I begin this, my first blog, with an entry regarding home remodeling contractor selection and estimates, with a lesson in respect I learned from my son. The following factual recount contains my personal thoughts and opinions.
Sun Coast Remodelers in San Diego cold called us trying to drum up business. We were interested, as we needed to make a functional remodel of a house bathroom for wheelchair accessibility. As usual, we always get three quotes. Their designer/salesperson came, spoke to us, took cursory measurements, and made an appointment for a few days later. He was running late and called to let us know. That was fine and understandable. The difficulty I had with this company is with the quality of the initial quote consultation, the design work, and particulars of representations in the presentation.
The design was sketched in pencil, not detailed, but he did use a straight edge. I was quite surprised that he didn't use a CAD program, which is a basic tool of architectural design. He explained the company works with little overhead. The details did not show plumbing, electrical, windows, venting, and thickness of walls... etc. The sketch, approximately 2"x2", showed a room layout, which although I liked the layout at first blush and it met the general parameters of our requirements, it had some problems. There were no internal measurements to the sketch and the general measurements lacked specificity, so it was difficult to determine how far apart fixtures and appliances were from each other. As I contemplated his sketch, I realized the distance between the washer and dryer, facing each other as I had suggested as a possibility, were quite a bit farther apart than desired. The distance would cause me to take extra steps. He tried to explain that the distance was only an extra six inches on each side. He didn't seem to comprehend that distance was critical. When I would question a feature of his design, he would launch into a defense of how much time he had put into the design and an oral resume of his experience.
He compared Sun Coast Remodelers to Lars Remodeling and Construction, which is a local award winning, highly professional business we had previously used. I had to agree the difference was significant. Lars himself came to check our home and take note of all details, including plumbing, pipes, electrical, vents, foundations, elevation... etc. When the Lars Construction designer came, he had multiple layouts, all in great detail, which he said took him little time and changed details on the spot on his laptop.
The Sun Coast designer/salesman repeatedly told us the company had been in business 4 years and previously operated under another name. When I looked them up on the California Contractors License Board, I discovered they had only been licensed since 11/01/2009 (today is 1/26/2012). He said they had no complaints against them with the Better Business Bureau, and then amended his statement to say only minor complaints, which had been settled. In confirmation, when I checked the BBB, I found 7 complaints, with 5 of them settled. But, do I want to have to go to the BBB to settle a problem? Why didn't the business just take care of the issue? As a comparison, to see if that was usual, I looked up Lars Construction on the BBB website. Lars, listed with the BBB since 1996, has had zero complaints.
The Sun Coast designer/salesman showed us his estimate for the project. Which was a few thousand less than Lars Construction had bid. The Sun Coast man's bid listed the remodel changes to be made. Since, by his own admission, he wasn't a contractor and when questioned about moving pipes and other issues, he said they would have to be made by engineers or the contractor, I couldn't help but wonder how he could give a reliable bid. For comparison, the Lars Construction bid not only included a list of the remodel changes, but all the materials required, (e.g. how many 2x4s, pieces of sheet rock, tiles).
The Sun Coast Remodelers' designer/salesman told us they could start immediately, as they had just finished several large projects. He said they could start demolition immediately. Lars Construction told us it could take two or more weeks to begin, due to waiting for approval of plans and permits.
The Sun Coast Remodelers' designer/salesman gave an explanation of why and how his bosses allocated work time, so he was not allowed to do more design work, prior to having a commitment. I told him we didn't want to sign a contract, yet. He said he wasn't asking for a contract, he was asking for a commitment. Something in the back of my mind told me that making a commitment is the same as an oral contract. (I could be completely wrong on that, because I am not a lawyer.) I asked him how we could make a commitment, if we hadn't even agreed on a design. He said he wasn't there to give a hard sell, he just wanted a commitment and asked if there was anything that would prevent us from going forward. My son, very calmly and respectfully said, "I am sorry, but we have to get one more estimate."
The designer/salesman tried to dissuade us from additional estimates and give him an immediate commitment. In contrast, Lars had encouraged us to get additional estimates.
When the Sun Coast designer/salesman left, he didn't leave a copy of the floor plan or estimates. Lars emailed us all the designs and estimated costs.
I cannot speak to quality of construction by Sun Coast, as we have not used them. We have used Lars in the past and they gave us top notch quality and service after the fact.
Please note, I am not associated with either Sun Coast or Lars, except as a consumer.
My two cents for other people who are contemplating remodeling is:
1. Get bids from three licensed contractors.
2. Check their license with your state's contractor's license board.
3. Check the business with the Better Business Bureau.
4. Verify statements from salesmen. If they are not accurate in statements, how accurate will the build be?
5. Get references and contact them. It's best to go in person to see the work.
The lesson I learned was, when I am being pressured to sign a contract, to say, with kindness and respect, "I am sorry, but I need another estimate." For me, I need to practice it as much as when a child is repeatedly told to say "please" and "thank you."
#BathroomRemodeling #ComparingContractors
#BathroomRemodeling #ComparingContractors
