Shop contractor advice?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks,

A couple of months ago, the LOML came up with a uinique idea. Though she could retire today, she volunteered to work a couple of extra years so that I could build a woodworking shop. She has been pushing me to make quick and aggressive moves to take advantage of her offer ever since.

I broke my back a couple of years ago and find woodworking a great form of physical therapy but simultaneously do have some restrictions as to how much I am able to do within a given period of time before it bothers my back rather than helping it. Thus, I am resorting to using a contractor to build the majority of it.

My initial bid from a contractor was way beyond my budget. I have since put out several requests for bids and this week a couple of bids arrived. One contactor's bid, though I contacted him twice, still didn't have the proper specs. He had the low price.

A 2nd contractor recommended by a local lumberyard (not BORG) came in with a mid-price range bid......met my specs and had some very interesting suggestions to allow each of us to do our parts of the construction without interfering or slowing each other down. I am meeting with him this week.

Having never hired a contractor before, any suggestions or recommendations about what to do and not do....contract suggestions....payment versus performance contracts suggestions.....etc.?

[Tim Morton]

Congrats on the wife AND the shop...you are a lucky man to have both!! As for the contractor, I can only relat the experience I had last year having a carpenter build my detached garage. He was recommended by the builder of all the houses in the neighborhood as being a great guy and excellent builder. I they they are BOTH important. I would not want to work with someone i didn't like, it just seems like it would not be an enjoyable venture. So ask him to talk to the last couple of his clients to get a feel for how your project will go. I paid close to 20k for a detached 26x36 garage on a poured slab and with rafters that allow for a finished room upstairs. It is not a highend fancy smancy garage , nor is it a box with a roof. Most important is plan it all out to get the most detail possibvle, and make sure your contractor knows this is the first shop you have built and feel him out for how he is with change...because you will change things as you go. Good luck and remeber to have fun and take lots of pictures for us to drool over!!! :cool:

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Ken. You have a real problem there, but I would give serious consideration to the number 2 bid. I would get a list of his work and talk to the owners, asking them if you could take a tour. Another consideration is the time line. Is it going to take forever and a day to complete? Another question for the other customers. Has the contractor lived in your area a long time and has he been in the business a long time? Does he do the actual work, or does he know the subs he will use, IE. has he worked with them in the past, and how long?

Do you have a set of plans that he is to use? I would be bothered by not having some drawings in hand for reference during the build. A set of approved plans signed off on prior to the start can eliminate a lot of arguments before they begin.

Does the bid include the electrical, and plumbing? It should IMO.

Lastly, I would get any contracts signed and notarized after you have cleared up any issues with the contract.

As an aside, when we built our home the summer of 2002, I used a contractor who was by profession a master plumber that had built 3 or 4 home on the side. Neighbors knew him as he lived in the neighborhood, and said he had a good work ethic. I found that he worked as the sole plumber for a "high dollar" general contractor who only built home in the 1 million and up class. The general contractor was very demanding.... The result was that I got a contractor who worked hard with vigor, and knew some of the best subs in the Dallas area. The framing crew was great, the finish carpenters were outstanding. The one thing that stands out in my mind was that each sub as he came on the job remarked about the quality of the work proceeding him. You can't beat that. :cool:

In summary, get to feel comfortable with your contractor, know exactly what you want ahead of time, and put it in writing for the protection of both of you.

Good Luck,

[Kelly C. Hanna]

All good advice. Since I am a contractor, I can't stress enough that you'll be better off with the contractor who has the best references. Since I started my company, I have enjoyed a large percentage of referral business. Nothing speaks louder about someone's work than previous clients. I'd definitely ask to see other projects completed and talk to the homeowners.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the advice guys! I am to meet today or tomorrow with the contractor. Hopefully things will go well and shortly I'll be working out of a real shop year round and not working 6 months out of the year on my carport!
Ken

[Bill Karow]

I have a theory on finding subs, but first my limited background - we just built a house that employed subs chosen by the GC, and since the GC lives two doors down and is a very straight-arrow up front guy, we ended up with a well built house. He told us exactly what he needed from us by what date, and he in turn knocked out a great house in a VERY tight timeframe. Our punch list was 5 items, all trivial. We've been in it for a year and a half, and no problems have surfaced at all. Bluntly, I think we got lucky by finding this gentleman, because the construction firm he worked for has been turning out some sub-standard homes (luckily, not in our subdivision) since he left.

I have a theory on choosing subs, and I'd appreciate feedback from all of you more experienced folks. Since each sub has to follow the previous crew, couldn't you go backwards to find the best people? In other words, start with a painting contractor that comes highly recommended. Ask them which drywall installer they most like to follow. Then ask that drywaller which framer does the best work he's seen, etc. If each sub contributes their experience on who makes their work the easiest, my armchair opinion is that you might just end up with an excellent mix of subcontractors.

Now, everyone, please tell me why this theory is full of baloney, or I may try it on my next house! ;)