Not every renovation / retrofit will need major changes. Some may need only minor or mid-level intervention to improve their performance. However, some buildings may be too far gone to renovate.

According to the CHBA Renovators' Manual, an inspection should be done to determine whether a renovation / retrofit should proceed or whether renovating might outweigh the cost of rebuilding.

In Chapter 20 of the Renovators' Manual, the authors provide a "Renovator's Checklist" that allows homeowners and contractors to objectively gauge the existing condition of a building. This 'Renovation Hierarchy' includes consideration of the following:

1. Structural Integrity
2. Removal of Hazardous Materials
3. Ensuring Durable Renovation Work
4. Achieving Energy Efficiency
5. Maintaining Indoor Air Quality

Discussing and planning a renovation may take a long time and might be quite an emotional ordeal for a homeowner. Be considerate of that attachment a homeowner may have - they've invested a lot of their lives in that building and changes can be difficult.

Some important considerations and strategies for renovations or retrofits...

• Consult on the Job - Talk to the client about what's wrong. What do they want to change? What problems do they see? Set a time for a thorough visual inspection based on their concerns. Charge for the consult, report and inspection;
• Qualify the Job - What's the budget for the work? Have they thought about this? If they have no idea, be ready with some ball park estimates based on minor, mid-level and major jobs;
• Inspect the Job - Charge out your services for visually inspecting a building and creating a report on the things that need attention;

• Create a Standard Checklist for Yourself - For your consult, your visual inspection and your work report, create a simple template that you can use on every job. Keep track of how long the checklist takes to fill out per job and work towards standardizing fees;
  
• Underpromise and Over Deliver - Do a job that paves the way for word-of-mouth references. Be a client service expert on top of your renovation skills.