Comments on 4 Men 1 Lady: How to hire the right sub contractor.

I learned the hard way and paid off the contractor...

2012-01-20T09:47:01.610-08:00

I learned the hard way and paid off the contractor before my house was completed. It came to about $1,500 and although he was a good contractor, the credit unions here crashed and that was the end of my contractor. They say always hold back 10% until you are 100% satisfied. I didn't then but I will if I ever need to do it again. Live and learn.

Excellent list - good learning and here's the ...

2012-01-20T07:49:26.143-08:00

Excellent list - good learning and here's the good news - now you know!!! I am a huge believer in being my own contractor - I do not want 'middle men' who might misinterpret or fail to mention my requirements to their sub - I want to choose my own subs. - Keep your list and save your details so you can refer to them in the future - just to refresh your memory of what you will need to include in your requirements. And please give yourself a break - I just know that this effort you are making will be BEAUTIFUL upon completion!!!

Thanks for these tips. We've had our own exper...

2012-01-19T16:05:20.473-08:00

Thanks for these tips. We've had our own experiences with contractors, some good and some bad, but the "bad" ones were hard lessons to learn. I wish we had taken the time to do our homework first!

This is a really great list of points & discus...

2012-01-19T07:35:36.681-08:00

This is a really great list of points & discussion; I've learned a few things from other comments too.

I've also had contractor agreements with the following clauses:
- that disagreements / disputes between contractor and homeowner will be settled through a licensed arbitrator with the related cost of the dispute being assigned to those who are deemed responsible by the arbitrator.
- that I'll receive a written release from the contractor before final pmt that he does not have & will not place any liens against the property.
- materials specifications, if appropriate. For ex: a BM paint color in another brand of paint is not BM paint.

Michelle, I personally know how tiresome living in temporary housing can become; I hope you are in your home, cooking, crafting, decorating, and everyone loving every minute of it in 45 days or less!

Robin
happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com

We were really clear with all the subcontractors a...

2012-01-18T21:49:28.176-08:00

We were really clear with all the subcontractors and our contractor that we were on a deadline. If they went over more than 10% of the time they said it would take they were dinged.

Also, Don't be afraid to be a demanding. It's YOUR HOUSE! You are paying!!

MOST IMPORTANT: NEVER PAY IN FULL UNTIL THE WORK IS DONE!!! All our payments were on a schedule. We learned that one from our first project and wow, that was a PAINFUL lesson on the pocketbook.

wow, thanks for all the tips. I admire you for sti...

2012-01-18T14:36:01.409-08:00

wow, thanks for all the tips. I admire you for sticking to your guns and making sure the job's done right.. I agree, sadly, that's sometimes the only way.

All very great tips. I love that even through it ...

2012-01-18T13:57:25.134-08:00

All very great tips. I love that even through it all you can still be positive and find the good/humor. Good luck with the rest of the construction! I can't wait to see the final project!

I love that you stood over his shoulder to make su...

2012-01-18T11:19:07.244-08:00

I love that you stood over his shoulder to make sure it was done right. you go girl-getting the job done properly!

Great tips! Ahh, babysitting. I did a lot of that ...

2012-01-18T07:23:23.500-08:00

Great tips! Ahh, babysitting. I did a lot of that (5 exhausting hours) when we had our counters installed. Never again! Typically, my rule is that I don't babysit. If I've done my reasearch (tips 1-12!) and I'm paying you to do a job (and do it right!), then I don't have time to watch over you. I'm bit of a pain in the ass when it comes to this kind of stuff though (ha!), so contractors definitely learn with me!

This list is great! Very useful. I especially like...

2012-01-18T04:16:31.828-08:00

This list is great! Very useful. I especially liked #9 - made me laugh!

Great list! But from a contractor point of view: 1...

2012-01-17T22:01:28.128-08:00

Great list! But from a contractor point of view:
1) Regarding your #6, keep in mind that sometimes a tradesperson has to walk out of a job because another tradesperson is not done with their work. You know, because if A is not done then B can't get done.
2) Homeowners who constantly change their mind can hold up a project too. And this will be reflected in your bill.
3)And regarding Leah's comment -- sometimes contractors bid high so they don't get the job. For example wiring a new condo building is much more worth their time than one house.

