Blog

At HomeKeepers, we place great value in the health of our clients, workers, and community. To address the challenges we’re all facing due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we’re taking extra care to create a safe working environment while continuing to offer the high level of service and craftsmanship you’ve come to expect from us.

Over the past weeks, we have developed jobsite procedures based on guidance provided CDC. We have supplemented that with additional common sense precautions and construction specific recommendations from the National Association of Home Builders. These practices include:

  • Instructing employees and workers to stay home if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell
  • Practicing social distancing
  • Allowing only one trade on a jobsite at a time
  • Supplying all jobsites and HomeKeepers trucks with hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes
  • Regularly disinfecting tools, work areas, and door handles
  • Wearing masks and gloves as necessary (we have also donated N95 and surgical masks to St. Mary’s hospital and encouraged those we work with to do the same)

On the client side, we are hosting most of our meetings over Zoom and have closed our offices to the public. When possible, we are conducting onsite meetings with video walk-throughs over Zoom or FaceTime. These measures have allowed us to safely continue work on our current projects at a fairly normal pace.

With more time spent at home, some of our clients are taking this as an opportunity to start planning their next project. We continue to offer full-service construction services and can work with you to start sprucing up your home office or create the perfect outdoor space where you can get out and enjoy the weather. Our Home Services division is on-call for any emergency work or repairs you need.

Stay safe and healthy,

The HomeKeepers Team

When embarking on any construction project, the most important decision you will make will often be hiring a general contractor. Finding the right contractor for your project involves a few key considerations:

  • Your level of comfort with the contractor and his employees. Do you feel that they understand your goals for the project? Will their personalities be a good fit for you?
  • The contractor’s experience. How long has the contractor been working in the industry? What kind of projects do they typically build? What styles of work do they specialize in?
  • What level of quality work do they produce? What is the square footage of their typical house? What finishes and materials do they work with? This will often be reflected in the next point.
  • What kind of pricing does the contractor offer? What is the average price per square foot for their homes? Do they offer fixed price or cost-plus contracts? Do they provide free estimates or charge a fee?

This article from Houzz on how much it costs to hire a general contractor is a great resource for more information to help with your decision.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a General Contractor?

The Richmond Times-Dispatch recently published an101 article on the rapid growth of the aging-in-place construction and remodeling industry. Written by Carol Hazard, the article offers an overview of aging-in-place concepts and discusses the benefits of planning ahead by adding accessibility features before the need for them arises. Many leaders in Richmond’s aging-in-place community are featured, including Marion Shackford with Adaptive Home Environments, Craig Toalson with the Home Building Association of Richmond, and HomeKeepers principals John Robertson and Lynn Ivey. Donna Edgerton, a past HomeKeepers client, was kind enough to share her experience with HomeKeepers for the story. Click here for the full article. Click here to see more pictures of the work we did with Donna.