What did you introduce to your GC that impressed them?
Comments (61)
williamsem
11 years ago
springroz
11 years agoRelated Discussions
What type of person do you need to be to GC your home?
Comments (50)dixie I won't stop providing counter arguments as long as there are inflamatory statements made like the ones below - which happen to come from MA in a recent thread. But it wouldn't have mattered who posted them, the response from me would have been the same. I find it disturbing that there is no declaration by MA right up front that he is an architect so that the OP's (especially new posters) know the perspective from which his views are derived. In all of the other forums that I read and post on, this is the norm by true professionals in their respective fields. "I suspect that much of the savings from the use of prepackaged designs and/or incomplete documents is subsequently given to the builder in change orders or noncompetitive cost plus billing. Why are owners so stingy with designers and so generous with builders?" "I think the bottom line is that in addition to a lower hourly fee, a home designer must be providing an abbreviated set of contract documents which inevitably exposes the owner to more risk and therefore more cost. I believe this must account for half or more of the design fee savings." "I can see how these approaches could work for off-the-shelf designs or for spec houses but my practice is for completely custom original designs tailored to the needs of the homeowner's family and the site. A stock plan would be useless even as a starting point and the plans given to me by owners usually just slow down the initial design phase and increase my fee. "...See MoreHow did you know which GC to choose?
Comments (16)Some people we know recommended our GC; they'd used them for 2 significant remodels and both came in on time and under budget. I can't think of a single other person I know who did a significant remodel and was not plagued with problems. We met with them and they told us they weren't the cheapest out there. They gave us a very detailed estimate of what it would cost, truly line-by-line with labor charges all broken out and their markup and profit clearly identified. They were very rigid about what things cost. It was way over our budget, so we talked to another firm with a good reputation who claimed they could do it on our budget. But I looked at what they paid their guys and it was so similar to the first GC, I couldn't understand why it would be so much cheaper. I mean, it takes what it takes, right? They had an architect working with them and he offered to do a quick layout of what we could get for the money. We could get a lot more remodeled for the money (expand the back of the house as well as redo the kitchen) than the first firm so we had the head guy over and went over it in detail. Turns out the architect drew much more than we could afford. There was no tax or contingency in their budget, and some other significant things weren't in there. We liked the straight talk of the first firm better, and decided just to scale our project way back and get the kitchen we want, and live with our current family room (micro-sized) and within our budget. The project manager wouldn't budge an inch on budget. We'd ask if maybe we could have this or that and the field manager would look like he was about to say yes and the PM would say: No. That would add to the budget. The architect would suggest something and the PM would say: What are you spending my budget on? Seriously, she acted like it was her money, which is why we are still on budget. We also interviewed 3 architects, two who were suggested by the GC. It's important that your GC and Arch work well together. We told them our budget, and told them to work together until they could deliver it. So our planning phase may have had more back and forth than most, but when it was time to start construction, we knew what we would get and what we would pay for it. So far, and we are almost done, everything is going very well. They come when they say they will, their subs do an excellent job, and the costs are what they said they would be. They are on top of their jobs and their business.They've gotten us good prices for things and we've been able to upgrade a few things as a result. They give us good advice about what they will buy for us (with their markup) and what we should buy for ourselves to avoid the markup. I think if you get a good vibe from the people, if they seem very buttoned-up and professional, if their pricing is transparent, if they have good customer references, you are going to be in pretty good shape. You get what you pay for....See MoreHow long did it take for your GC to price your job?
