THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996 TAG: 9601110151
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Chris Kidder
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Getting a house built is rough. A good general contractor is worth his or her weight in gold. Most folks who tackle a house without a general contractor learn early on that building a house takes more than a telephone and the ability to spend money.
General contractors must know building codes, practices and materials, labor laws, OSHA requirements and local health ordinances. They must negotiate contracts with subcontractors and supervise their work. The best contractors - those who get jobs done on time and within budget - will be excellent administrators; they keep a tight rein on schedules, deliveries, inspections and expenditures.
Good general contractors are jacks of all trades and they're smart enough to leave the mastery of most to the specialists. They know enough about site planning, masonry, carpentry, structural engineering, roofing, plumbing, wiring, dry-walling, windows, painting, heating and air-conditioning, household appliances, interior design, landscaping, and dozens of other pertinent trades, to recognize good - and bad - work when they see it.
Good general contractors are good communicators. Not only can they articulate their own ideas and expectations, but they're good listeners. There is no substitute for this ability: If you and your contractor can't talk to each other, there's no hope that the house he or she builds will be the house you want.
Several years ago, I interviewed a couple who had hired a contractor to remodel a house. The job turned into a disaster. The contractor was fired and another brought in to undo what had been done and start the job over.
When I asked what happened, the couple said they just couldn't talk to the first builder. Not only did they have trouble communicating face-to-face, but the man also was difficult to reach by phone and seemed distracted during every conversation.
They hired him because he came with good references and they had seen his work and liked it. They assumed that this was proof that the man would deliver what they wanted. In fact, it was proof only that the contractor was technically proficient.
If you're building a house, you want a builder who is willing to do his best to carry out your ideas. In order for that to happen, there has to be good communication.
And consider this: If the builder can't communicate with you, how well do you think he communicates with his employees, suppliers, subcontractors and others whose cooperation is required to complete your house?
Two months into a house building project of my own, I can't complain about my general contractor's communication skills. The partner in the firm who manages my job has remarkable patience. He listens. He explains. He answers the same questions over and over without a trace of annoyance.
He even does a gracious job of answering the questions he'd rather not have to answer. Like a couple weeks ago, when I asked why work on my house had stopped.
``You don't want to know,'' he tried, but, of course, I did.
``The framer quit,'' he said. The framer had considerably underestimated the time it would take to frame my house, although he had seen the finished plans (except for final window sizes) before bidding. He underestimated the carpentry skills needed to merge the multiple roof lines and angled walls. Once the job was underway, he realized he would lose money on it. He had another job to start and didn't care if he finished mine.
``Basically, he's holding your house hostage for an extra $2,500,'' my builder explained.
Then my builder spoke the words a homeowner needs to hear at a time like this: ``Don't worry. I have another crew that can finish the job.''
Can a subcontractor bid a job, agree to a contract, and then walk off the job demanding more money? It happens more often than you might think, say builders, when the general contractor and sub don't have an ongoing relationship.
Taking legal action to enforce the contract would cost too much time and money. And ordinary civil law is about the only recourse open because most framers do not hold North Carolina contracting licenses. The sub took a low-risk gamble: He'd either get the extra money or he'd cut his losses and go on to his other job.
In my case, the framer had never worked for my builder and probably never will again. But I'm reminded of the old joke about letting a 400-pound gorilla have whatever it wants: In a market where demand for the building trades usually outstrips supply, one unhappy builder out of more than 1,000 will have little effect on a framer. MEMO: Send comments and questions to Chris Kidder at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head,
N.C. 27959.
by CNB