Yesterday, was the ending bid day for the three contractors who are interested in helping me repair this home. One of the contractors who initially contacted me came out. We sat down, and we went row by row, item by item through a 10 page bid! There is a lot of work to be done to this home built in 1943.
It was a bit overwhelming. I kept wishing I could channel Mike somehow and make sense of all the technical details, but Richard was very kind. He also sweetened the deal. He told me, if I chose him, he had just done a big tear down of a luxury kitchen for a client. Said the cabinets and countertops were beautiful and really didn’t need replacing, but the new owners didn’t like them. He would donate all the cabinets and countertops and install them in my kitchen and only charge me for a new sink! Guys, I have 48″ of counterspace in my tiny kitchen. I have cupboards that are so high, that even my 6′ can’t reach them without a step stool. I have low cabinets that I can’t use because the kitchen is so small, the cupboard doors smack into the stove, or additional roll away shelfs that I need for storage! LOL It’s crazy, but I have dealt with it for over 30 years- just as I have dealt with having a water closet instead of a true bathroom.
I am also leaning toward this gentleman and his company because he is just incredibly kind, and patient. Not like some of the contractors who have blown through here. Is his bid high, yes, but this house is a mess. My bedroom is the worst of all the rooms and it leaks horribly. That started right after Mike passed. There is condensation up there right now that is so bad, the joints are sweating and decomposing. It is pretty scary.
I am supposed to see the remaining two bids today and then make a decision on who to go with. I feel so out of my element and I think back on the one contractor who “redid” my bathroom and left it bad enough, that one of these new guys is coming in to turn it into a finished bathroom. All of this going on while by brain is trying to just get through the day. I need a drink! LOL Just kidding! I just need prayers that I make the right decision and find the person who can make this house that is so wrong- right again.
Go with your gut, but make sure you have a written, signed contract that details the work to be done, completion date, and payment schedule. Do not deviate from the payment schedule (usually so much $ after passing rough, electric, plumbing, building inspection, periodic payments and final payment after final inspection is passed) The contract should also state who is removing debris, who pays for permits. Ask for a certificate of insurance. Ask for recent competed work & call them for a recommendation (craftsmanship, timely manner, etc). I may be in NJ, but this is basic stuff I’m sure applies in every state. Best of luck!
Gosh, I’m in a sweat just reading about it! But, Lorraine’s comment seems to cover anything that I could think of. And remember, Mike is at your shoulder, and giving you hugs all day long!
I would also look up reviews of the bidders, online. Here is a good article on working with contractors:
https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/budgeting-contracting/getting-best-work-contractor/
Also, it’s important to check on licensure and also on insurance. Contractors should carry general liability AND worker’s compensation coverage. On the licensure side, if something goes wrong, authorities are more likely to help you if you bother to hire a licensed outfit.
Oregon Construction Contractors Board. They have a list online of those contractors who have had complaints and legal action taken against them. You can also check their licenses, insurance and bond status. The first comment from Lorraine is right on. Contract, spell everything out, payment dates, finish dates, etc. Get job references if possible because not everyone who is unhappy with a contractor will report it.
Thank you all for your comments and concerns. In a sense, I am lucky. This is government funded program, strictly enforced and policed (I guess you could say) You can’t just use any contractor, you have to use one of theirs, or one that they approve. Most of these contractors have worked within the program for ten to twenty years. They are on deadlines they have to meet. The program gives them 90 days to finish all work. No more, no less. The organization is the bank, so no monies are given to me and if the contractor needs to go beyond the scope of work- there is a meeting set up with myself, the coordinator and the contractor to discuss the changes prior to them being implemented or rejected. But I am also doing my due diligence online and locally.
I have talked to several people who have gone through this process and they all tell me the same thing- it gives them peace of mind when it is all over. Their house is livable again and they have less stress and more time to enjoy life.
The program also works in conjunction with two other government organizations- both which I qualify for Rural 504 stipulates that if I borrow from them $1,000. Payable back at $19.00 a month, no penalities no interest they will give me up to $10,000 as a grant. I need to keep special paperwork on the monies going out showing that it is being spent to make my home safe, healthy and livable. I can’t just go out and buy a new car with it. They will also loan individuals up to $20,000 but I don’t want to go there. Mike did not leave me in good financial shape and I have forgiven him for that. He also left great debt behind all in his name (Thank God) but it was scary for me for months after his passing. I had no idea if I could even keep this house.
Another program they work with is in conjunction with the energy companies up here. They come into your home and weatherize it, make it insulated and warm. Even gifting new hot water heaters and furnances if need be. Turns out my water heater is 34 years old! I am able to get a new one. They crawl all over the house, opening cubby holes and secret passages (yes this house does have a secret passage!) They locate all the places the air is getting in and they will close them off. They want me to seal the underside of the house, but I told them I won’t do that. I can’t. I have 9 cats that live under this house and call it home. They have been here for years and I won’t displace them. So they are going to make the floors insulated instead and the only part of the house that won’t be adequately insulated (underneath) will be the back patio where the laundry room is located.
I know the horror stories behind contractors who promise one thing and deliver the other. I have already had this happen to me in my bathroom. They did repair the damage, but they left it unfinished. The contractors coming in how are just amazed that this man did this to me. It’s not like the bathroom is gigantic. We could not even fit Mike’s wheelchair and Mike in the bathroom at the same time. Now there is no door on the bathroom but he did widen the doorway so the wheelchair would fit closer, but ironically, Mike passed away before he could even see what they did. I’m left with a bathroom that is usable but looks like hell.
So, I am grateful for this program, and all the stipulations and rules. I had one contractor who I really liked, tell me that he couldn’t fit the job in because of the time constraints put on it. He was too busy with his guys and there is a lot of work to be done on this house. He didn’t think it possible for him to finish the work in 90 days. I’ve also dismissed one contractor already when he made a comment that he didn’t think he needed to provide an outhouse for his guys they could just use my bathroom! This is a contractor I found (online) He is not with the program and when the coordinator heard my reservations about the guy and some of the things he said- she told me they would never entertain adding him to their list. So it appears, they do stay on top of this program.
All of the advice you’ve been given sounds good. Even though everything is regulated in this programme, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure. But in the end, when making a choice, go with your instinct, as Lorraine wrote. Your instinct has always paid off with the cats in your care; I think it will serve you well in this, too.