In the fourth part of our year-long pet store make-over, we follow Mark and Caroline Janczak as they talk with contractors and other suppliers, get estimates and nail down specific details for their renovation.
By Karen Long MacLeod

When Mark and Caroline Janczak opened the shipping tube and unrolled the blueprints for their redesigned pet store, they were excited. After all, the blueprints represented their dream for a better future.

But their excitement soon gave way--if only temporarily--to feelings of frustration and stress. They've spent hours playing telephone tag with potential contractors and suppliers, and considering the budget ramifications of countless options. At the same time, they're paying attention to the business and trying not to worry too much.

The Janczaks are upgrading their store, Critters Pet Shop in St. Charles, Ill., to make it more competitive in a changing retail marketplace. They are tackling the project with the help of two well-known industry consultants, one prominent distributor, 20 leading pet supply manufacturers, and the staff of PET AGE magazine. Their total budget, including their own $10,000 contribution, is $60,500.

Recently, they approved blueprints for an exciting, efficient floor plan with distinctive departments, modern fixtures and a bright, contemporary decorating scheme. The plans incorporate the couple's ideas, as well as suggestions from our consultants--Mike McCahill of Retail Store Planning (Roseville, Calif.) and Simon Handelsman of Out of Hand Inc. (Newburyport, Mass.).

The challenge for the Janczaks now is to execute the plans.

In this segment of our year-long series about Critters' redesign, we'll see what happens when Mark and Caroline start talking with general contractors and other suppliers, getting estimates, and nailing down specific details for their store's renovation.

Finding a Contractor

For most remodeling projects, you need to hire some kind of help--carpenters, electricians, plumbers, tile installation experts and so on. That means you first must interview potential contractors or tradesmen and go through the bidding process.

Anticipating the arrival of the blueprints for their remodeling project, Mark and Caroline already had talked with several contractors and individual tradesmen. They zeroed in on three contractors recommended by neighboring business owners. Since one of the contractors actually had done a construction job for a pet shop, the Janczaks figured they had an edge.

As soon as the final blueprints arrived, at the end of July, Mark put the plans out for bid.

"I'm going to choose based on price and my confidence in the person," Mark said. "I've gotten references on all of them. One is excited that this project will be written up in a magazine, and the fact that he might get some publicity."

While the plans were out for bids, Mark and Caroline learned that they might have to spend an extra $2,000 to hire an Illinois-licensed architect to seal the blueprints [to assure that the plans comply with Americans With Disabilities Act requirements and so on] just to get permits from the city. They were trying to figure out what to scratch from the plans to compensate for the extra expense--until their landlord's maintenance manager suggested they submit a basic layout with their permit application rather than full blueprints. Since their project is relatively simple, he thought a basic layout might be all the city needed.

That's the approach the Janczaks took--and it worked. The city issued their permits based on a simple floor plan, requesting only that additional construction details be provided as the project progressed.

Evaluating Bids

After a month of waiting and wondering, Mark and Caroline received just two bids from general contractors. (One of the individuals they contacted wanted a break between big jobs. Another contractor decided he had too many pending jobs.)

One bid, for construction only, was $122,000. The other, slightly more comprehensive, was $142,000.

"We were shocked," Mark and Caroline agreed.

After their sticker shock began to subside, the Janczaks resolved to save money by acting as their own general contractor. "Most of the work is pretty simple," said Mark. "I know what's involved. [General contractors] tack on a fee, and we could use that money for something else."

"I advised them against it," said Mike McCahill. "Mark's not hard-nosed enough. And he's got his hands full running the store. He wants to save money, but I don't think he realizes how much work can be involved in supervising this type of project."

Despite Mike's misgivings, Mark and Caroline might have proceeded as their own general contractors if they hadn't hit a snag over the plumber. Either the tradesmen would not return their calls, or could not start the job for months. Yet the city would not approve any of Critters' permits without the plumber's license number.

"That created a real problem we didn't anticipate," Caroline said.

That's when they decided to go back to David English, the contractor who had submitted the $142,000 estimate. In addition to submitting a more comprehensive bid, he had shown more enthusiasm for the project.

Together, they picked apart the bid. They agreed to use standard 6-foot-8-inch doors instead of the more expensive 7-foot doors specified in the plans. They decided to omit the sliding glass door in the puppy room, to avoid buying the expensive safety glass required by code. They also identified existing items, such as interior doors and light fixtures, that could be retained or refurbished.

Furthermore, Mark and Caroline decided to do some of the easier jobs, like painting, themselves.

With those changes in mind, David reduced his bid to $77,000.

When he promised to get a plumber right away and said he probably could finish the job before the holidays, Mark and Caroline hired him.

"Hiring a general contractor means that we'll pay a little more, but we won't have to put up with all the hassles," Caroline said.

"With the general contractor handling the project, we can concentrate on our business," added Mark.

Handling Complications

Two factors further complicated matters: the Janczaks' lingering indecision about the fish room and their landlord's indifference about tenant-friendly concessions.

By Sept. 1--four full months into the project--the Janczaks had determined the number and configuration of tanks for the fish room, but still hadn't committed to a supplier for building it. Until they made that pivotal decision, they wouldn't be able to give specific instructions to the contractor, or know how much money was left in the budget for other aspects of the remodeling project.

