Expectations and Dealing with Contractors
One of the pitfalls of being an architect is getting an experienced, competent and fairly priced general contractor to do the work. I mean, we all want to see our client's vision realized at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner and according to spec. As the former chair of Oakton Community College's Construction Management program, I have seen this issue from another side. In 2014, I was asked by a former colleague in the program to fix, finish and shepherd this unfinished house through inspections in the village of Northbrook. Some of the deficiencies were comic and easy to fix–the kitchen exhaust fan that pushed air into the attic and no further. Some were more serious like an outdoor pool that had not been bonded properly to prevent someone from being electrocuted and the use of drywall screws and sized-too-small dimensional lumber in place of the required Strongtie structural fasteners and laminated lumber. After a lot of work and $1 million, we worked successfully together to pass 72 inspections and fix the house. I have been told by many that this contractor–under the guise of many different LLC names–gives potential clients prices that are much lower than other bids. According to them, he hires subcontractors who do not complete the work according to spec and schedule as documented in this case and online in this website. https://lnkd.in/gqMaSDhz The old rule is to throw out the low bid and the high bid and interview those in the middle to see who is the best fit. I recently began another job and after hearing that I was not the first architect and that the client had taken over the GC role, I did some digging in public court records on my own. The previous GC is same person fired from this job for the same reasons as stated in the article before. I am doing the last technical part of this job because–I am doing this as a joint venture with a really good architect–my client has good drawings and I have a track record of getting complex things finished and through inspections. Obviously, many of us try to use the same people again and again. But what happens when that person is unavailable or the client thinks they can get a "bargain"? How do guide them and remain positive and effective? We all want projects to work out well and that takes leadership. Would enjoy hearing your comments and experiences.
#crainschicago #generalcontracting #architect #architecture #dennisrodkin #northbrook
One of the pitfalls of being an architect is getting an experienced, competent and fairly priced general contractor to do the work. I mean, we all want to see our client's vision realized at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner and according to spec. As the former chair of Oakton Community College's Construction Management program, I have seen this issue from another side. In 2014, I was asked by a former colleague in the program to fix, finish and shepherd this unfinished house through inspections in the village of Northbrook. Some of the deficiencies were comic and easy to fix–the kitchen exhaust fan that pushed air into the attic and no further. Some were more serious like an outdoor pool that had not been bonded properly to prevent someone from being electrocuted and the use of drywall screws and sized-too-small dimensional lumber in place of the required Strongtie structural fasteners and laminated lumber. After a lot of work and $1 million, we worked successfully together to pass 72 inspections and fix the house. I have been told by many that this contractor–under the guise of many different LLC names–gives potential clients prices that are much lower than other bids. According to them, he hires subcontractors who do not complete the work according to spec and schedule as documented in this case and online in this website. https://lnkd.in/gqMaSDhz The old rule is to throw out the low bid and the high bid and interview those in the middle to see who is the best fit. I recently began another job and after hearing that I was not the first architect and that the client had taken over the GC role, I did some digging in public court records on my own. The previous GC is same person fired from this job for the same reasons as stated in the article before. I am doing the last technical part of this job because–I am doing this as a joint venture with a really good architect–my client has good drawings and I have a track record of getting complex things finished and through inspections. Obviously, many of us try to use the same people again and again. But what happens when that person is unavailable or the client thinks they can get a "bargain"? How do guide them and remain positive and effective? We all want projects to work out well and that takes leadership. Would enjoy hearing your comments and experiences.
#crainschicago #generalcontracting #architect #architecture #dennisrodkin #northbrook