I’ve acted as GC on my last few renovation projects, one which involved three bathroom gut remodels and a brand new kitchen with all new appliances and cabinets, new hardwood floors, doors, and moving walls. Subs I had: (1) paint/general construction/drywall, (2) plumber, (3) tile, (4) floor guy. I did the bulk of this in about a month and a half, with just little aesthetic touch ups later. I saved both money and time. Time, because I found that GCs will schedule one thing after another, not wanting people to work around each other, but because I was on a really tight timeframe that my son and I wouldn’t have a place to live, I scheduled a lot of folks to work at the same time around each other. They grumbled a bit more, but I was there every day to smooth things over, help, and just be a charming friendly person who brought cookies and snacks :). That said, to echo a lot of what folks said, it’s important to (1) be there on site every day to catch things early that are not aesthetically what you’d like, before it becomes more difficult to fix later, (2) have great people skills to motivate folks and work through issues, (3) have great organizational and project management skills (4) make decisions quickly and easily (being willing to do your own research) (5) be efficient about ordering supplies and materials on your own, which really saves time and money. And maybe most importantly (6) have the energy to deal with this all — it takes a lot of energy. I was exhausted. The reason I undertook it is that some GCs I talked to gave me a 4 month estimate on the work, and I just didn’t have that kind of time. All the sub folks were referred by my broker, so they were really responsive and professional and above par. I’ve continued to use them on other renovation projects, and they’ve always been really responsive and great. I may be lucky, because I’ve heard of nightmare stories as well, but it’s just to say that if you get good referrals, I‘ve found it’s not always the case that you can’t get subs to show up or have leverage compared to a GC. In fact, on a current project I have, all my same subs agreed to take on the work for me, right away, when my GC couldn’t get his subs for weeks out. I respectfully don’t agree with the comment that if you can’t tell about running an electrical line you can’t be a GC. If you trust your subs to be good at what they do, they’ll guide you through everything and help you make the best decisions. That’s what they’re there for. I‘ve done several remodels now, and haven’t had any issues later on (I lived in that particular house for 5 years). Anyway, I know it’s been 6 years since this post, but since I always get value from older comments and advice, I thought I’d still share my own experiences for others with this same question.

Marlo, I just went through this. Some thoughts: 1) IMO, Angie's List is worth the money to immediately screen out bad contractors. 2) Check the CCB number with your state licensing board and make sure they have up to date insurance (you should be able to check online) 3) Have them come over and get a quote. With stairs, some will spray and others will brush. Talk to them about your specific concerns (brush strokes, etc.). Ask them how many stair cases they've done recently. 4) Get referrals (preferably on a completed staircase job) and talk to those owners. Talk about the quality as well as the cleanliness of the job (was trash left all over the place overnight, etc.). 5) Ensure that the contractor is easy to contact. Often these guys are out pricing jobs while the crew is there (who may not have great spoken English skills). Even after all this is done you will want to be there during the job. Be picky through the entire process. Prep is crucial. Do not accept shortcuts. If they know you're checking the work the temptation to cover something up is much less.

We just met a painter on Thurs. who was recommended by 2 friends. We needed one side of our home painted after being re-stucco'ed. Also thought I would get a quote for the hallway that I had just taken a week to remove all the wallpaper from. The deal was they would do the walls and ceiling, one wall extending into the family room. It would all be 2 coats, and 2 colors plus white ceiling. Our quote was $ 375. for hallway and $ 375. for exterior ( which included a sealer coat on all painted walls and prep ). Plus we would pay for all the paint used. We jumped at it. The painter and helper started at 7:30am on Friday and worked through until 4:30p and then started at 7:30a on Sat. (today) until about noon and all of it was finished as promised. $ 1000. for both including paint. We are thrilled with it. I will paint the trim and doors myself. It saved my hours and hours of work over the next few weeks or more. BTW...The hallway included 7 doorways that they needed to cut around. If anyone lives in the N.Ca area and is looking for a good painter, I can highly recommend him.

jannicone, You are correct and reminded me of a situation I encountered. We were doing a large addition to our home. A lien was placed on our home by the concrete supplier used by our concrete contractor. While I had a GC on that project, I raised holy hell about it. I was on the phone with the supplier. I ate him a new one. I told him that we would happily pay COD for the concrete it that was what he needed. Just let us know. But, to slap a lien on the property before the bill was even generated was pretty much ridiculous. I was sending my GC over right then with a check and a release of lien form and he better sign it. Did he want my check, certified check or cash? I remember how pissed I was about the whole thing. My GC was terribly embarrassed about it. I didn't hold it against him. He didn't do anything wrong. Neither did the concrete contractor. I also understood the position of the concrete supplier. He wanted to be paid. My position was he should be up front about it, demand payment and we can work it out. I was pissed about the supplier's business practices. It wasn't like the concrete was going anywhere and I didn't expect credit. That's a lesson of how you can end up with a lien through no fault of your own. The lien was cleared. I checked that at the Courthouse.