I'm glad Acer asked the question. I had the same question before I found this forum last November. I asked a local "pro" and he told me any metal post such as fence post and it only had to stick out of the ground 4 feet like Applenut suggests. He said that the trunk is what needs the support, not any higher than 4 feet. So I went to Lowes and got a couple bundles of those 6 foot green painted fenceposts with the stablizer metal piece near the bottom. They were made in China, but there weren't any American made alternatives and I never considered the 20' copper pipe. Now I am hearing about lead based paint being used on children's toys made in China all over the news and I wonder if the green paint used to paint the posts have it and will it leach into the soil.... and you see where I am going. Think this is cause for concern?

In the US there is a well established construction industry that uses standards published by organizations dedicated to standardizing the definitions of construction work and the organization of construction information by trade. Without this service sub contractors would not be able to be sure of their responsibilities on a project and you as the owner would not know what you are paying for making a construction difficult or impossible to enforce. Architect's and engineers are taught to use the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) standard work categories (or some abbreviated variation of them) to organize design and construction information of all kinds like filing systems, estimates, budgets, bidding/construction documents, etc. It not only allows easy retrieval of specific information in the design phase, it allows sub contractors to easily find what their work entails during the bidding and construction phases and allows effective resolution of construction disputes. Unfortunately, builders who design single-family houses for their customers rarely use such standards, preferring instead to use their own individual definitions and categories. Usually these categories are based on a list of "features" like you might find in a sales brochure. This allows the builder and owner to agree on features of the purchase but it would bear little resemblance to what should be used for estimating or for bid documents. So, when you ask about a contractor's definition of "Finishes", you must tell us if you are talking about construction information or sales information. The latter has no standards and virtually anything that is visible in the finished work might be considered a "Finish". The term "Finishes" could then be though of as contractor jargon for "Finished Work". But if you are talking about a work breakdown for an estimate, to be effective and accurate it would need to limit "Finishes" to trade categories like the ones established by CSI in Division 9 and posted above by design professionals. Therefore, it would be impossible to know, and pointless to guess, whether or not a builder might have included light fixtures or cabinetry in a list of "Finishes". To find out you must ask the builder to clarify his statement.

Jackie, You started in the right place. Ask questions on this board. There are a lot of resources available from the experts and those who have been on both sides of the hammer. We will tell you when it's something to really worry about. Respect is a two way street. Hire the best people that you can find. Let them do their job. Monitor what they do. Question things if you don't understand them. Ask if there is an alternate way of doing things. Be flexible. Trust, but verify. Understand that the really good professionals are always busy, but never too busy to answer a sincere question. If something doesn't seem right, ask about it. Don't be afraid to ask why? Question every one of your decisions by asking if there is a better way to complete something? When you are asked to make a decision, give it quickly and decisively. If you don't know the answer, tell them you don't know or don't understand. If you encounter something that you don't like, and you will, talk about it with the GC. Let your GC handle the subs. It's his job to yell at them, not yours. That's what they get paid to do. The GC gets paid to answer to your satisfaction unlimited questions. Try not to bother the subs too much. Always be friendly. A sense of humor will go a long way to get through this process.

It can depend on what kind of "cedar" you are using. In the eastern half of the country, 'cedar' lumber is Eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana. In the western half, and especially the west coast, cedar is Western red cedar, Thuja plicata. Confusing because neither is a true cedar (Cedrus species) at all. Western red cedar is considered one of the most rot and decay resistant woods available and even with direct soil contact can be expected to have an outdoor lifespan of at least 15 years. Even in my winter wet climate, raised garden beds constructed from Western red cedar will last a good 10-15 years and fences as much as 25 years and more. My old garden had an untreated (no paint, no stain, just natural weathering) WR cedar fence along one side that was who knows how old when we moved in and was still there and functioning well 22 years later when we sold and moved out. Western red cedar is the go-to lumber here for any outdoor applications - fences, decks, wood siding, roof shakes, garden ornaments and trellises, pergolas, etc. If not available in your locale, Eastern red cedar would be a reasonable but not as long lasting a substitute. Pine, even pressure treated pine, would come in a very distant third.