Don't Remodel (or Build) Until You Read this First! A GC Insider's Story!

I'm driving the Deegan on my way into Manhattan when I see a fire engine red Ford F150 pulling right up on my rear end. Dude is so close that I can see his tight face in the rearview. He's wearing sunglasses. You know, those super cool wrap-arounds all the bikers and joggers wear in the summertime. Black hair shaved close to the scalp, three or four day growth covering sunken cheeks, lit cig in the mouth forming a blue cloud between him and the windshield. Which maybe explains why he's so far up my behind that if I tap the brake pedal on my Jeep, I'm gonna be wearing his front bumper for a headpiece.

By the time he pulls out into the fast lane and begins to pass me by, I'm already cocking the middle digit on my free hand, preparing to toss him a sign of my appreciation.

But that's when something catches my eye.

Painted to the side panel of the rusted and dented Ford are the words: Marini Remodeling and Construction: Free Estimates!

The guy's phone number is also painted to the door. But then he's going too fast for the number to register. But what does hit home are the two key words: FREE ESTIMATES.

As he picks up speed, the site of a crooked and dented, obviously used hollow metal doorframe bouncing around inside the pickup bed, I'm thinking, The nerve of him, advertising Free Estimates. Might as well offer up Free Air to Breathe.

But that's when something else hit me.

Because maybe I'm asking the wrong question altogether. Maybe what I should be asking is this: Who's stupid enough to pay for an estimate?

I've been working on and off in the construction business for more than three quarters of my 42 years. Never once have I offered anyone a Free Estimate, much less advertised such an animal on any one of my trucks.

Why?

Because no such animal exists.

Rather, there should be no animal.

But then is it possible that some people are actually willing to allow someone like the speeding, cigarette smoking, unshaven Mr. Marini into their home or Manhattan apartment under the pretense: "Oh Boy, he's not going to charge me for an estimate."

I wonder what it would be like if a surgeon advertised his or her services in the newspaper or in the yellow pages along with the words, "Free Estimates." What if a lawyer did this? Or a dentist? Would this strike a chord with you? Would you find yourself saying, "I'm going to entrust Dr. Whiplash to remove my appendix. He offers free estimates."

Fact is, no certified contractor worth his or her union stamps should ever be charging you a penny for the privilege of entering into your home to review and price up your project. If it costs you just to have someone look at your construction repair or remodeling idea, then chances are, you are already in the process of being had.

So then, just how do you go about distinguishing a reputable contractor from a quack?

Start with the most basic of observations.

Take special notice of how he's dressed.

Does he look like he's just rolled out of some ditch or all night juke joint? Like tail-gating Mr. "Free Estimate" Marini, is he unshaven, a cig dangling from his lips? Is his truck so banged up that it's held together by both habit and duct tape?

If the answer to any of these questions is a resounding yes, don't be afraid to kindly shut the door to your castle in his face.

Instead, look for a contractor who is reasonably well groomed for someone who uses both brains and brawn all day. Look for truck, van or SUV that's maintained in reasonably good condition. Make certain that the doors of said vehicle advertise only the contractor's business name, phone and fax numbers, and maybe a web address. If you the words "Free Estimates" are no where to be found, then by all means let him through the door.

But we're not done yet. Now that said contractor has made it this far inside your crib, it's time to hit him up with the real test.

Is said contractor taking careful notes while examining the work place? And by that I mean, is he using an actual pencil and notebook to record his observations? Has he shaken your hand, made an initial attempt at establishing your trust? Is he fully insured? Does he have a card? Is he asking the right questions? The first of which should be: Do you have an architect on board?

If the contractor who now stands inside your home-sweet-home slyly suggests doing the remodeling job in question without the professional direction of a licensed architect, kindly show him out. Even if he tries to convince you that you'll save a load of money by skipping the architect; even if he tells you he can draw something up on his own and have his uncle Stan stamp it for the Building Inspector, be very weary. Maybe this is a contractor who isn't charging for his initial estimate, but he's already screaming Rip Off!

Okay, now that you know what to look for in a trustworthy contractor there's something else you need to be aware of.

Don't just get the advice of one contractor.

Remember, your home and its health should be almost as important to you as your own health. It's your largest investment. By engaging in a major renovation or remodeling project with borrowed or saved dough, you're about to increase that investment. Once the money is gone you'd better have something "healthy' to show for it.

If you were about to undergo a heart transplant, you wouldn't go with Dr. Whiplash just because he's got nice friendly face, or because he's a New York Football Giants fan, or because he prefers American Idol to Survivor Borneo. You would choose him because you did the research; because his fine reputation precedes him.

