Inexperienced General Contractor
Classic Example
John Doe wants to head up his home building project to save money. First thing on his order of business is to submit drawings to the building department. After he submits them and later checks for approval, he finds out that his drawings are insufficient. The township or city requires additional drawings and method details, such as cross-sections to specify the home’s construction, insulation, flooring and roofing details. John is also required to submit wiring plans, heat and air-conditioning layouts and calculations, as well as drawing details and calculations for a garage and porch for his house. Other additional permits and documents that are needed include a plot plan, foundation certification, soil-bearing tests, septic, well, and soil erosion permits, soil erosion control measures, and grade elevations. Sadly, more time and money was spent than John anticipated just for the paperwork and he has not started the actual building of his house yet.
Finally, after all the required permits and paperwork is complete and approved, he is now ready to start the process of obtaining job quotes from numerous subcontractors to perform the work. He has received referrals from family and friends for some companies, but for the others that are unfamiliar to him, there is no way he can check their work history. After he spends weeks completing the process of calling and meeting with these companies, he realizes that the process is more than shopping for a fair price. He must also consider if the subcontractors are capable of the quality he expects, if they can perform the entire scope of the work, and if they are available to complete the work on his schedule. John also learns there are legal contacts to sign that should include all the job details and expectations to reduce risk and adhere to agreed time frames. He must also schedule payments plans with each subcontractor.
After the bidding process is complete for his project, he is now he is ready dig the basement. As John schedules the foundation work, he realizes that there are several tasks that the subcontractors do not perform and finds that he must either perform them himself or hire someone else. The foundation subcontractor does not install the inside perimeter tile, pea stone, sump crock or wall insulation, all of which the building inspector tells he must be done to pass inspection. The metal support columns, sill plates, anchors and stairs to the basement are also not included by the foundation contractor, but he is required to have them installed. Because John did not know this information, he must figure out how to complete all the tasks, add them to the budget, and schedule them in time to keep his project on track.
The house has not been delivered yet and unfortunately, John now understands that getting a permit and putting in a foundation is a lot more complicated and expensive than the dealer told him. Soon all the money he thought he was saving is gone, his frustration level is high, and he is spending a lot of valuable time trying to get through the process. The biggest challenge for an inexperienced general contractor like John is that he doesn’t know what to expect and there can be a very expensive learning curve.
Do not let this example become your reality. Oasis Homes has years of experience and has been in the home building business since 1994. We are a modular home retailer and a licensed builder. An experienced general contractor handles all of our projects. Most importantly, we care about the quality of your home and take pride in our work. As your licensed home builder, we are held responsible for everything and offer a one-year warranty. If there are any concerns, we have a service department that will make any necessary corrections or changes. We hope you will find out why so many of our customers are happy homeowners who recommend us.