One thing I wish I had done before my kitchen/bath...

2012-01-17T19:28:39.117-08:00

One thing I wish I had done before my kitchen/bathroom renovation - write down EVERYTHING you want done and be VERY, VERY specific. Once you decide on a price and they get started they will charge you for anything and everything that is even slightly different than what you originally agreed on. So, you may think you are being very clear and communicating your vision, but they may not interpret it the same way.

...or you could skip the 9 steps, keep your sanity...

2012-01-17T18:16:57.460-08:00

...or you could skip the 9 steps, keep your sanity, save time and money and use AngiesList.com!!!

Good tips - and having gone through this/going thr...

2012-01-17T16:05:01.670-08:00

Good tips - and having gone through this/going through this I agree with all of them. It is so hard to find great sub contractors and they are not cheap - so it's definitely worth it to take your time and find the right ones. It will save you lots of time and money in the future.

hey girl! i love your work! follow my new blog, i...

2012-01-17T15:59:37.980-08:00

hey girl! i love your work!

follow my new blog, if you wish of course....

http://allieandhusband.blogspot.com/

allie

Really great advice, I couldn't agree more! Th...

2012-01-17T15:42:30.109-08:00

Really great advice, I couldn't agree more! The other thing I would mention is to be weary of the lowest priced bidder... Last year when we were working on our yard renovation we were running low on cash and went with the least expensive bid for gates, and I regret it now. The gates we ended up with look great, but don't function as well as we wanted them too--they don't always latch and seem a bit misaligned.

But I also agree with your dad--it's painful now, but a year from now you'll be happy to have survived the experience and grateful for the "wisdom" gained.

This is priceless:) coming from the wife of a cons...

2012-01-17T14:50:52.201-08:00

This is priceless:) coming from the wife of a construction man these steps are crucial to getting the job done well and on time! Thank you for sharing this Michelle! One day I'll be in the market for subs and no doubt will be referring to this post for help. Good luck with your home, I love reading your blog and seeing the progress. You're awesome!!!

Thank you so much for sharing these tips. Our goal...

2012-01-17T13:23:51.469-08:00

Thank you so much for sharing these tips. Our goal is to renovate a home so we will come back to this post one day!

I work as a designer and project manager for a rem...

2012-01-17T13:11:00.306-08:00

I work as a designer and project manager for a remodeling and construction company. I totally understand where you are coming from because we've dealt with bad subs in the past. That's why, for those who want the job done right the first time, I always recommend hiring a really good contractor. For us, we've sifted through all the bad subs and now we have an honest and true crew that have excellent craftsmanship. That's not to say that all contractors have good subs. Many don't! But also many GOOD contractors will protect their clients legally with waivers for all subs, they'll also make sure your job is done correctly and to code.

Before working in construction, I used to be all DIY (and I still am to a degree) but after seeing so many project go wrong for people, I would be hesitant to do it on my own. I give you major props for working through it yourself. For sure. Please let us know how your contractor experience goes. I hope it's well!

Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I've also lear...

2012-01-17T12:37:07.967-08:00

Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I've also learned the hard way thru a couple experiences on our old house. You have to be really good about communicating expectations and deadlines. And one piece of advice I have, and something I didn't think of (and thankfully it didn't matter), but my Mom recommended it... to pay with check not cash to have some record that you paid them so they don't come back saying you didn't pay them when you did. And the good cop/bad cop routine that Erin mentioned made it a lot easier for me to handle confrontational situations that would have otherwise been a nightmare. I just blamed it on my husband. ;)

Hope you finish your house on time!

This is a great list. One thing I learned during o...

2012-01-17T12:26:34.935-08:00

This is a great list. One thing I learned during our renovation was that you can't be afraid to be a bitch (or, as you more eloquently put it, "go all Jeff Lewis on them"). I tried to be the nice homeowner who brought doughnuts and coffee and kept beer in the fridge, but all it did was make me seem like a pushover. It helped to tag team on it with my husband so we could do kind of a good cop/bad cop routine. It was helpful to be able to say, "Oh it doesn't bother me a lot but the Mr. is really upset about it."

Thanks for the great tips!

2012-01-17T12:17:25.446-08:00

Thanks for the great tips!