Comments (9)We interviewed 5 GCs. First was sort of interested, but our job on an older home was different from the usual work he did building new and/or remodeling newer homes, and it didn't "feel" like a good fit, so we didn't pursue it, even though he seemed like a decent guy and his portfolio of work looked like quality. Second came to look, but when he saw significant structural work he wasn't interested - he was more a cabinet installer/internal design kind of GC than somebody to handle this project. Next one came HIGHLY recommended from a friend who had just done some similar work a few months prior. He came round and gave us some quite attractive rough figures compared to the previous and we wanted some time to think about his suggestions; called him a couple of weeks later to come back, we talked further and asked him for a written bid. Never heard back from him, although we continued to call him to try and get a formal bid. #4 was referred to us via a very bizarre chain of events: even though we got the feeling the project was stalled since we couldn't find a builder, we decided to close on the equity loan anyway since it was all ready to go. At the closing, the title agent started chatting to us, noted that we lived in the same neighbourhood as her family including her brother who oh-by-the-way was a contractor and did we have one yet? I took the number partly to be polite and partly because he was (literally) around the corner, but didn't hold out much hope. In the meantime, I already had an appointment scheduled with a fairly glossy design-build firm so I kept it - they said that we would need at a MINIMUM double our budget, so that was a short meeting! So... feeling somewhat trepidatious I called the guy around the corner that had been recc'd at the bank. He was out of town but we scheduled a meeting for a few days later. He spent 2 hrs at the house, and drove me to see some work he was doing on another property (beautiful work - sealed the deal from my point of view). He came back a few days later with his associate to have another look to see how they could manage the structural stuff, and emailed me a basic proposal a few days after that. We hashed out the remaining details by email and he started 3 weeks later. He CLEARLY wanted the job - he was interested in the house, he (as I later learned) was fascinated by the books on our shelves many of which reflected his own interests and he definitely wanted the gig and he just liked us as much as we did him - it was clearly a "good fit". I had seen his work, his licence and checked his insurance was ok (they all were, of course!), but other than the title agent had no personal references. The day we started work I was PANIC STRICKEN with "what if's?" - I was letting a perfect stranger cut my house in half, I had no human references and aaaaaakkkkkkkk... what was I doing! A neighbour reassured me that she'd seen his work in the neighbourhood and, that in fact, he'd turned DOWN a job she'd asked him to do, but even so - I didn't necessarily do this "by the book"! As those who have been following my renovation know, this guy has been AMAZING, transforming our ideas into reality at a more than fair price (in fact, I truly believe he undercharged us somewhat given the numbers I see other people throwing around for their work). And he, his wife and kids have become friends in the course of it all, so it has truly been "win win" even if we DIDN'T find him via a "conventional" route. Anyway, long answer. I guess the short version is if they follow through, they want the job... !...See MoreHow prepared do you need to be before hiring your GC?
Comments (7)I agree with kptwin...the more specific you can be, the better and more accurate your bid will be. And it will send a message to your GC that you know what you want, and tell him not to pull the wool over your eyes. Be very careful out there...there is more shoddy work by contractors than ever before. Take your time finding someone, get at least 5 bids, including design/build (but they are usually more expensive). Hold firm to your wants and needs, and don't budge if the GC cannot or will not give you the exact fixture or appliance brand you want. Just have him pull it from the bid or give you an allowance for it...then go and buy it yourself. In fact, you may be able to get most things cheaper than your GC can. Many GC's are heading in that direction nowadays...with the internet and GC supply houses that are open to the public, you can usually get his discount without his markup...all for being willing to do the research, pay the invoice, and bring the materials back to the job site. Saves him a lot of work and paperwork. Even if he doesn't charge you markup on materials, he'll make it up with higher labor charges. They will try to get their money somehow. The bigger stuff...like windows, doors, etc...you can work with him and see what he recommends. Be careful of certain large companies like Milgard which pay the biggest commissions and kickbacks to GC's. They are not necessarily the best windows, nor the cheapest. As for flooring, if it's wood, know exactly what species you'd like, as well as what grade and stain/finish. For other solid floorings, know what brand and color. Same for countertop materials. Check out Costco if there is one near you...you might be able to get cabinets/countertops, windows, blinds, closet systems, etc...much cheaper. And know exactly what paint brand and color you'd like him to use. The more you know, the less likely you'll end up with builder-grade materials....See Moretaggie
11 years agobeekeeperswife
11 years agodebrak_2008
11 years agofriedajune
11 years agowilliamsem
11 years agoginny20
11 years agoCEFreeman
11 years agomydreamhome
11 years agobeekeeperswife
11 years agocathy725
11 years agowilltv
11 years agotaggie,
The cabinet is a regular upper corner cabinet with a bi-fold door.
Only we asked our cabinet maker to extend the left side and add a door.
The result is an L-shaped cabinet with one regular door and one bi-fold door.
The advantage is that there is one continuous L-shaped shelf instead of having a corner cabinet and then a narrow 12" cabinet next to it.
Here's a shot of the cabinet open.
And here's a shot of it closed.
springroz
11 years agoCEFreeman
11 years agoCathy725, here's a pic of my closet. I have only a cell phone, so I can't make it brighter. I have also yet to install any trim in the house at all, so it's rough. I did, however, just finish beating the crap out of the doors and antiquing them with brown wax. They are soft and gorgeous and I absolutely love them!
In another post I talked about what I had to go through to get a stud run vertically in that space between the doors so I could hang something there if I chose. But that is my plan. :) Probably a mirror. I have windows everywhere but can't get enough light. After living in a cave for 4 years, it's like an epiphany! So a mirror will probably land there.
gwlolo
11 years agosara_the_brit_z6_ct
11 years agodecolisa
11 years agoiroll_gw
11 years agodilly_ny
11 years agoljwrar
11 years agobellsmom
11 years agoThe pop up plug in on the island. He kept pointing it out to everyone--electrician, plumber, painter. . . .
