Caution, Warning

Late one Saturday afternoon I received a call from a homeowner that had just fired his contractor. My first thought was :

Danger-Danger!!!   yellow flags     Warning- Warning!!!

He wanted to hire me to finish things up. It turns out he had fired his carpenter which is an entirely different thing.

This doesn’t happen very often and being a contractor myself I was worried that there was a difficult client rather than an incompetent general contractor at the root of the problem.

Turns out the client was right and the carpenter was having all sorts of problems that made it reasonable to take over the project.

1. Chief among the problems was that they were not showing up.
2. The carpenter was used to working for a contractor and had no idea about what being a general contractor is all about.
3. They were giving bad advice that didn’t make sense to the client’s “common sense”

The best part about things is that the client and his contractor parted on amicable terms.

When I arrived I found a bathroom update project that was on the verge of going sideways and was easily altered to create a great finished project.

The root of the issue was that the owner decided to be his own general contractor and had depended upon others to work out the plan to begin with.

He was a veteran of a major remodel and it seemed like a fairly straight forward project. No walls to move, no stairways to build, or anything too complicated. His trades people were doing their thing but there was no leader. In a leaderless environment, everyone does what they think they should do causing commotion, confusion and a bad result.

As I have said in past articles, I applaud homeowners who call individual subcontractors to fix problems associated with their specialties IE: a Plumber to fix a faucet, or an Electrician to fix a switch.

“When it comes to several trades working together to accomplish a goal it is time to call a general contractor.”

Tools of the General Contractor

Here is what I as a General Contractor bring to the table:

1. Experience. This comes from making lots of mistakes over the years and learning from them.
2. Talent. This comes from assembling a group of talented employees that, like fairies and elves, make a lot of work seem like a little.
3. Credentials. Licenses, registrations, certifications, and insurance.
4. Subcontractors. these are the trades people that work well with the general contractor, have a relationship and communicate well together. They also guarantee their work.
5. Relationships. With vendors and subcontractors that get results.
6. Trust. This is the key to the relationship. Trust will ensure a great project.
7. A secondary guarantee. This means that it is the general contractors guarantee also covers the subcontractors work.
8. Organization. This comes from creating a structure, systems, and documentation that handle these sorts of projects year in and year out.
9. Knowing the law and having a contract. It is the general contractors responsibility to make sure the codes are followed to ensure a safe project is being done in your home.
10. Piece of mind. When I as a general contractor say “I’ve got it”, by golly that is what I mean.

At Levco Builders LLC. we are general contractors that specialize in remodeling in and around the Boise Idaho area. It is what sets us apart in the region. We make adding on to your home or upgrading it an enjoyable, collaborative, journey. Get rid of your general contractor phobias, let us show you what a great remodeling experience can be like. 

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, email me directly or visit our contact page.