FAQs

Are you properly licensed by the state of MN and ND?

Yes, Our license numbers are MN # BC631399 and ND # 47164.

In Minnesota, a contractor must be licensed through the Department of Labor and Industry to legally perform construction, home repair and remodeling jobs that require a building permit or when their annual gross receipts project costs exceed $15,000.

When someone contracts without a license, they endanger the health, safety and welfare of the public, undercut licensed contractors who operate legitimately and lawfully, and hurt the entire construction industry. Also, when a homeowner hires someone who is not licensed, they have no recourse through the complaint process or the Residential Contractor's Recovery Fund.

Here is a link to verify that a contractor is licensed to do work in your state.

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
North Dakota Secretary of State

Other contractors have offered a "ball park" estimate over the phone or via email, do you provide this?

This is like calling your doctor and describing your symptoms and then asking for a prescription. It isn't done because of the risk involved and because the chances of getting it right are about as good as winning the lottery.
Of course we understand that you want to get an idea of the cost of what your project will be. There are dozens and dozens of choices like what type of counter top or cabinets or trim. Trying to come up with an estimate without knowing all the details is certain to result in an estimate that won't be very close to the real number. In order to get a complete understanding of your needs and desires, we meet with you in person and ask very specific questions.

Nvision will prepare a fixed price proposal as soon as your design work is completed and approved by you.

Each bid will provide a detailed breakdown of the materials to be used, the specific detail for all tasks associated with the project and a fixed price for the total project.
We will include the process for change orders for additional work or for changes to the original bid requirements that you request. Unless you approve our written change orders, our price is final.

Contractors that will give you a "ball park" estimate should be avoided, it just isn't in your best interest or professional.

Does "Fully Insured" mean that they are?

No. This is another area where some contractors will cut corners and "take a chance that nothing goes wrong". There are 2 ways you can protect yourself.

Ask to be listed as the certificate holder on a Certificate of Insurance.

Require that the Certificate of Insurance be sent directly to you by their insurance agent so you get assurance that their coverage is current.

In addition, every home improvement contractor is required to maintain statutory Worker's Compensation insurance for all employees and it is a good idea for them to carry at least $1,000,000 of Liability insurance per incident.

Our insurance agent will provide you with our documentation so you can feel comfortable that we have current insurance in place.

Note: If the contractor utilizes sub-contractors, they also must meet the same insurance requirements to ensure you are protected.

Can you explain your pricing?

At Nvision Building and Remodeling we spend extra time up front detailing every aspect of your bid and anticipating potential issues based on Corey's 20 years of experience.

Once you make all of your material selections, we provide fixed price agreements for the work specified along with a detailed breakdown of the project. Our price guarantee is easy to understand.

All project costs including plans, permits, and materials are included in our agreements.

Our written installation processes make it easy for you to make a true apples-to-apples comparison of what we are offering with what our competitors are offering.

This is in sharp contrast to what many of our competitors do.

Many contractors are reluctant to give you the kind of details we provide. There are many places in a construction project where corners can be cut or inferior materials substituted to make more profit. This is especially true for the low bidders.

Leaving out required costs or providing unrealistic allowances for key items is a common practice that can leave homeowners with an unexpected increase in the total price of a project. This is a tactic that many design build and home remodeling contractors use to make their proposals appear to have a more favorable price.

This can result in homeowners paying a lot more than they thought for their project—20% or more.
Unfortunately, the homeowner ends up with a lower quality job that will probably last until the warranty runs out and then will begin to fall apart.

If a contractor provides a quote that is 15% or more below the next lowest bid, it isn't the same job. It can't be because there isn't that much profit in a typical home remodeling project and no one works for free. If you accept that bid, you will either end up with quality issues or paying more than the original quote.

If this is your dream project, don't take the risk of hiring a contractor that has a price that is "too good to be true". We all buy our materials from the same suppliers and if they are paying their employees and subcontractor a fair wage then their bid should be in line.

What do you do to ensure an on-time completion of my project?

We use an up-front project schedule, a pre-construction checklist, a scheduling system, and weekly intensive project updates with you to keep your project on time.

Corey will meet with you every week to review the progress of your project in detail. For shorter projects we will provide you with an update every 2 days.

We also provide our clients with multiple ways to contact us via the phone, email, and text. Keeping you informed allows you to feel comfortable that progress is being made.

All unanswered phone calls, emails and texts are returned within 2 hours during normal business hours.

Our ability to respond is much different than most of our competitors that always seem to be apologizing for not getting back to you sooner. You will often wait for days for a return call or email even on minor issues.

If you happen to be traveling, we can keep you updated with images of your project.

When you start a job, do you stay until its done?

Yes. We are motivated to complete your project as that is the only way we get paid. Once we start your project, we stay on it each day until we are finished unless there are circumstances beyond our control like weather or delays in inspections that don't permit us to work.

In any significant project there will be some "gap" days due to the issues just listed. Our clients know that we are always working on their project—coordinating material deliveries, setting up city inspections, coordinating specialty trades and more. Our ongoing communications keep you informed so you won't be left wondering.

Do you have a Code of Conduct for your crews?

Yes.

We have a zero-tolerance written policy that prohibits smoking, chewing tobacco, drug, and alcohol use on the job.

We also have trained our crews to act like guests in your home and to respect your personal space and belongings.

Contractors are known for not finishing the "Punch List", how do I know you will?

We use an up-front project schedule, a pre-construction checklist, a scheduling system, and weekly intensive project updates with you to keep your project on time.

We invite questions during the project. If you desire a change to the original plan, it is much easier to complete it before it is started then after it is in place.

We provide a comprehensive walkthrough at the end of the project to ensure satisfaction.

All of our internal systems ensure that our end of the project punch list is minimal and we invite you to ask any of our references about this.

What is your warranty policy?

We provide a 3-year warranty for the labor and installation on all design build and home remodeling projects.

  • This is as much as 2 years longer than most of our competitors. This demonstrates that we stand behind our work.
  • A one year warranty isn't really worth much. Even a poorly constructed project is likely to last for a year before starting to fall apart.
Do I need to be home when you're working?

Not all the time but we do ask that you be available each day so we can provide you with answers to any questions you have.

How long should my project take?

This is an area where we believe our systems far exceed those of our competitors.

Nvision Building and Remodeling provides a project schedule that includes the time line of events on the project.

  • Most contractors will simply say "It will be a six-week project." If the contractor doesn't back this up with a specific schedule of events then it is only a guess. Poor planning leads not only to delays in completion but it can also lead to cost overruns.
  • This is one of the most common complaints—unrealistic time frames.
  • Our up-front project schedule, pre-construction checklist, scheduling system, and weekly intensive project updates are all essential parts of keeping your project on time.

Beware of contractors who will promise you the world in terms of a quick start date or a really quick completion date. Thorough planning is required to effectively complete a project on time. Without plenty of details, you will most likely be disappointed and frustrated by the extra time required to complete your project.

What about bathrooms?

In most cases we provide portable toilets for employees and subcontractors. If this is a smaller job we ask for access to a bathroom as a courtesy. We will respect your privacy and your property in using the bathroom.

Where will you cleanup?

We ask for access to a sink or side yard area with hose that we can use for cleanup but will make other arrangements if that isn't possible.

We have a written daily cleanup checklist to make sure the site is clean and secure at the end of each workday.

Nvision Building & Remodeling | 6405 1st Street North | Moorhead, MN 56560
(218) 233-0999 | Email Corey | MN# BC631399 | ND# 47164