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Comment by Marla on August 31, 2008 at 12:35am

Thanks to all of you for all the good advice. We are acting as our own GC and all of our subs, except the plumber and electrician (my husband), are local Mennonite tradespeople who come highly recommended. They are neat and tidy, show up when they are supposed to and do a good job. They get paid after their job is completed to our satisfaction.

The backfilling and tamping was completed August 26th and they have started on the subfloor. The weather has not been the best but we are managing fairly well. I think that the little delays Mother Nature throws at us give us a chance to re-group and catch our breath.

Comment by Joe on August 23, 2008 at 11:53am

I will try to duplicate what I said originally.
Contractors bid on as many jobs as possible at any given time and pray that they will be able to handle everything. Unfortunity God may have been able to part the Red sea but I don't think he is very good with pouring cement. I have a little experience in dealing with home and commercial buildings for my personal usage and I still have a lot to learn and found out some things the hard way. Ask your potential general contractor exactly what his current work load is and try to set up a reward and penality plan based on a realistic work schedule. Ask him for a detailed schedule of events in writing. If he can't provide this I would walk as he is not organized. Most builders do not have a staff but instead subcontract out many things. Ask who the subcontractors are going to be and try to investigate them by simply driving past their facilities and checking with the local building department. If the builder or subcontractor shows up in a beat up truck looking like it came from the junk yard his work is going to be the same way. I had this happen with a subcontracted plumber who then put in all the bathroom subfloor pipes in the wrong place. If their equipment is not neat, neither will there work be. The GC had a mickey mouse cement truck show up with too much cement who then proceeded to dump the extra in my front yard. I refused to pay him until he removed the dried cement.

It is important to feel comfortable with your contractor but maintain a business relationship so that you don't get taken advantage of. The best con artists are the most likeable. When making partial payments, insist on signed off releases from the subcontractors. DO NOT accept excuses that he left them in the office and will bring them next time. In most states your house can be liened by subcontractors even if you paid the contractor. The cement companies are some of the toughest. Make sure the foundation subcontractor provides you with a release from the cement plant. At the very least call the cement plant and make sure they got paid before you pay.

If you are acting as your own GC then still follow the above rules to protect yourself. Its tempting to hire someones Uncle Louie who works as a fireman but can do the plumbing in his off hours cheap. Promises of help by friends can end a good relationship. Make sure the subcontractors are licensed and insured as required or you can be held responcible for on site injuries. Get three bids and try to take the middle one. You never get something for nothing in the building business.

In dealing with log home companies, I would insist that they are members of the Better Business Bureau and have agreed to abide by their arbitration rules. Most log home contracts require arbitration and/or lawsuits to take place in the state where they are located, not where your home is. Think about that! The BBB rules require it to take place in your state where your home can be examined.

Finally, I have one rule that I follow:
"Don't fall in love with something until you own it".
You must be prepared to walk at any given time.

All of this is a pain but in the end it actually makes everything go a lot smoother and keeps you out of divorce court.
Joe

Comment by Joe on August 22, 2008 at 3:15pm

I was trying to correct my spelling errors and deleted my comment instead. I hope the powers to be can put it back up as I'm to senile to remember what I said.

Joe

Comment by Tom Heatherington on August 22, 2008 at 12:58pm

Joe, that is excellent - 100% on the money - advice and something every home builder needs to hear - and hear over again - and not forget. I spent the afternoon just yesterday with a local log home company and this was the topic of conversation... the problems they have with GC's and subs... probably the most aggravating piece of this business.

Comment by Michael McCarthy on August 19, 2008 at 5:11pm

Hi Marla,

Hang in there!

Did your contractor build delays into the schedule? We all know that *#it happens, but it seems to happen EVEN MORE when it comes to homebuilding. Things like subcontractors who forget to show, lousy weather, incorrect materials that arrive on the home site, etc. Anyway, we often recommend to our readers that built-in delays give you peace of mind...but also don't forget to hold your builder accountable for all unnecessary delays. Give 'em an inch and, well, you know the rest.

Please keep us all posted----best of luck on Friday!

Mike

Comment by Shad on August 19, 2008 at 8:11am

I can understand the frustration...I imagine as September is getting closer and the temperature is going to start dropping in that neck of the woods, the sooner the house arrives, the sooner the roof gets on, the happier you'll be :)