Set Yourself Apart – Certified Remodeler Is One Way

My husband, Bill and I have been doing residential remodels since 1990. We became NARI members in 1999 and became actively involved in the Idaho chapter shortly thereafter. I served on the local board in various positions, including president, and got the opportunity to attend national meetings and conferences. At those conferences, I realized the importance of education and certification. Since I’ve always loved learning, I decided to take the Certified Remodeler exam myself to see what it was all about.

Being able to say we have a “Certified Remodeler On Staff” has been a great selling point for us.

Virtual Study Groups Make a Difference

Our local chapter wasn’t offering study groups, so I joined a virtual study group which consisted of 12 weekly 2-hour telephone meetings. The other class members were from all over the United States and we had great discussions about the topics being covered. Since my background is mainly administrative and management, I had to read and study quite a bit for the construction-related areas of the test. This offered a great opportunity for me to understand additional basic things about plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc. and has allowed me to converse better with our subcontractors on bids. This also allows me to explain concepts to customers in the initial stages of our involvement before by husband and production manager get involved in the process.

Being able to say we have a “Certified Remodeler On Staff” has been a great selling point for us. When potential clients see the “CR” behind my name, they ask about it which gives me the opportunity to explain what it took to get certified and how the certification sets us apart from other contractors. That opens the door for us to explain that we are dedicated to the remodeling industry and to education and staying up to date on industry standards, codes and issues affecting our industry which makes us a more qualified remodeler for their project. In Idaho, we don’t have contractor “licensing” so the certification along with our NARI membership helps set us apart.

Chris Keilty, CR, leads the NARI Certification Board and is a dedicated member. Through her work with the Certification Board, Keilty demonstrates her dedication to increasing the remodeling profession and lives NARI’s brand promise, Remodeling Done Right.

Interested in NARI’s Certification program? Learn More >