From The Editor
One expects to hire an architect with impressive credentials and advanced degrees, but what about the average contractor? Why shouldn’t he or she be able to demonstrate that extra effort has been invested to keep up to speed in the competitive home improvement industry? Before jumping into a project, look behind the scenes for quality companies with employees who are trained and ready to handle the inevitable surprises that accompany most major remodeling jobs.
There are a variety of home improvement circumstances in which true expertise is required. As Denver’s maturing neighborhoods see the next wave of homeowners interested in improving their dwellings, it’s important to have a professional evaluate everything from paint and plumbing to electricity and gas lines.
Trade associations, including the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodelors Council, have membership requirements. Both have local chapters. NARI reports that its membership must follow a strict code of ethics. NARI also offers certifications, such as the Certified Remodeler (CR), Certified Remodeler Specialist (CRS) or Certified Lead Carpenter (CLC) or Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler (CKBR).
The NAHB Remodelors Council offers designations such as the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), Certified Graduate Remodelor (CGR), Certified Bath Designer (CBD), or Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD). NAHB’s latest designation acknowledges the “green” push. Certified Green Professionals are required to take a 16-hour Green Building for Building Professionals class, eight hours of business management instruction and have a minimum of two years of industry experience. Builders, remodelers, real estate agents, designers, marketers and others are eligible to get certified.
Several other organizations are important to the industry, including the American Society of Interior Designers, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the American Institute of Architects and the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. All of them expect members to meet requirements and remain in good standing.
I’m not here to tell you that non-certified remodelers should be tossed out like scraps of leftover lumber. However, most home improvement veterans realize the value in education and training. And, it gives them bragging rights when it comes to marketing and advertising their companies.
Let’s be honest, the average homeowner knows very little about transforming a dusty, dry-walled basement into an all-purpose room where kids and adults can cut loose on a Saturday night. Place those types of remodeling endeavors squarely in the hands of the professionals who thrive on making our homes more beautiful than the day they were built.
Joe Ross
Associate Publisher, Editor
joe@pub-house.com
