Flooring is one of the toughest products to decide on what will look good in your home.  What makes it even more difficult is the size of the sample you get to make a decision.  This could lead to great surprise or trouble.

I will be back with a series of blogs on how to deal with deciding on flooring and things to avoid.

Contractor Not Offering a Written Bid

It is common practices amongst sub-contractors to work on a verbal bid for the work.  This practice is OK, if the general contractor or homeowner has used the sub-contractor before.  However, even then there is a 90% chance of there being a misunderstanding of the content of the verbally agreed bid.

I strongly recommend that all contractors, sub-contractors and anyone else who is doing work on your house be instructed to put their bid or proposal in writing.

Here is what should be in each proposal:

1. Date the work can start and end
2. Description in detail of the work to be done.  If the work is to be done in phases, the phases should be stated and what will be done in each stage.
3. Who will be doing the work…will it be the person who is presenting the bid or another person.
4. Total price for the work and the Terms of payment.
5. What the homeowner is to supply or not.
6. Guarantees
7. How long the Proposal is good for.
8. Signature and dates

Sub-Contractor Not Being Paid

Something is going horribly wrong with your project if a Sub-contractor (someone hired by the general contractor) approaches the homeowner directly for payment.  This could be due to the GC not willing to pay the SUB for any reason.  As the homeowner, you need to be aware that in most states a Sub-contractor can put a lean on the title of the home for the amount of money he was owned for the work he did on that home.

Make sure you have placed in your agreement with the general contractor that he is responsible for all payments to subs and receipts of payment in full from the subs should be part of the documents provided at the completion of the remodeling project.

I suggest you consult your attorney on the Mechanic Lien Laws for your area so you can place effective and enforceable wording into the contract you have with your general contractor.

The morning stated out as I figured it would with an early morning call from the 2PM appointment to tell me he knew he was going to be late and wanted to know his options.  Fortunately, I anticipate this behavior since over 45% of today’s GC have no idea what Time Management is nor are willing to employee enough staff to keep them free to make appointments on time.  I told the 2PM thanks for calling and I would call back in one hour to let him know one way or the other if I can swap him.

So I calling the 4PM appointment to see if he would like to swap and he was excited to change times giving me the feeling that he knows how to deal with adjustments on ‘bidding day’ which excited me that he possibly was one of the GC who does know how to manage time.  So I called the 2PM back and made the swap..all seem to be in order for now.

CONTRACTOR #1 -Straight Out of Hell

After getting that crisis out of the way it was time for the first appointment..8AM sharp..8:15Am a guy pulled up in the construction company’s truck in such rundown shape that I have no idea how it was kept running.  It was so filthy that even a rubdown car wash would have to run it thru four times to get the first coat of dirt off.  When it came rolling to a slow stop this long legged elderly (very rough looking) gentleman got out and almost fell to the ground.  He could hardly stand up he was so drunk. 

I caught up with him at the curb and asked if I could call him a cab which started the argument that he was not drunk.  I pulled out my cellphone to call his office to get someone out to my location to drive him home but before I could get it dialed I quickly redialed 911 since the guy was coming after me with a board he had in the back of his truck.  Fortunately he was so drunk that he didn’t have the strength to swing it once he took it back and my foreman disarmed him and held him on the ground until the police came.  There I found that the gentle was wanted on two warrants.

I was really disturbed about this incident since it took place in a residential neighborhood at the time everyone residing in the community was going to work.  I am sure my client is going to be dealing with their neighbors for awhile explaining what took place.  This was a very unfortunate event for a GC that came highly recommended from three referrals. 

However, this is what could have taken place in this industry and homeowners need to be prepared for this type of incidents to take place.  Plus, is a reason to hire a remodel consultant to handle this part of the project.

CONTRACTOR #2 – Get-a-Way With It

Once things got settle down the 9:30AM appointment came in.  The incident that resulted in me asking the contractor to leave took a little longer to develop.

As we got the pleasantries out of the way I started in asking for the credentials..i.e. Licenses of mechanic subs, insurance and so forth.  I was handed a large brown envelope and the GC immediately started directing the conversation to things he was seeing wrong with the house.  This obviously was a ploy to divert my attention away from just being handed an envelope that did not have his credentials in it.  Just a few flyers and pitch sheet for his company.  I naturally directed the conversation back to what he just handed me and asked for an explanation.  His quick remark of..

OH, I told my assistant to put them in that envelop.  I’ll have to get on her for that.  You really don’t need it until we sign a contract.

