In this segment of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor, the do-it-yourselfers talk about hiring and dealing with subcontractors.
Subcontractors - Betty King and John Spracklen stress the importance of communicating your expectations subcontractors clearly and thoroughly. Otherwise, they may complete a portion of the construction in a way that may not be in keeping with what you wanted, and that mistake may be difficult or impossible to reverse.
- Fred Samuels goes a step further. He advises getting the approved plans from your subcontractor clearly defined both verbally and in writing -- complete with blueprints or diagrams where appropriate (figure ). Included in the contract agreement should be a description of your expectations, and the price the subcontractor will be charging. He advises that if a subcontractor takes offense at a written contract, then you should avoid dealing with them.
- Jody Siegler of Los Angeles, CA concurs. She notes that, without a written contract, a subcontractor can simply claim that an unfulfilled promise was simply something that was never agreed upon. "There's nothing like the written word," she says, "to get a subcontractor's attention." On the other hand, she advises that one of the best pieces of advice she can give for working with subs is "be nice to them." The adage of attracting more bees with honey than with vinegar definitely applies in this case.
- When dealing with subcontractors, your involvement as contractor does not end with the written contract. Alan Sain points out the importance of being familiar with the overall sequence of activities in a construction project so that, when a subcontractor arrives on the site, the proper preparations have been made so that he can do the work agreed upon. Missed steps along the way, lack of coordination, unfinished prep work or materials that are unavailable can lead to costly delays.
- Lynn Underwood stresses the role of contractor as facilitator of communication among various subcontractors on a job. Separate teams on a construction project may not communicate with each other, or coordinate activities according to your wishes, unless you encourage that cooperation.
- Skip Weahunt agrees, stating that "If you can get them to talk to each other, it's going to give you a smoother job. Also, the subcontractors are going to be happier, and as a result are going to do better work." He stresses the importance of conveying to them that you are looking to them for excellence in their area of expertise, and that you care a great deal about the work that they are doing. By doing this, you will get good work from them.
- Lynn Siegler likes to make the work of subcontractors an area of education for herself. She enjoys learning about the work from the professionals that actually do it. She asks questions of them about the tools and materials they use, their approach to the work, their experiences, etc.
Finally, some of the builders offer advice about being your own contractor. Doug Kerr of Los Angeles says that the most important thing to know at the outset is whether you are going to enjoy the work or not. There may be hard work involved, but some people enjoy that kind of involvement. Lynn Siegler says that do-it-yourself contracting is "either for you or not for you," without much middle ground -- and it's not for everyone. It involves numerous decisions, intricate planning and unexpected developments. She advises knowing whether or not you will enjoy that level of involvement. Lynn involves shopping for plumbing fixtures and spending an afternoon in a hardware store. Not everyone does.
RESOURCES :
The Brand-New House Book: Everything You Need to Know About Planning, Designing...
Model: 0609805835
Author: Katherine Salant
Full title: The Brand-New House Book: Everything You Need to Know About Planning, Designing, and Building a Custom, Semi-Custom, or Production-Built House
Three Rivers Press
The Well-Built House
Model: 0395629519
Author: James Locke
Mariner Books
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