Thank you for taking time to read my Blog. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know you were here with your comments!
The PLAN.
Prior to day one, all of the utilities should be marked by a locate request. This will most likely prevent any damages from occurring to any underground utilities. Of coarse there are accidents that happen but this will help protect against most accidents.
Yellow marking is gas and Orange marking is data/voice
Day 1 starts tomorrow!
Always, always, always have a contract for any project you are doing that is clear about the scope of work to be done, payment terms or schedule, warranty information, drawings, specifications or any other information that helps clarify any part of the project. This is to protect both parties not just the contractor or the homeowner. Do not sign anything you are not comfortable with or agree to. That sounds like a statement that shouldn’t have to be made but it happens all the time.
Look at the contracts from the different contractors. Are they clear and neat and detailed or are they vague and messy and possibly unreadable? With all of the bids and contracts in front of you to compare apples to apples, you can see what the lowest and highest bidders are proposing. Always going with the lowest bidder will come back to haunt you eventually. Sometimes the lowest bidder can do a great job but more times than not you are just looking for trouble. The amount it will take to correct any problems that the lowest bidder may cause or even having to take legal action against him will add up to more than the highest bidder to begin with. So please, just be cautious with the lowest bidder.
What should be included in the contract:
> The contractor’s address. not a PO Box but a real address for a place where you can go and actually find him.
> Work timetable. It is a good idea to know when the project will start and be complete. Obviously if there are issues that arise then this will be extended.
>Payment schedule. This should be set in the beginning with either a percentage or specific date pay schedule including down-payment and final payment dates and terms.
> Exact material specifications. This should include part number and pictures whenever possible. How else will you know what you are getting is what you paid for?
> There should be a statement that the contractor will pay all sub-contractors before the final payment is scheduled to be paid.
> Subcontractor names should be included and you can verify that they have been paid before you issue the final payment. Some states (including Texas) have ‘lien laws’ that allow a subcontractor to attach your home if they are not paid by the contractor!
> Permits. The contractor is usually the one who would obtain any permits but it needs to be specified in the contract because ultimately you are the responsible person to make sure the building laws are adhered to.
> Notice to Cancellation. There should be a statement about when you can cancel the contract. It is generally a few days after signing or a few days before the job begins. This allows you time to review the contract and get out if you do not feel good about something within the time period stated in the contract.
> Details. The contractor should provide you with a list of manufacturer, part number, color, or any other information that will allow you to find that item of material at a later date if you have to repair something so that is an exact match so long as the materials are still produced and available.
> Warranties and Manuals. These should be left with you and if you have any questions about anything you should ask your contractor for clarification while he is there.
Also, I just want to say that you may have anything added to the contract that you want added before you sign it. If it is not what you want to sign then don’t. If the work has not been done in the timeframe allowed then the payment schedule needs to be adjusted.
NEVER pay for a job in full until it is completed. What incentive does the contractor have to come back to work if he has been paid in full. If all he has to do is come back to put an electrical cover plate on and you are holding 10% of his money, it will be on his priority list. This does not mean that you can hold the contractor ‘hostage’ and have him do more and more work before you pay him because that will turn the tables quick and you may be the one getting sued and then the final payment will be due with legal fees and maybe other late fees.
It is possible to do everything in these 3 articles in a timely manner and provide yourself with the best information to make the best informed decision and hire a great contractor. We are proud to do our best to be the BEST contractors in the greater Houston area. We are constantly complimented on how well we work on site and how easy we are to work with and have satisfied customers at the end of the job. At the end of the day, we want you to tell someone else about us and that they would want to hire us before they even meet us. That is our goal and we will acheive this goal one project at a time.
Thanks for reading. Leave your comments. I would like to know who was here!
Once you have contractors come to your home to get an idea of the scope of work and to put together a design and/or proposal you will need to be aware of many things and ask many, many questions.
Some things to observe upon his/her arrival:
> What vehicle did they arrive in? Company or Personal? Was it clean on the inside? While this should not make or break any decision on hiring it may give you that little nudge to choose one over another. If it is his personal vehicle it may just be that it is more fuel efficient especially if it is in the evening or weekend. If the inside is clean or messy with papers and trash, then maybe that is what the job may look like while they are working.
> How is the person dressed? Casual or Professional? Company shirt or not? How is their hair? Are they clean shaven? Are they making eye contact with you? These are things that you always notice but may not register so you may need to really pay attention to these. This will just give you some feelings in your gut. Bad or Good and you need to make note of that. You should feel comfortable and not timid or be made to feel stupid or belittled. First impressions still carry a lot of weight! When in doubt, trust your instinct feelings.