Again, being a seasoned veteran at being BS’d I explained to him that his assumption of was not needed was not the case and is how I do business.  I also advised him that his intentional attempt to by pass required protocols for being awarded the contract for the project was a waste of my and my client’s time.   I told the GC I was not able to to go through the bidding process only to find that he was not insured or who he used for mechanic subs that were licensed or insured. 

After his short dissertation on the irrelevance of having insurance papers for bidding a job, he angrily headed to his vehicle while giving me permission to develop a romantic relationship with his backside just before he slammed his door and drove off.

Too many times GC’s will not get the proper insurance coverage or attempt to work with no coverage at all in hopes to save a few bucks.  This is TOO risky of a way to do business and should be caught before wasting time reviewing the General Contractor’s bid.  Plus, erratic abnormal behavior, deception tactics and dishonest intentions are signs of possible problems that could develop later and need to be discovered during the interview process.

CONTRACTOR #3 Two Faced

When my 11AM appointment came around I was starting to fill the strain of dealing with fast paced diversity..but that is what I am getting paid to do for my clients.  My hopes for a pleasant experience were lifted when the next appointment was with women.  I support the women in business so I was excited that the construction firm I made the appointment with is hiring the women of construction to take a management position.

Our visit started off with her providing a wonderful booklet with all her paperwork in it.  It included very organized copies of all her mechanical subs along with security ID photos of each of them.  She sat very patiently making every effort to no seem inpatient while I examined the booklet’s content.

However, once I closed the booklet and told her everything seemed to be in order and advised her that all of her credentials will be validated by their sources she quickly bust in a very sarcastic parity of being excited and appreciative.  At this point my instincts kicked in since her burst of pseudo excitement was not one of the first reactions I would expect from someone that should be use to this type of protocol.  It was during the personal chat as we made the walk down the driveway I picked up on what eventually turned into the problem that cut her opportunities for the job short.

As we passed by the front of the house she noticed that my foreman was draping the shrubbery in preparation for the small repair project I had been hired to do outside of the major add-on.   She was not aware he was part of my staff.  As we walked she made a comment under her breath that was rather discriminatory towards his race.  Giving her the benefit of the doubt that I may have not heard her correctly I passed on commenting and made a note of the remark.

When we got to where the add-on was to be constructed and started the review of the architect drawings she made a clear point during her explanation of how she would construct the vaulted ceilings shown on the plans by say that they..

‘Would not be (N Word)-rigged’..

I naturally begged her pardon and quickly let it known that her language and remark is not acceptable on my jobs and would  not appreciated at anytime. 

Normally, an apology for the remark would have been the normal reaction to my firm handling of what was clear bigotry on her part, but instead it was laughed off with..

Oh you know what I mean!

After asking her direct questions associated to who she hired and if they were minorities the pure discriminating hiring practice of her company surfaced.

I generally do not address hiring practices as part of the interviewing process of the project bidding.  I, like so many others, assume that professional business people are law abiding.  This truly was not the case with this individual.

She seemed to be rather upset when I advised her that the interview was over due to my company not being interested in delivering a bid for client review from someone who reports they are breaking the law.  Her parting remark was predictable with her saying..

“Find someone in this business who is not breaking some law..”

Rough Day at the Office

As you can see, these incidences I experiences in a short four hour period of time where extreme and hopefully will not happen again.  However they did highlight why homeowners have such a low point of view of remodeling contractors.    On this day I have to ask…

Where do these guys and gals come from?

I will be back with more articles and blogs on what homeowners need to watch out for when dealing with General Contractors.  Not all GC’s are bad, but the ones that are bad have learned to play a good game of ‘Mr or Mrs Nice Guy’ to get the work.  Homeowners need to know what to look out for.

Yes, when the resumes do not produce a job most job hunters will attempt to go into some type of business until they hook the job they REALLY want.  This makes those who choose to becoming a remodeling general contracting, until they find that job they are looking for, a HUGE risk for homeowners who hire them.

This is not to say that some or even most of the people laid off from one industry and choose to become a remodeling contractor do not do a good job.  However, on the most part, homeowners run a 65% chance that those who have no idea what they are doing will come calling to bid on their job and usually offer a real low bid in hopes to getting the job.  These are the general contractors that create Hell on Earth for the Homeowner who hires them.

How To Sort Out the BEST

Again, some of the newbies to the remodeling general contractor field are real good craftsmen and business people.  They bring in new ideas, new attitudes and those coming out of corporate America bring to the industry skills that are well over due like…Time Management skills, which is what a large number of the old salty remodeling contractors lack.  Still, not all is rosy when it comes to the newbies and they Cut the Mustard.

