Your Job Is Different from the Contractor's Job
A renovation contractor's goal is to deliver quality work efficiently. Your goal as a property manager is to maintain occupancy, keep residents happy, maintain the property's operational continuity, and hit your budget targets — all while overseeing a construction project you didn't necessarily sign up to manage.
This guide is for you: the property manager who needs renovation work done right without it becoming a full-time additional job.
Phase 1: Before the Contract
Define Your Goals in Writing
Before talking to any contractor, be specific about what you're trying to achieve. "Renovate the property" is not a scope of work. Useful planning questions:
- What's the rent premium we're targeting? (This determines how much renovation is justified)
- Which units are we renovating? (Vacant first? Targeted buildings? All at once?)
- What's the maximum occupancy impact we can absorb?
- What's our timeline? (Do we have a lease-up goal or investor event that creates a deadline?)
- What's our budget per unit vs. total budget?
Get Three Written Bids — Minimum
Market pricing for Houston apartment renovation varies enough that bidding is essential. Make sure every bidder is pricing the same spec — not their preferred interpretation of "kitchen refresh." Provide a written finish spec document to every bidder.
Verify Contractor Credentials
Before signing: verify TDLR contractor license, request current certificate of insurance (naming your property management company and owner as additional insureds), and call at least three property manager references from similar projects.
Phase 2: Scheduling and Resident Communication
Resident Notice Requirements
Texas Property Code requires at minimum 24 hours notice before entering a tenant's unit for non-emergency work. Industry best practice for renovation work is 5–7 business days written notice. Your contractor should have a written notification protocol — if they don't, add one to the contract.
Work Hours
Establish permitted work hours in the contract: typically 8 AM–6 PM Monday–Friday, with Saturday possible for catch-up work. No early morning or Sunday work in occupied buildings without resident-specific consent.
Communication During the Project
Designate one point of contact on both sides: one person from your management team and one from the contractor. All field communications go through these two people. This prevents misinformation, duplicate instructions, and residents getting conflicting information from different crew members.
Phase 3: During Construction
Daily Check-Ins
A 10-minute daily walkthrough with the site supervisor (not the owner or salesperson who sold the project) prevents small problems from becoming large ones. Look for: work hours compliance, common area cleanliness, noise level management, and whether the work matches the agreed spec.
Change Order Management
Every scope change must be documented in writing before work begins. Verbal approvals lead to billing disputes. A simple email exchange confirming the change and the cost impact is sufficient — but it must happen before the work.
Handling Resident Complaints
Have a response protocol: who receives renovation complaints, what the response time is, and what remedies are available. Residents who feel heard during renovation disruption are significantly more likely to renew leases than those who feel ignored.
Phase 4: Project Completion
Final Walkthrough Protocol
Walk every renovated unit with the site supervisor and your own detailed punchlist before signing any completion documentation. Punchlist items are easier to get addressed before a contractor demobilizes than after.
Warranty Documentation
Get the workmanship warranty in writing at project close: what's covered, for how long, and what the process is to request warranty service. File this with the project documentation.
What Makes a Great Renovation Partnership
The best contractor relationships for property managers are built on transparency, consistent communication, and a shared understanding of priorities. Tell Projects works with property managers throughout the Houston metro as a true operational partner — not just a vendor. We've developed systems for resident communication, scheduling coordination, and quality documentation that make the property manager's job easier, not harder.
Call (832) 591-7991 to discuss how Tell Projects can support your next renovation project.