Some things to talk to him/her about:
> Where do they live? How long have they been in business? How did they get into that business? What is their education specifically for that industry? Let them know that this is an important decision to you and you are only looking for the best QUALITY contractor and will not settle for less. If this makes them shifty or nervous then you may want to move on to the next company.
> Are they licensed? Are they insured? Can they provide proof? Some professions do not require a license and some do. If a license is required, ask for a copy to make sure it is real and current and for the person that will be doing the work. You as the homeowner can be fined for hiring an unlicensed contractor so please check into it. Insurance is not an option, you should require it or you are assuming ALL liability. There should be no problem for them to show you proof of this and you can call to confirm.
> Past Customer References. This is a big one but do understand that they will only give you the references of jobs that they know they will get good feedback from. This is not a bad thing because this will verify that they can and do provide a good quality service but do not look for any nightmare stories from these references. You can always ask to go to that references home to see the work in person but they may not always be willing to allow you to do so. Some suggested questions to ask are: Did the job start on schedule? Did the job finish on schedule? Was the contractor on site some of most of the time? Was the crew properly supervised? Was the job kept clean throughout and was it fully clean upon completion? Was the quality of work great or good or just ok? Overall, was this a good experience to work with this contractor and would you refer him to others?
> Credit References. Most contractors have accounts with their suppliers and most terms are 30 days. You can ask for a list of their suppliers and telephone numbers and call to see if their bills are paid on time or if they are late or even not paying. Also you may be able to check bank references. This information will be pretty limited due to privacy laws and we can all respect that but you can ask and see what they will tell you.
> Consumer Complaints. This is a tricky one. Most of you are aware of the Better Business Bureau. While they are a very legitimate organization for recording business complaints, they also have their own system on how they handle and process companies. If there is a listed complaint or complaints then it may be very accurate. As far as the grading scale goes, I can tell you my experience with this. The BBB is an organization that will list companies on their site for free especially if there are complaints. If there are no complaints and the company does not pay to be a ‘member’, that company will not show up. My company will show up not because of a complaint but because I paid to be a member one year and then you are there. I saw no reason to pay them for the following year or ever again so I have not. While I was a paying ‘member’ I had an A+ rating and now that I am not paying I have a A- rating. They will lower companies rating for reasons other than just complaints so please just note that you only should focus on the complaints section first and foremost!
…..Next week we will wrap up part 3 with the Big Bad ‘C’ Word……………’CONTRACTS’
Stay tuned!
This is a very in depth posting so I have decided to give it to you in parts so that it does not post as a 100 page book. My goal is to cover the most important points that I have compiled from other readings and mostly from my experience. Here goes….
Why does the term contractor already have a negative meaning attached to it the first time you think or hear the word? Maybe because you or someone close to you has been burned or had a terrible experience with a contractor. Maybe you have just heard in passing several stories of nightmare contractors. What ever the reason, the fact of the matter is that there are contractors that will live up to those assumptions and then there are some really good ones.
How can you find out if a contractor that you want to hire is going to be the nightmare or the best one you have ever seen? Well, that is what this is about. It all starts with questions. BUT, before I go on I must say that this articles and subsequent articles are just a guide to hiring a contractor that you will find to be a great contract and by no means am I trying to act as your legal adviser nor shall I be liable for anything that you decide to use from this article. (That legality out of the way lets move on!)
How many of you have hired someone even as close as a family member and said the words “No. I do not need that written in the contract” or “I do not need a contract, he is family, of coarse he will clean up after he is finished”. These are always the famous last words. It should not matter how close or far you are to that particular person who you are hiring as a contractor. If it is not in writing, it does not exist.
Before you get to the point of talking and negotiating with a contractor it is a good idea to have an end result and tentative budget in mind. I know you are calling a professional because you may not know your options or other details but you know what you want and you need to be able to communicate that to the contractor as clear as possible. Mis-communication is one of the biggest reasons for a bad contractor experience. Also important in a relationship of any kind so a contractor is no different. As far as the budget goes, you may not even know what this will cost and you are just wanting to see if it is going to be financially possible. You will at least know what you cannot go over and can communicate that to a contractor to test the waters.