Fortunately, by the third week of September, they had selected a supplier and received detailed schematics for their contractor and plumber. (PET AGE will provide more details on this aspect of the make-over project in an upcoming issue.)

Since Mark and Caroline must plan--and pay--for anything their landlord won't fix, they had to know what concessions he was willing to make. It took three months to pin him down.

The Janczaks asked their landlord to move the front door, replace the ceiling tiles (which were damaged by roof leaks), replace the floor tiles, discount their rent during the project, and negotiate new terms for a long-term lease.

They didn't expect a concession on the floor tiles. According to Mark, the landlord's philosophy is, "The floor was OK when you moved in. If it's not OK now, it's because you ruined it."

The landlord agreed to repair the roof, replace the ceiling tiles and insulate the drainpipe. He also promised to tackle the heating/air conditioning system. However, he offered only $500 toward replacing the floors, and $500 toward improving the lighting.

Considering it will cost at least $5,800 to rip up and replace the tile throughout the store, Mark and Caroline were disappointed with these concessions.

Their landlord figured he'd given $20,000 toward the project. However, Caroline pointed out, "most of that was to repair the roof--which should've been done regardless."

Consequently, they decided they would have to scale back more items in the construction plans.

Making Compromises

Even with the money they intend to borrow, the help of the project sponsors and consultants, and the cooperation of their contractor, Mark and Caroline cannot do everything they hoped to do as part of the make-over. They will have to sacrifice some aspects of the overall plan.

"We want to treat this money (from sponsors) like we earned every penny, and like it was hard to come by," Mark said.

"We're really getting down to the nitty-gritty, so we can really pay for this," Caroline said.

In the meantime, they've been running a "pre-remodeling sale" to clear out merchandise they won't re-order. This is freeing up shelf space, so they can eliminate gondolas and shift merchandise to make room for construction workers.

"We've been spending nights moving stuff," Mark said. "I emptied one bank of tanks, and will put three sections of tanks on the floor where the gondolas will end up, so we can still sell some fish during remodeling. We eliminated one gondola worth of product and tightened up merchandising."

"The store looks torn-apart now," Caroline said. "The bird gondola is gone; we sold it to another store."

The good news is that sales still are holding up, even with the reduced inventory.

Coping With Stress

Remodeling projects can fray nerves, even under the best circumstances. In late September, as construction was set to begin, Mark and Caroline were feeling the pressure.

"One of the hardest things is continuing to pay attention to customers and the business and the project," Caroline said. "That's been very challenging."

"I'm having sleepless nights," Mark said. "My mind is rolling over options. Throughout the day, I'm torn in a million directions, so I stay late to catch up. I come home when Caroline's already in bed. Then, I'm wired, so I watch TV to get my mind off work. Before you know it, it's 3 a.m."

"I feel scared," Caroline said. "I'm worried about debt. A year ago, when PetsMart and Petco were new, we were having trouble. That is very fresh in my mind. And I'm concerned about the economy taking a turn for the worse."

Now that Mark and Caroline have hired a contractor, how will the project take shape? What features will they scale back or scratch? How will construction--and its inevitable chaos--affect holiday sales? And how will they maintain their spirits?

Next month, we'll review the construction budget and timetable. In our January 2000 issue, we'll take a closer look at progress in the fish room. PA

Karen Long MacLeod is editor in chief of PET AGE

Getting Started

A successful remodeling project, like a military operation, is based on well-laid plans. For ideas about finding a contractor, staying organized and sticking to a budget, consult these resources:

* The Blue Book of Building Construction, published by Contractors Register Inc. (Jefferson Valley, N.Y.), is the resource builders and contractors turn to for information. Visit www.thebluebook.com or call 800-431-2584.

* ImproveNet Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.) provides how-to advice and helps clients find qualified remodeling professionals. Visit www.improvenet.com or call (650) 701-8000.

* The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (Alexandria, Va.) provides listings of professional remodelers, plus lots of useful tips about finding and interviewing contractors, remodeling, contracts and more. Although the information is geared toward homeowners, most of the advice also applies to business owners. Visit www.nari.org or call (703) 575-1100.

* The Retail Contractors Association (Arlington, Texas), a national organization of contractors specializing in retail construction, lists members by state. Visit http://retailcontractors.org or call 800-847-5085.

As always, if you don't have access to the Internet, you can get helpful information by visiting the reference department in your local library.

--Karen Long MacLeod

Dealing With Contractors

A contractor should be someone you can trust to give you good advice about products, explain procedures and deliver solid results.

Here are some tips on dealing effectively with contractors:

* Know what you want before you ask for an estimate.

* Request the same thing from each contractor, so you can compare apples to apples.

* Check each contractor's references.

* Make sure the contractor isn't overcommitted. Find out how many jobs he or she is working on, and whether he or she can adhere to your schedule.

* Once you approve the bid, negotiate a written contract that spells out the proposed work, prices, completion date and payment schedule. Beware of verbal promises. Read the contract carefully: Misunderstandings are the most important cause of contract disputes.

* Request a materials and products list, so you know what's going into your project.

Bids can vary widely, depending on the contractor. However, you should be skeptical about contractors who submit very low bids. They may be financially strapped or may not carry the necessary liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance or bonding.

--Karen Long MacLeod