Thank you, GW!Lori Ryan
11 years agoLori Ryan
11 years agotaggie
11 years agowilliamsem
11 years agolee676
11 years agoCree's 4" and 6" LED disk lamps that look to all the world like standard recessed lighting, but are so thin and cool-running they don't need to be installed in a recessed housing can, just a slim electrical junction box, like the one holding up your surface-mounted ceiling light. Allows recessed lights to be installed in places they couldn't fit before because ductwork or other obstructions got in the way.
Sold at HD under their "Commercial Electric" brand.
sanjuangirl
11 years agoannkathryn
11 years agoMy GC and most of our subs were agog at the waterfall edge of our island (marble on top and on one side).
One thing my GC had never installed before was the Moen toilet paper/grab bar. He said it was the best design he'd ever seen.
Nancy in Mich
11 years agoDog paw washing station: I described and drew out what I wanted, a 2 ft wide, 4 ft long tiled area with raised sides and a drain in the center and a pull-out kitchen faucet. I suggested that the plumbing go through built-in benches that would go under the windows, and Jim, my builder, did all the rest!
In my second kitchen I asked Jim to make a raised dishwasher. My plan placed it in what had been a double oven corner cabinet in the house the cabinets came from. I re-used a set of Quakermaid cabinets in this kitchen. Jim really liked this idea, as it raised the dishwasher a good foot off the floor.
Turning 2 wall cabs upside down and putting them on a toe kick to act like a narrow base cab. was another one of my ideas I used in the second kitchen. I also had Jim turn all my outlets sideways so that they would better work with the backsplash tiles. He had not seen this before.
My husband wanted built-in bookcases for our living room/music room/office. Jim quoted us a price of maybe $10K for stain-grade wood with all the nice molding. I had the idea of using five 36" x 84" used pre-owned bookcases from Craigslist and a lot of molding between and above them to achieve the look of built-in bookcases without the price of wooden built-in bookcases. I also picked up three very sturdy, but modern, used office base cabinets to put beneath the three center bookcases, giving us that real den look. Jim used dimensional lumber to attach the bookcases to each other and give him something solid to nail trim to. I also asked him to add molding to the cabinet doors to give them a more traditional look. The crown molding was installed with a lower lip to hide a strip of LED lighting. Instead of having the top be stained wood and the bases painted (bases were a modern red-ish finish), I decided to paint the bookcases to match the walls, a creamy vanilla color. In the end, Jim said it was a good way to get the wall of bookcases we wanted, and it cost us only about $3000.
So I would say that my last two projects introduced the idea of using well-made, sturdy used cabinets and bookshelves as the starting point for a project that he can still make look great, while using his excellent carpentry skills to make the project work (making custom cabs, re-veneering the worn cab boxes where needed, and even recreating an intricate bead board door and drawer design that has rounded edges and routed-out finger-pull areas for a modern design without handles and knobs).
Here is the library, before the paint was dry enough to install shelves and before the countertop was covered with glossy stone-looking laminate. Click below to see the paw washing station.
Here is a link that might be useful: Paw-washing station
chicgeek
11 years agosapphire6917
11 years agorealism
11 years agogrlwprls
11 years ago
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
11 years agowritersblock (9b/10a)
11 years agoljwrar
11 years agoraee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
11 years agoUser
11 years agowritersblock (9b/10a)
11 years agostacylh
11 years ago
amck2
11 years agobreezygirl
11 years agobeekeeperswife
11 years ago
karin_mt
11 years agomydreamhome
11 years agoSapphire69--Here's the pic of the pantry under the stairs. It branches off to the left and then recesses back under the lower stairs about 12" behind where you see the wall end. I keep my swiffer vac, dustpan, etc in that recessed portion so they're out of the way and out of sight (you can see the plug for my swiffer vac at the end of the left wall).The shelves go all the way down the right wall, across the back wall and then make the turn back up along the left side wall allowing for storage all along the perimeter of the landing above (total shelves form a backwards 'J' shape). The ceiling clearance is 6' at the lowest and 9' at the highest.
Hope this helps!
Nancy in Mich
11 years agoRaee,
I suppose it would have helped if I had not erased the part about my doors having carved hand-holes that are router-ed out so that you can get your fingers behind the door to open it. It is a modern-ish design. Ljwrar had the right idea. With my cabs, the hand-holes are on the top edge for drawers and base cabs and on the bottom edge for wall cabs. You either have to remove the doors and turn them upside down and re-install, or just turn the whole cab upside down to switch a cab from a wall cab to a floor cab. My wall cabs are 14" deep, so I have a 5 ft run (2 30" cabs) of a 15" deep counter along one wall in the kitchen. Originally, I was going to put the two remaining wall cabs above this counter, but Jim, my builder, and DH decided that it would feel too closed in. These extra cabs have been sitting around for almost three years. In the past few days I have decided to use them in the craft and exercise room I am setting up.
sapphire6917
11 years agocathy725
11 years ago
dilly_ny