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~ Russell Ives

While all of the DIY cable and TV show make undertaking (and condense into one hour) any construction project look easy (heck, they build a house in a week in some shows), the reality is that construction can be complicated and difficult, even for those who know what they are doing.  The experience and knowledge offered by a builder allows potential problems to never become problems, because he or she can see them coming.  Your budget will thank you for being proactive in minimizing problems instead of being reactive when they occur.  In addition, while it is true you are paying the builder for his services (and why shouldn’t you?), builders typically receive better pricing from sub-contractors and suppliers than “Joe Homeowner” is going to be able to receive.  The price you pay for a builder’s markup may work out to be a wash versus what “Joe Homeowner’ could have purchased the supplies and services for on his own.  I can personally think of several instances where a homeowner has said my price is too high for some specific aspect of the project and they wanted to shop around and “ask their (fill in the blank) contractor friend” what they would do it for.  Every single time, they have told me to go ahead with my trade-contractors and suppliers for my price.  The relationships that a builder has with inspectors and sub-contractors can also be a huge benefit.  Contractors and suppliers tend to be more responsive to someone who supplies them with steady business versus a client whom they may never hear from again.  As well, the trade-contractor is going o appreciate dealing with someone who “speaks the lingo’.  Using a competent builder will most likely result in less violations for an inspector to find to begin with, and when there are issues, a builder is going to not only have a better understanding of what the problem is, but the best way to resolve the problem and determine if it is something that should be remedied free of charge or not by any involved sub-contractors or suppliers.  While the article did mention that it is a good option  for busy people who don’t have the time to schedule and meet with the many trades involved in construction, it never touched on the fact that all of the trades may work separately, each other’s actions have to be carefully coordinated with one another.  A builder will know what to review with each sub-contractor when he meets with them, how to answer any questions or problems that the sub- contractors have and how to help them all work toether for the best end result.  In summary, yes I agree with the author that a builder is a good option for busy people, I would tak that a step further and say that a builder is a good option for anyone who is undertaking any project that requires the knowlege an dcoordiation of many different trades.  Contractors have been give a bad reputation over the years, but please don’t minimize the value of professional builders by suggesting they are only useful for saving time.

~ Russell Ives

I recently read an article (in an old issue of a magazine that shall remain nameless) that’s intention was to help one decide between hiring a general contractor/builder or handling things themselves.  The author proposes that the main advantage to using a builder is that the builder has  a history of working with his sub-contractors and designers.  As well, she proposed that the major downside is that you have to pay the builder for their services (heaven forbid!)  and you may lose the ability to hire your friends and relatives (not necessarily a good idea in the first place).  In short, the author concludes that hiring a builder is a good option for busy people.  Wow, while the points made are not necessarily wrong, they woefully underestimate the value of hiring an experienced builder.  A good builder is not only someone to handle the scheduling and meetings with trade-contractors, but is someone that has  avast amount of knowledge that the average person is not going to have with regards to construction.  This knowledge helps to ensure a project is done correctly and safely, as well as helping the project run smoother with less hiccups and headaches.  Many states now require builders to be licensed, which helps to ensure they have a t least a minimum amount of knowledge and experience, instead of anyone being able to hang out their shingle as a builder.  I’ve heard some complain that this is unfair, but by that logic, anyone should be able to call themselves a doctor or lawyer with out demonstrating any knowledge or competence in their chosen field.  (to be continued)

~ Russell Ives