RBA Houston

Is Your Remodeler Certified?

Imagine this scenario:  An individual has just learned that he has been wrongfully charged with committing a capital crime.  The legal council selected by the accused to represent him is neither a high profile attorney, nor a public defender.  In fact, the person selected to defend the life of the accused has never even attended law school.  Obviously, the outcome for the accused is grim.

I realize that this is a ridiculous scenario and one that I am sure that no sane person would allow to happen to them.  Unfortunately, many homeowners take this same type of risk when they hire a remodeler with no professional credentials.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not equating remodeling with a life and death situation.  I am merely demonstrating that in most professions, an accreditation or licensing exists to show a mastery of a particular subject matter. (i.e. C.P.A., M.D., M.B.A. etc.)

Certified Graduate RemodelorTM (CGR) is an exclusive professional designation designed to emphasize business management skills as the key to a professional remodeling operation.  With the help of NAHB’s website (www.nahb.org), I will list the criteria necessary for a remodeler to obtain this designation below:

Curriculum and Other Requirements
A minimum of five years experience in the remodeling business
Completion of the (PREP) Professional Remodelers Experience Profile
Completion of all of the courses required by the results of the Professional Remodelers Experience Profile, which may include:
· Marketing & Sales
o Sales & Marketing for Remodelers
o Customer Service
· Business Administration
o Introduction to Business Management
o Negotiating Skills
o Business Accounting & Job Cost
· Design, Estimating & Job Cost
o Design/Build for Remodelers
o Estimating for Builders & Remodelers
o Quality Construction
· Contracts, Liability & Risk Management
o Construction Contracts & Law
o Negotiating Skills
o Risk Management and Insurance for Building Professionals
· Project Management
o Off-Site Project Management
o On-Site Project Management
o Scheduling
· Adherence to the CGR Code of Ethics

Continuing Education Requirement

Complete a minimum of twelve hours of continuing education every three years.

The benefits to you as a homeowner when hiring a CGR are numerous.

1. The remodeler has demonstrated a commitment to professionalism
and excellence in their industry.  They are in business for the long haul.
2. Because the requirements are so extensive in business
management, they help ensure that the remodeler can exist through
economic cycles and help reduce consumer risk.
3. Continuing education requirements ensure that both the CGR and
the homeowner will always benefit from the latest construction
products and methods.
4. The CGR must comply with a strict code of ethics that are above and beyond standard business practices.

On a personal note, I received my CGR at the end of 2003.  I decided to write this article not because I wanted to toot my own horn, but because of two exciting facts that I learned while meeting the requirements:

1. There are more CGR’s in Houston than in any city in the United States