Expert Advice: Every Woman Loves a Contractor - Remodelista
Photography by Liesa Johannssen for Remodelista. Every woman (and man) should love their contractor. Because the contractor is like the glue of a project. There are contractors who will lowball a bid in order to get the job and then bury the client with change orders–a change to the original scope of work on the contract–that can be costly. Erio Brown reviews plans on site. The bottom line is the client needs work done on their home or business, and they have a limited budget. A Sonoma house in progress designed by architect Robert Baumann; Brown is working on the project as subcontractor to Jon Curry of Landers Curry. This helps put the client at ease because we’re meeting on their turf, and, of course, it’s necessary in order for me to get a real sense of the project. Brown mocks up a stair banister design to show the Sonoma client. RM: Do you work with your clients on site?EB: This should be a real partnership and there should never be a problem with the homeowner coming by the job at any time. Brown measures the size of a deck on a blueprint. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes between the contractor and the architect, so I work to have a good relationship with the architect. A custom bathroom vanity raised in place at floor level and ready for the tiles to be placed underneath. Sometimes they want to see the house framed and the drywall installed before they decide on what materials to select, but a lot of decisions need to happen early in the process. A window trim mockup, which will enable the client to decide the width of the trim and review the wood that will be used on the interior walls. I spent many years working as a builder on feature films and TV, so I really like it when a client wants to try something ambitious or creative. In the Sonoma master bedroom under construction, the placement and size of the bed has already been determined so that outlets can be installed in the right spots on either side of the bed. I just had to turn down a very interesting new house because the client and architect wanted to use a new building technique that I’m not familiar with, and I didn’t feel I could get the project done on time and in budget. A crew member at work on the galvanized metal roof. It does slow down the project a little bit, because there can be a delay in decision making. Brown discusses building details with Jon Curry; the two often collaborate. It can be tempting for a homeowner to hire an unlicensed builder because it might save some money, but hiring a licensed contractor really protects you as a homeowner.