Once you have establish your base, how do you find a good contractor? Well, the yellow pages or newspapers no way to decide since they are limited on space and only offer the minimum amount of information but they may allow you to make a list and then start acquiring more information on each. Call them and asked for their website if they have one and completed job referrals. A really good way is to get a referral from someone you trust who has had similar work done. To be safe, I would treat the referral contractor the same as you would someone out of the yellow pages because YOU still don’t know either. Get the same information from everyone and compare. Then set up appointments with the contractors you are interested in to meet them in person. DO NOT allow them to bid it over the phone. (this will be continued next week)
Reason for upcoming BLOG – I was called to go to a property inside the Beltway today and the problem was that a customer had hired ‘a guy’ to install an irrigation system.
Problems:
1. He was not a licensed Irrigator
2. His trenches were maybe 3-4 inches deep
3. All of his materials came from Home Depot – ORBIT is not a good quality brand
4. One of his pipes crossed OVER a steel metal edging for a flower bed
5. He also ran electrical 120V in the same 3″ trench as the irrigation
6. He was not a licensed electrician
7. He was paid in full up front
8. He was not insured
9. He got caught by the city and the job was shut down and the HOMEOWNER was fined for work without a permit AND hiring unlicensed ‘professional’
Now the system is going to cost more to remove the bad install and re-dig EVERYTHING and pull permit which has also been tripled for this property because of the violation.
Please watch for my 2-part BLOG on this topic!
COMING SOON!!
Last weekend, CSD had a first! In a day and a half, we built a pergola, laid out pavers, set up a retaining wall, and installed a water feature. In short, we set up a booth at the Katy Home and Garden Show, which had a great turn-out. I got to meet a lot of great people interested in lighting, landscaping, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, and mosquito misting systems. I am hoping to have a very busy year this year! Don’t wait to get on the schedule if you are planning a outdoor project for this spring or summer.
No. I did not mistake Murder for Myrtle.
I am talking about the improper and unnecessary chopping, hacking, whacking, sawing and cutting of the tops of Crape Myrtles.
If you are not aware by now Crape Myrtles are TREES! Trees that bloom and trees that are very popular in the Greater Houston Area as well as the state of Texas.
Do you go out and chop the top off your Bradford Pear in the inter after all the leaves have fallen off? What about a Red Bud tree? Why not Red Oaks? We know those get really big. Answer: because they are TREES.
Now, this is not meant to be a mad blog but just one to get your attention and forward to others you know that have Crape Myrtles especially those who have . . . (and I use this term very loose) . . . a ‘professional’ lawn maintenance crew take care of these trees. Do not let anyone do THIS to your Crape Myrtles! See Below What not to do and then keep reading!
Even this will eventually lead to knobby ends and one UGLY tree
Well...do I even need to say anything about this TRAGEDY?
The proper care for a Crape Myrtle Tree is to never trim the top third. This is dependent on how full you want the top and how open you want the bottom. Basically, you want the main trunks to stay clean of any off shoots as well as any off shoots that are not holding their own weight. If a branch is below a horizontal line it should be trimmed off until the tree has grown to a mature height and does not interfere with roads, driveways, walks, other plant material or the aesthetic look you desire.
See below for some beautiful full grown Crape Myrtle Trees. This is what you are going for!
Who ever said BIG is not beautiful has not seen these!
The goal is to keep the top growing and blooming more and more each year while keeping the understory clean and clear of smaller branches. This allows good air circulation and the tree healthy.
I hope this helps clear that topic up but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to post your question for all to see so that all may also see the answer. Thanks for reading!
We have completed another fantastic pergola. This pergola is functional, stylish and inviting. As I said in the earlier post, I really like the decorative touches and the dark stain. Right in time for cooler fall weather. It’s time to BBQ!
Katy, TX
This week we have been working on a pergola for the Schneider family. They enjoy sitting on their back patio, but they wanted a break from the sun. They chose a dark stain to contrast their light brick, which I feel was a great choice. Here are a few progress shots, and I will post the finished product shortly.
Take a look at the decorative brackets between the beams and posts. One of my favorite extras…
Katy, TX
The landscaping around the pool was semi-formal to compliment the very formal layout of the pool. We were able to provide a lush landscape backdrop to their patio and pool which turned out beautiful!
The trampoline never had a good place in the backyard. We were able to dress up the side yard with some landscape screening while incorporating the trampoline within its own custom-made area with landscape timbers and 'kiddie cushion' play chips. It all works together to complete the landscape.
A cool stone arch leading from a large covered patio into the backyard.
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