Friends,

     As you all know, I asked a few friends if they had questions regarding what I do for a living. There were many great responses to my request but  I felt a few really deserved to be answered sooner than others. I thought I would share them with you.

     Here’s a great question from a friend from out of state and asked about General Contractors:

 

“My wife and I were planning on a taking on the task of our own renovation. We own a single story home, built in 1947, in Providence RI. I was talking to my neighbor about a recent bathroom remodel they took on and they said it was easy because their designer handled all of the contractors via a General Contractor. I asked him why they needed a designer if they were going to bring in a General Contractor anyway and he said it’s just how it works. I don’t think it makes sense to hire a designer if I’m going to have to pay a General Contractor anyway. I mean, why would I need to do that? It honestly doesn’t seem like hiring both is justifiable for the costs associated with the project. Aren’t I paying too much already? From what my neighbor told me, a General Contractor only oversees the contractors he brings in. Why can’t I do that? It seems easy enough, right?”

Thanks for your time,

Martin W.

     Well, Martin,

     I can’t tell you how often I hear the words, “I can do that. I don’t need a General Contractor”. I can’t tell you how  often I hear how the DIY enthusiast can do everything for less cost. That may be true but …here’s my question:

 

What Exactly is the Price of Your Sanity?

 

     Renovations, along with any well-designed project, require expertise and that comes through education and experience obtained via working alongside other professionals. It takes organization, know-how and connections to get the the job scheduled and done in a very timely manner. Otherwise, it’ll just drive you crazy.  General Contractors will plan your project schedule – including the gathering of materials to save time before the project begins. All you have to do is go to work, come home and review the progress that’s being made while the General Contractor takes on all the stress associated with the contractors. And believe me, there’s a whole lot of it.

 

Let’s talk Connections.

     There’s a rising trend in clients asking for a designer’s connections. Consumers want the designer resources and the trade’s point-of-contact in order to get the best products for a lower cost. Here’s the deal on that: Professionals get the lower cost because they are the rep selling the product which means less advertising for the company, less interaction with a consumer and less time selling the idea. And designer markup is the designer’s compensation for acting as the agent.

 

Let’s review that: Professionals get the lower cost because they are the rep selling the product which means less advertising for the company, less interaction with a consumer and less time selling the idea. And designer markup is the designer’s compensation for acting as the agent.

 

 

So where do General Contractors come into play?

 

     General Contractors are the men and women that are going to make sure all of your work is done properly because of their expertise. They are the ones that pull all of your materials together prior to starting the project to avoid delays in the  timeline. They are the ones that hire the experts in all areas of construction and line up their time at the job site to make sure it all flows smoothly. They are the ones that warrant the work because they are bonded, licensed and insured, unlike you, the homeowner.

 

Here’s a little-known fact:

Homeowners Insurance does not cover you if you make a mistake, and hiring a General Contractor after you’ve already made said mistake won’t cover you either.

 

     Most homeowners want to chop up services: “I will find someone to move the gas line but we need the General Contractor to test it and  complete the connections. It’ll be $500 less if we do it that way.”

     No. A General Contractor stands behind his crew’s work  and cannot take on the liability of anyone else’s work. If that gas line is faulty, he will now be burdened with it, even though he did not move, install or adjust it. The truth is that if they did, they would have to re-test the line and hope it passes inspection. If not, that’s extra cost for you. The savings are now an additional cost but let’s be honest – testing the line prior to handling it will cost you extra  up-front, too.

 

You Get What You Pay For.

 

     If this isn’t the truth, I’m not sure what is. In my years involved with this industry, things look easy …and that’s because the professionals make it look easy. Let’s be logical: it looks easy because there are years of study and practice behind the  task but it doesn’t make it any less work that is being performed or completed. The difference in pricing is the assurance of quality and service, along with durability. This is across the board – furniture, decor, surface materials – all on the designer’s behalf. Craftsmanship, quality, timeliness, few to no delays in scheduled service and value to the final appearance in the end – all on the General Contractor’s behalf but with the assistance of the designer. Most of us like to work like a team, building lasting relationships with our crew and that makes things run like a well-oiled machine.

 

You Can’t Get an $80K Tesla for $30K.

 

     Contrary to popular belief, you can’t get the premium design at base cost. Why? Because premium is all-inclusive. When you buy the premium package, you expect the premium components, not a melange of things you selected to include and exclude. And here is where your sanity comes in: Not hiring a General Contractor places you in the position of being the General Contractor. I know, I know, it can’t be that hard to find the right people to do the work. And it’s not if you have the professional assistance to guide you through it but the time, margin for error and delays are where the risks are greater. Designers have working relationships with the General Contractors in way that homeowners will never have. Why? Because we know the industry, how it works, how to work on these projects and what we expect from one another throughout the entire process. You can’t get that from a one-time deal made over the weekend. It takes years…

 

Most Designers are not General Contractors. 

 

     Nor are they your trade’s educator. Yes, designers know what to do and how it should be done and how things should look in the end. But it is not their place to teach your hired trade how to do their job nor how to make it look as if a professional General Contractor had been on the site. Most Designers don’t want to take on that liability because it’s time-consuming to do so. Ultimately, your goal was to save money but if your Designer has to step in often, you will be billed for that time. Most Designers don’t know how to do what the General Contractor does because its not their job. Some designers are General Contractors and can do all the work but choose not to. Instead, they design, hand the plan over to another trusted GC and  move on to the next design project. You’ll get the occasional drop-in visits to make sure everything is in line, though. This is something I do.

 

Be Ready to Lose Your Free Time or Vacation Days

 

     If there’s one thing that people don’t often consider is the time it takes to take on a project. When are you planning on getting this done? During the day and throughout the work week? Aren’t you supposed to be working, or do you plan on using up your vacation days? Do you know how many days this will take? Do you have enough time to accommodate that? If not, will it be in the evenings only, for three hours at a time? Or on weekends, two consecutive days at a time? These are things you ought to consider along with the magic question which is ” What is the price of your sanity?”

     Construction has a way of robbing you of it, no matter how experienced you are. This is a fact in the Design and remodeling Industry. The reason anything we do looks easy is because we have learned to internalize and stay focused and most importantly, it’s because this is what we do, every day, every week, every month of the year.

     To answer your question as to whether it’s easy enough, it’s up to you if you want to take on the risks I’ve mentioned. It can be done as long as you keep in mind that you won’t have a professional to run to if you hit a snafu and of those contractors you picked out from another source don’t show up as scheduled, there is no going around the order of things. You will extend your timeline because they weren’t reserved to take care of you. The difference between you and a General Contractor? There is a binding contract between them that ties them to your project’s completion timeline, they have been reserved as they were scheduled, in a specific order to move things along quickly and easily because a General Contractor knows the exact scope of work your project entails. Do you?

     Martin, I hope this puts it all into perspective for you. Being a General Contractor is hard work, so is Design. My best advice is to go with the General Contractor and enjoy your life. It’s so much easier to be worry-free after you get home. It’s especially nice when all you have to do is look in and say, “Looks like we are making progress.” instead of making that 10th trip to the hardware or home improvement store this week. Believe me when I tell you that it’s happened so some people I know. And often. I mean, once you tally up the time, wear and tear on your vehicle, the value of your vacation days or free time to relax, how much did you actually save?