Hiring
a Contractor ...
For construction of a
deck, fence, pergola, arbor or trellis project there are a few things
to consider.
We have all heard it
before; check references, inspect past work, ask around, do your
homework. This is not another one of those articles.
All contractors are
not created equal. Car-Makers are not playing with the same deck, any
more than pergola builders are. All contractors have varying
experience, intellect and abilities. Most are honest, some are
deceptive, but on the whole most are just folks trying to make ends
meet. Personalities vary wildly just like the general population. You
don’t associate with people you don’t like, and you hiring them to do
work in your home or yard is a pretty close interaction with folks you
may not see eye to eye with. The point is that not only should you do
your homework and check out their work personally, but you should also
choose the contractor that you personally get along with best…not the
lowest price. Save up for a few months, scale back your project a
couple of feet, use less expensive materials, do what you have to, but
the fellow that can’t get the quote right is not the guy who will bring
your project in on time and on budget. If a carpenter can’t count, you
are in trouble. And if he is working for free and not adding in profit
and overhead, he won’t be around to fix warranty work. A good rule of
thumb is to throw out the low bid.
Apples to apples is
the second thing to consider. If the project has not been planned by
you or one of the contractors everyone will be bidding on a different
project. I know what you are going to say… it’s just a deck, or only a
fence…but the truth is a contractor if left to his own judgment will
build to different specifications. Keep the playing field level. When
it comes to a fence, the number of boards range from 16 to 21 per
section, 2 or 3 rails, the lattice box can have an additional block for
stability and the lattice can be rattling around in dado rails or
trimmed in. Standard lattice, semi or full privacy, thin or thick,
plastic post caps or wood. Footings can range between 2’ deep and 4,
concrete up to ground level or only in the bottom half of the hole,
which will last longer? If the hole is filled with concrete, your fence
will grow in height every year due to frost, and each post will pop out
at a different rate. Our fence plans go into all these things in
detail, so whether you will build on your own or hire a contractor you
may want to learn a little about fences so that you can dictate the
specifications to the contractor rather than the other way around. Deck specifications are
quite another issue. Without a proper professional plan many issues can
arise. There are literally hundreds of possible pitfalls and
specifications that address them that must be considered. Generic plans
from a local lumber retailer just don’t address any of these, so you
are best to talk to a professional deck designer if you want a well
laid out, safe and long lasting deck. Once you have a proper plan you
can get realistic estimates from legitimate tradesmen, which means they
all are quoting on the same deck.
When it comes to
garden wood work like pergolas, a garden arbor or trellis work, please
consider having a garden designer, landscape architect or a woodwork
designer create the concept and detail drawings. It really takes the
artistic eye to come up with a design that suits the home, is balanced,
fits the requirements of the residents and accents the style of home
and solves design challenges at the same time. Again, once you have the
drawings and a plan you are happy with you can then proceed with quotes
or actually doing it yourself. You are going to have to pay for this
service so ask for a quote up front to avoid any surprises.
Designers that wing
it, or want to do it verbally…which is prevalent in the landscape
business are always hit and miss. Some are fantastic composers, but on
the whole at least a concept sketch should be done. It is important for
you as the client to be able to picture what is going to be done. I
have personally seen numerous compose as you go projects which run over
budget and late by far. When a client decides that they don’t care for
a certain detail in a compose on the fly project, then the contractor
takes the financial hit of changing it, or the client gets a change
order, either way, someone is upset.
In summation, no-one
should work for free, sometimes what appears to be a bargain is not,
planning is always prudent and doing your homework is absolutely
necessary for a successful outcome to your wood work or home
improvement project.
Good luck with your
projects!
Lawrence Winterburn
http://www.gardenstructure.com