Advice from Contractors:
 Two Sides of the Same Coin?
By Bill Alexander
The Homeowner's Side
It's every homeowner's worst nightmare. You scrimp and save for that special home construction
project, and an architect miraculously converts your dream project to blueprints. Then you
promptly go out and hire a general contractor who turns out to be at best incompetent and at
worst a thief. You spend the next six months living in hell and wondering whether you can
survive the project without ending up in court.
Unfortunately, it's typically very easy for anyone (qualified or unqualified) to go into
business as a general contractor or specialty contractor. This ease of access to the market
sets the stage for unscrupulous businesspeople to victimize novice consumers of construction
services.
The Contractor's Side
It is every contractor's worst nightmare. You spend years in the field perfecting your craft
and decide it's time to go into business and make your mark in the construction industry.
Through years of hard work as a small businessman, you build a reputation for quality projects
and personal integrity. You are then contacted by homeowners who pick your brain for good ideas
and then shop those ideas to the lowest bidder.
Or what's worse, homeowners hire you to perform work for which they haven't adequate funding,
or for which they never intended to pay in the first place. The contractor, despite performing
to the letter of the plans and contract, must either settle for 50 cents on the dollar or, at
worst, is forced into bankruptcy.
Unfortunately, it's difficult for most general contractors to prequalify their potential clients
and determine if they are reputable people who pay their bills and work to avoid litigation.
Given the sheer number of contractors in the marketplace, it's possible for unscrupulous
homeowners to victimize numerous general contractors in this manner and never get taken to task
for their actions.
Working Together
Hmmm ... Sounds like two sides of the same coin. How do you avoid these problems, whether you
are an unsuspecting homeowner or a reputable contractor?
I suggest treating any relationship between the homeowner and contractor as a relationship
between professionals. Why shouldn't the homeowner pay for the preconstruction services of a
general contractor in the same way that the homeowner pays for the preconstruction services of
an architect?
Treating the preconstruction services of a project similarly to those performed during the
actual construction phase gives both the homeowner and the contractor an opportunity to work
with one another before construction is begun. It provides an opportunity for both parties
to find out the following valuable information:
- Can they work with the individual on a personal and professional basis? Are the
contractor's or homeowner's personal or professional habits such that you could never work with
that person under any circumstance?
- What is the quality of written and verbal communications from this person? Are the
homeowner's or contractor's verbal communications confusing and contradictory? Are written
communications incomplete and sloppy?
- Does the person do what he or she promises? Did the contractor get the bid to you
when promised and with the information requested? Is this homeowner going to work with the
general contractor, or only interested plagiarizing the contractor's best ideas for use by
another contractor? If this homeowner chooses not to work with the general contractor, will he
or she pay for the preconstruction services as promised?
From the homeowner's perspective, here's a chance to try out the contractor before the
contractor ever sets foot inside the home to do work. If John and Susie Homeowner don't like
what they see before construction begins, it's a good bet they won't like the contractor any
better once the work has actually begun.
From the contractor's perspective, if the homeowner is confused, contradictory, argumentative,
or refuses to pay the bill for the preconstruction services rendered, it's a good bet the
homeowner will only be more contradictory, confused, argumentative, and a deadbeat once the
construction work begins.
Profile:
Bill Alexander * As a principal in Edifice Construction in Seattle, Bill Alexander has worked on major residential and commercial projects, as well as tenant improvements. He directs Edifice's sales and marketing efforts and is often responsible
for ongoing client communication. With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Bill is highly
qualified to manage all phases of a construction project. Having first gained valuable
perspective as a carpenter and project superintendent, he has hands-on experience with
construction means and methodology.
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