When my clients ask me how to sort through all the contractors to find the best and the most affordable they usually ask an indirect questions like..

Is it best to check all the contractors references?

In most cases it is a good idea to check the GC’s references, but if you have ten bids and each give you ten references this process could take months to do.  What I suggest the homeowners do is during the first visit with the bidding general contractor that they ..get to know the real person while getting know the business person.  The information gained on the personal side of he GC can be used as a sort.

Generally, when a bidding general contractor arrives to review the project for processing a quote they jump right into selling the homeowner on their work or some other form of frivolous chit-chat related to how good they are at what they do.  This is a natural instinct for most people and there is nothing wrong with it if it is done correctly.  But, most contractors us it as ‘filler’ since they usually have been told that ‘dead-air’ is not good during a sales pitch.  I beg to differ..but that is for another blog.

What the homeowner is out to determine is who is the best to doing the work they need done.  To determine this I advise that they do not just look at the GC’s business side, look at their personal side as well.  It is in the personal side of the GC the homeowner may find that could effect how the GC will deal with problems that are inherent to every remodeling project.  This is where the homeowner can also find out (or get a hint of) if the GC is just a DMW (Dead Man Walking-referring to them just doing the GC until they find something else to do), or if they have a true passion for what they do.

Look Behind the Scenes

I suggest the homeowner make a purposeful change of subject or redirect of the conversation with the GC during the initial visit to finding out more about the person before the business.  This does not mean to be pushy or to go as far as wanting to know the GC’s family tree, but asking questions which reveal a little of the GC’s personal life helps relax the conversation.

Something to find out about..

Here are a few questions I suggest my clients ask..Is the GC married?  Does he have kids?  Does he play Golf?  This could tell you from their reaction or their remark if there is a problem.  Most of the time a personal question will result in a personal reaction and answer. A happy person will give you a happy reaction and open up to offer a little of their personal background.  Sometimes, there is information offered that is noteworthy or the homeowner may want to use later on.

If the personal questions results in a negative reaction or a remark that they don’t talk about their personal life..this could indicate something is wrong..I stress..IT COULD INDICATE but not confirm that there is something wrong.  If this happens, just make a note, but keep taking opportunities to find out more about the person while finding out what they do.

Generally, the best remodeling general contractors are those who give off a consistent positive attitude and happy demeanor to life as a whole.  These GC’s generally take pride in what they do and produce the best work. 

There is a lot more to the sorting through GC to find the best, but finding out who the contractor is first will help with the first culling of potential bids.

Hope this helps get you started on the road to a successful remodel.

Really, a garage that is too small is a deterrent to the value of a home. Today, a car is a huge investment so taking car of the vehicle is a new-car owner’s first priority.  This has made having a Garage that fits all vehicles a big deciding factor when it comes to a home buyer deciding what house they buy.

In most cases where the garage is two small for holding a car, or two, it would be better to convert the garage into living space and add on another garage.  Before you do so, make sure your city zoning will allow it.

If converting the garage is the plan, then there are a couple of points a homeowner needs to be aware of when thinking out what they want to convert the garage to.  Here is the most important thing to remember:

Raising the Floor

Re-Bar Steel doweled into exisitng slab.

The most forgotten point to consider is matching the level of the floor of the garage with the rest of the home.  Most garages are set below the floor level of the living area of the home.  If the plan is to raise the flooring make sure you choose a contractor that knows how to do this correctly.

Adhesive spread on existing floor. Concrete poured on top.

Hope this gets you started in the right direction on your next remodel project.

We Need More Room, or I Wish I Had a Bigger Bedroom/Bath.

When that time comes is when most homeowners begin the trail down to what could become the classic…Money Pit.

Well, here at Why Not Remodel, that is what we are out to stop.  We offer you Remodeling Consultation that is focused on getting you started on the right foot. We show you what to look-out for, where the pit falls of a remodeling projects are and how to maximize your space affordable.

In this blog, our owner, Scot Duke, will be posting articles on different aspects of home remodeling and repair you should be aware if you are thinking about remodeling you home.

So, to keep up to date, subscribe to this blog and look for MrWhyNot’s BLog.

FYI: We offer a FREE 30 minute Project evaluation.  IN the evaluation we review your thoughts on what you arwe wanting to remodel and evaluate some of the challenges you will face to complete the project.  Hopefully, this will help you get started in the right direction.

We offer several Consulting Pakcages that will arm you with the information you will need to get your project ready for General Contractor bidding, or if you are doing it yourself, provide you with step by step information on how to make sure you are safeguarding your primary investment..your home.