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| The Art and Science of Finding Subs |
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| By Jim Cooper |
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The calls are plaintive, and the voices often filled with
frustration. The callers share a common log home buyer's plight:
"How do I find good subcontractors for my log home?"
Indeed, they are voicing one of the blue-ribbon questions of
building a log home. I wish there were a blue-ribbon answer.
Subcontractors play a major role in the success or failure of a log
home building project. Good subs are worth their weight in gold,
often steering inexperienced owner-builders through a potentially
disastrous maze of budget and building pitfalls. Bad subs, on the
other hand, represent a big part of the maze itself.
Next to realistic budgeting, finding and keeping good subs is
probably the most critical aspect of building facing an
owner-builder. Unfortunately, finding good subs is as much an art as
a science.
First, recognize that finding subs is easy. Browsing through the
telephone Yellow Pages or classified ads in the local newspaper
quickly shows that there is no shortage of practitioners of most of
the trades used in log homebuilding. The challenge comes in sorting
the good from the not-so-good (and the incredibly bad).
Start with your log home dealer (or dealers, if you haven't
purchased a package yet). Ask who has built their kit in your area.
Supplement your dealer's list with names collected from other
sources, such as log home owners. Most log home owners are delighted
to share their experiences. If you see a log home you like in the
area where you are building, find out who owns it and call or stop
by and introduce yourself. Try to accumulate a list of names for
carpenters, plumbers, electricians, foundation contractors and
heating and cooling contractors.
Another source of names is local suppliers, such as lumber yards,
plumbing and electrical supply houses and concrete companies. Simply
call or visit, tell them you are planning to build a log home, and
ask if they know of anyone in the area with log home experience.
Take the opportunity to inquire about opening an account. Everyone
gets talkative when they see the possibility for future business.
Besides, even if you are buying a complete package, there is often
an occasional need for unanticipated supplies, such as bracing
lumber or plumbing and electrical fittings.
Some builder's guides suggest calling the building inspector's
office. Most building inspectors I've met consider it a breach of
ethics to recommend a builder or subcontractor. Their job demands
impartiality, and playing favorites can have serious consequences.
Yet building inspectors can be valuable in helping you weed out
potential problems. Instead of asking who is good in a particular
trade, use the inspector to find out whom to avoid. Present an
inspector with a name, and ask about the quality of his workmanship.
The inspector's answer, direct or indirect, can steer you out of
harm's way.
Banks generally maintain lists of approved builders. Working with
their lists can have the added advantage of speeding the loan
process, should you place your construction loan with their bank. In
one instance, a customer of mine planned to get
construction-permanent financing from an unfamiliar lender. Just
before closing on the loan, they called to say they had experienced
a problem with another log builder and as a result would have to run
an exhaustive check of my business. They estimated the delay at six
to eight weeks. Since the lender had already spent almost four
months on what they said was a four to six week process, neither my
customer nor I was interested in more delays. I sent them to a bank
with which I had worked on several projects, and the paperwork
sailed through.
Construction guides also often suggest visiting a job site. To me
this method of finding subs has limited utility unless you are
experienced with the trade you are investigating. In many trades, it
is difficult for inexperienced owner-builders to recognize slipshod
work or short-cutting. Unless you have experience in a trade, I
suggest using a site visit to confirm a selection rather than as the
basis for selecting a sub. Watch how the crew works. Are they neat
and efficient? Do they work swiftly? Is the site clean? Do the
workers seem to get along? A messy site with workers constantly
bickering and wandering around looking for tools and supplies is a
warning.
Once you have established a list of potential subs, contact them and
ask them for references. For carpenters, ask if they have erected
the type of kit that you are considering. Get names of some of the
people they have built for. For plumbers and electricians, try to
get references for log homes they have worked on. For such subs as
concrete finishers, landscapers and well and septic system
installers, experience with log homes is not so important because
methods are not unlike those used in conventional housing.
When you check references on subs, check not only the quality of
their workmanship, but also their business skills. Did they arrive
promptly and work diligently? Did they keep the site neat, or did
they need constant reminders to pick up after themselves? Was the
cost of the work consistent with the preliminary bid? If not, why
not? (Cost overruns often result from home owners' changes as
construction is progressing.) Were the subs receptive to change? Did
they offer advice about alternatives to handling specific
situations?
Once you have reviewed references, your list of potential
subcontractors should be smaller. Now is the time to contact the
subs and make an appointment to discuss your project. A preliminary
meeting gives you and the sub a chance to get acquainted. Don't
discount the importance of gut feelings at this point. Remember,
this person is going to be partially responsible for your physical
comfort and well-being for many years. Don't put your home in the
hands of someone whose abilities you doubt.
At your first meeting, you may just have preliminary sketches or
photographs of the log home you are planning. Provide any details
you can and ask for a rough estimate of costs. Recognize that the
sub will probably need a full set of plans to provide a specific
cost figure or firm bid. It's unreasonable to show subs a crudely
drawn floorplan with rough dimensions and expect them to provide
firm prices. Also at this first meeting, ask about payment terms.
Some subs will want an advance so they can buy materials.
Before moving on to a firm bid, make sure your subs carry workers
compensation and liability insurance. Tell them that you will need a
certificate of insurance before they can begin work. Find out, also,
what their work schedule is and the amount of advance notice they
generally require. Understand that a sub's life is a nightmare of
juggling schedules. Every time there is a hard rain or snow, phone
lines all over are tied up with subs trying to rearrange work
schedules.
As soon as you have blueprints for your log home and a complete
materials list, schedule a second meeting to obtain a firm bid from
your selected list of subs. Try to get two or three bids for each
trade. I provide subs with a copy of the blueprints and a checklist
of items I want included in their bid. This ensures that neither the
sub nor I forget something critical. On my checklist is a reminder
that I must have an insurance certificate and an estimate from the
sub of the amount of time the work will require.
When all bids are received, review them and select the one that most
suits your needs and budget. Note whether payment terms are included
and the time duration of the bid. Because prices in the construction
industry change constantly, few subs will guarantee a price for
longer than 30 days. If one bid seems unusually high or low,
question the bidder. He may have left something out or considered
what others missed. Finally, select a back-up in case your first
choice is unavailable or doesn't perform satisfactorily.
With most subs, procedures for finding, hiring, scheduling and
paying conform with those used in conventional construction. The
biggest difference occurs with carpenters. Here, experience with log
construction is a decided advantage although not always an absolute
requirement. Many of the milled log kits use conventional framing
for interior partitions, subfloors and roof, and in these instances
may be well within the capabilities of a conventional builder.
My best construction experience was with carpenters who had not
built log homes but were eager to try, willing to listen and
followed the construction manual carefully. My worst experience was
with a log home specialist who spoke with authority but couldn't
walk his talk.
Finally, recognize the role trust plays. A recent customer, quizzing
me on how to tell whether subs are reliable, made the comment,
"So the bottom line is never trust a sub." I disagreed
strongly. I explained to her that it was absolutely impossible for
owner-builders not experienced in log home building to prevent
dishonest subs from taking advantage of them. Even if they were on
site continually, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time.
The key to a successful building project is avoiding that kind of
sub. This can only he done by careful research, precise
communication about the work to be done and a healthy respect for
instinct or gut feelings. With those criteria satisfied, trust your
subs until they give you a reason to do otherwise. |
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