This the first in a series of Blogs is authored by Martin A Untch Jr, and
reflects his views and opinions that have developed over 43 years of direct
experience and involvement in the construction industry.
I personally have never liked the term “ Contractor “ …I
much prefer being referred to as a
“Builder”…maybe I should explain that….
A Contractor by definition is “one who contracts the
services of others to construct buildings “…..a Builder by definition is “a
construction worker or one who builds “.
Granted, in the detailed construction of a building there
are many specialty trades involved that need to be contracted out, however, I
think the best possible scenario would be a Contractor with a Builder
background and skilled in some of the major trades required in construction. A
Contractor with a Builder background can see the project from all sides and
angles, and is best suited to oversee and supervise the construction process,
and provide a close personal relationship with his clients.
This quality of Contractor/Builder is most generally found
in the “Custom Home” market. A custom home is a one of a kind, never built
before, and specifically designed to meet the individual desires of the client
“ Owner “ .
A custom home demands a tremendous skill set from the
Contractor/Builder. This would involve that the Contractor/Builder personally
perform the following:
- The initial preliminary design of the structure desired
- Perform ALL material take off lists for the project
- Provide accurate labor estimates for the project
- Meet with the mechanical sub trades to review the operating systems of the home and determine the specifications for such trades
- Work closely with the Energy Calc Engineer to be sure the structure has the very best energy efficient design and products available
- Work closely with the design professionals in the window & door business to be sure product size and specifications are met
- Work closely with the project Engineer of record to assist in design/engineering for the project
By performing all of the above,
the Builder is literally constructing the building on paper. He is also
becoming very familiar with the overall project and plan, and can easily locate
any design flaws or areas of difficulty that may arise. If modifications or
changes should be made to design, these details can be caught way ahead of time
and corrected early on.
A Contractor that is not a Builder
must rely on outside sources for the initial design. Then send the plans out to the various
material suppliers and trades for pricing. The Contractor using this method of
cost/budget procedure is completely reliant upon others for accuracy and
quality of product. To be successful you must have complete control of the
project from the initial planning phase to the final completion….I have never
been comfortable with giving up that control during the planning stage. This
process of job costing is risky, as the prices that come in are noted as “estimates
“with no guarantees of accuracy or responsibility of specification. Errors and
omissions in these estimates fall directly upon the Contractor to absorb, which
essentially will fall back upon the Owner/Client.
The above is contrast to the world
of production construction. The Production Contractor does not have to be a
Builder. Production Contractors have basic building plans that are reproduced
over and over. Once they have stumbled through the first plan project and
corrected any flaws found, it is simple to reproduce that home. All a
production Contractor really has to do is revise his costs for inflationary
conditions and have his sales team market and sell the product. Production
Contractors spend most of their time searching for “lowest bid “and cheaper
products to implement for cost reduction. Due to the highly competitive
atmosphere for this type of construction, having a lower price takes precedence
to improving quality of construction. The Principals of the production building
category are mostly corporate types and most likely do not have any tools of
their own. They are professional businessmen, not professional Builders.
Both types of Contractors are
necessary for our marketplace here in southwest Florida. There is a large
demand market for developed communities and the need to mass produce residential
dwellings in which the production builders can quickly provide.
In my view however, there is no
crossing of the line between a production Contractor and a Building Contractor
of custom homes.
Hopefully this information will
assist you in determining which type of Contractor is best suited for the type
of home you wish to pursue. Once that decision is made we may suggest you then
investigate the potential Contractor/s of choice by checking:
- How many years have they been in business…if they were around long before the market crash of 2007, and are still around today, that in itself says a lot…
- Is/Are the Principals of the company you are planning to deal with the actual Qualifier for the License?...this can determined through the State Licensing Division website at www.myfloridalicense.com
- Ask for references of past work performed….and call those references
- View some of the projects completed and currently under construction
- Ask about their energy efficiency plan of construction
- Ask who you will be dealing with during the construction process as the project supervisor or direct contact person. This commitment could last between 8-12 months and you should be very comfortable with that person
- Be sure the Contractor is credit-worthy. Don’t be shy about searching the County Clerk of Courts records for the company and the principals individually. You can also view while on www.myfloridalicense.com if any complaints were ever filed on the licensee
- Ask about their process of obtaining Lien Waivers for the project to protect your interests….especially when suppliers send out a “ Notice to Owner “ statement making you aware they are providing materials on your project….this is common these days and nothing to be alarmed about as long as you have a paper trail of properly executed Lien Waivers
We wish you well with
your future construction projects……we are always available to assist you as
well…
Marty Untch
CBC1254369 Fl Lic
2197 Randolph Dr
Fort Myers , Fl 33905
Tel 239-690-9874
Fax 866-440-1180
Email mau@raex.com
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