLY HOLD A GENERAL CONTRACTOR LICENSE AND WHAT IS THE NUMBER?
Don’t be afraid to ask. The company you are considering should produce this immediately and without hesitation. The name the license number is attached to must be the person/company you are entering into a contract with and paying for the work. You may also check the NC Licensing Board to ensure the license is active, which classification of license they hold, and limitation.
https://nclbgc.org/license-search/
WHO WILL BE ONSITE TO VERIFY WORK IS BEING DONE PROPERLY AND PER THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE?
Your construction manager should also be a licensed North Carolina General Contractor with the proper license and limitation. Your General Contractor should also be onsite to ensure work is being done in accordance to the schedule and cost agreed to for the project, since they are contractually obligated.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE LOCAL PERMITTING PROCESS?
The individual or company bidding your project should take care of all the necessary permitting. They should never ask you to submit the permit in your name. Your General Contractor should be permitting your projects for you. This makes him/her responsible for the permitted work.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT?
Your GC should be able to give you a range of time your project is expected to take. This is not set in stone as material availability, permitting issues, etc can disrupt the schedule, but this will provide you a starting point to go off of.
HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENTS?
Is your general contractor available to call directly? Text? Do they have business hours? Is there an answering service instead? These are really important questions to know ahead of time.
IS YOUR WORK WARRANTIED AND FOR HOW LONG?
GC’s stand by their work. Everyone will have a different answer to this, but it’s good information to ask for.
IS YOUR BID AN ESTIMATE OR FINAL PRICE? WILL IT BE ITEMIZED?
Every individual or company has a different approach. Typically, rough numbers are established prior to an itemized and detailed quote. Fluctuating material prices and unforeseen additions to the Scope of Work can create additional costs, even if you have a final estimate. Check the contract for these provisions to see how they will be handled.
WHO PAYS FOR OVERRUNS IN LABOR AND MATERIALS?
Ask your GC’s (and confirm in their contract) for details on who pays for what when costs exceed the estimate. These are commonly known as Material Escalation clauses.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL FEES FOR DELAYS?
Things happen and timelines sometimes get messy. Who’s responsible for the costs associated with these delays is something worth knowing before the project begins. In a contract, this is commonly under a “Force Majeure” or Escalation section.
HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR CHANGE ORDERS?
Whenever the Scope of Work is changed, an official change order should be written to protect both parties. GC’s may charge administrative costs to cover the behind the scenes of this process. The Change Order process should be laid out in the ContractDocuments.
HOW WILL THIS PROJECT DISRUPT OUR LIFE LIVING IN THE HOME?
Will your General Contractor need to turn off utilities? Do you need to move out? These are really important questions to plan for.
HOW MUCH LIABILITY INSURANCE DO YOU CARRY? CAN WEHAVE A COPY?
This is really important. There will be many people on your property. Things happen. Make sure you’re protected.
HOW DOES PAYMENT WORK?
Again, you’ll get different answers from different companies, but generally a down payment (typically around 30%), a mid-project payment, and final bill are common practice. The payment terms and conditions should be readily available within the Contract Documents.
***Remember, the payment goes to the individual/company who holds the license***
Don’t be afraid to ask. The company you are considering should produce this immediately and without hesitation. The name the license number is attached to must be the person/company you are entering into a contract with and paying for the work. You may also check the NC Licensing Board to ensure the license is active, which classification of license they hold, and limitation.
https://nclbgc.org/license-search/
WHO WILL BE ONSITE TO VERIFY WORK IS BEING DONE PROPERLY AND PER THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE?
Your construction manager should also be a licensed North Carolina General Contractor with the proper license and limitation. Your General Contractor should also be onsite to ensure work is being done in accordance to the schedule and cost agreed to for the project, since they are contractually obligated.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE LOCAL PERMITTING PROCESS?
The individual or company bidding your project should take care of all the necessary permitting. They should never ask you to submit the permit in your name. Your General Contractor should be permitting your projects for you. This makes him/her responsible for the permitted work.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT?
Your GC should be able to give you a range of time your project is expected to take. This is not set in stone as material availability, permitting issues, etc can disrupt the schedule, but this will provide you a starting point to go off of.
HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENTS?
Is your general contractor available to call directly? Text? Do they have business hours? Is there an answering service instead? These are really important questions to know ahead of time.
IS YOUR WORK WARRANTIED AND FOR HOW LONG?
GC’s stand by their work. Everyone will have a different answer to this, but it’s good information to ask for.
IS YOUR BID AN ESTIMATE OR FINAL PRICE? WILL IT BE ITEMIZED?
Every individual or company has a different approach. Typically, rough numbers are established prior to an itemized and detailed quote. Fluctuating material prices and unforeseen additions to the Scope of Work can create additional costs, even if you have a final estimate. Check the contract for these provisions to see how they will be handled.
WHO PAYS FOR OVERRUNS IN LABOR AND MATERIALS?
Ask your GC’s (and confirm in their contract) for details on who pays for what when costs exceed the estimate. These are commonly known as Material Escalation clauses.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL FEES FOR DELAYS?
Things happen and timelines sometimes get messy. Who’s responsible for the costs associated with these delays is something worth knowing before the project begins. In a contract, this is commonly under a “Force Majeure” or Escalation section.
HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR CHANGE ORDERS?
Whenever the Scope of Work is changed, an official change order should be written to protect both parties. GC’s may charge administrative costs to cover the behind the scenes of this process. The Change Order process should be laid out in the ContractDocuments.
HOW WILL THIS PROJECT DISRUPT OUR LIFE LIVING IN THE HOME?
Will your General Contractor need to turn off utilities? Do you need to move out? These are really important questions to plan for.
HOW MUCH LIABILITY INSURANCE DO YOU CARRY? CAN WEHAVE A COPY?
This is really important. There will be many people on your property. Things happen. Make sure you’re protected.
HOW DOES PAYMENT WORK?
Again, you’ll get different answers from different companies, but generally a down payment (typically around 30%), a mid-project payment, and final bill are common practice. The payment terms and conditions should be readily available within the Contract Documents.
***Remember, the payment goes to the individual/company who holds the license***