That said, you should inquire not with the services of one firm, but those of at least three construction/remodeling firms. Interview them about past jobs including how many they've completed on time and within budget and have they got the paperwork and/or references to back their claims up. Having received the necessary references, run a Google search on the contractor's name and firm. Run a credit check if you can. Make sure that once you hand over a check to him, he's going to be responsible enough to pay his material suppliers and subcontractors on time (As the construction client, you are ultimately responsible for satisfying all expenses). Go through his project estimate word for word along with your Architect and Interior Designer if you've have one on board. Dissect the proposal item for item. Only when everyone is secure in the knowledge that the estimate is as comprehensive as it is professionally presented, can you think about signing a contract.

But wait one second, before you put pen to the dotted line; before your place initials to any payment drawdown schedule, take a good look at the price. Because after all, the bottom line is the bottom line, right? The price is gotta be right or Mr. Marini can take a long walk off a short scaffolding, free estimate or no free estimate. Okay, I know what you're thinking: Maybe Mr. Marini is a little rough around the edges, but hell, he's offered me the lowest of the three estimates…

…Or what is better known in the business as, the "Low Bid."

Stop right there.

Don't listen to those voices in your head: you know, the ones saying, Oh Man with this price I can afford to add a hot tub, or With this low bid I can afford that trip to Cancun in February. Before the greedy devils in your head start singing their magic tune, take a step back and re-evaluate the price and everything that goes with it. Is it really a bargain Mr. Marini is offering? Has he included everything the architect has called for? Is he going to properly man the job? Is he going to complete it according to design? According to code? Is he going to use the called for materials and furnishings? Is he going to maintain a clean work environment since you might be living in the home or apartment while construction commences? Is he going to communicate with you or will you never be able to get him on the phone?

Before you accept that low bid just because it's a low bid, think again…

Think about the big picture, the entire bid package as well as the contractor himself. Okay, maybe it didn't matter to you how grungy he was when he pulled up to your door; maybe it didn't matter to you that his truck was in such disrepair it looked like it was about to spontaneously fall apart in your driveway. Listen, maybe it didn't matter to you that you smelled a hint of liquor on his breath.

He initially caught your fancy because he offered you a Free Estimate. Now he's got his hooks in you because he came up with the low bid. But does a free estimate and low bid automatically mean he's going to give you what you want? Is he going to take loving care of your most precious possession? Or is he going to cash that first down payment then make your life and the life of your sig other a living hell?

Let's consider the story of…well, let's call him, Ralph.

Not long ago Ralph laid out a couple hundred grand for a century old farmhouse in rural Copake, New York to use as a weekend getaway from Manhattan. With the place badly in need of repair and renovation, he hired a local contractor not on the basis of professionalism, but on the basis of the "Free Estimate" and what's worse, the dreaded "Low Bid."

Since Ralph worked in the city as a literary agent, he could not possibly be on-site to monitor the work's progress. He could only check it out on weekends. Granted, after paying said contractor a third up front, the initial work went okay. After all, the initial work usually involves demolition of one kind or another. And who in the world isn't good at destroying things?

But once the demo was completed, things began to rapidly slide downhill.

Case and point, on several consecutive weekends, Ralph noticed that not only had little or no construction been accomplished, but that something wasn't quite right with the home in general. What caught his attention first off, was the liquor cabinet. The door had been fudged open and then, not shut all the way, as if the person opening and closing it were, well, too drunk to notice. Upon further inspection of the cabinet, Ralph couldn't help but notice that the bottle of Absolut was nearly absolutely dry and that the once golden rich Goldschlager appeared slightly watered down.

Ralph took a step back and thought about it.

The only person besides his wife entrusted with a key to the place was the contractor. Since his pregnant wife didn't touch the stuff, it was a good bet that the contractor was wetting his whistle with the client's booze.

It gets worse.

Because after Ralph made his way upstairs to the master bedroom, he couldn't help but notice that Papa and Mama Bear's bed had been slept in. Maybe the comforter wasn't on the floor but there was no doubt about it, it had been carelessly (drunkenly?) tossed back in place—probably after said Free Estimate/Low Bid contractor forgot all disposing a torn-open condom packing!

So where did the low bid get Ralph?

It not only got him little or no construction work for his money, it landed him some quack contractor who was using the weekend getaway as a bordello. And quack had his own personal key to the place!

In the end, Ralph had no choice but to fire the contractor, tell him to shove the free estimates and low balled price up his pie hole, then call in the locksmiths to change the locks.

Still not convinced that going with the low bid might invite serious trouble?

Then take the case of Rob and Liza.

Not only were they offered a—you guessed it—free estimate for the kitchen remodeling work they had in mind, but the same contractor offered them a low bid (they solicited only two contractors). The low-bid contractor promised a beautiful new kitchen well before Thanksgiving. Not knowing the first thing about construction, the happy couple had no choice but to believe him. After all, he seemed like such a nice, knowledgeable man, even if he did smell of must and cigarette smoke. And with the incredible amount of money they were saving on their home equity loan, Ron was able to lease a brand new Mercedes Benz!

The job commenced in August, months before the holiday season. It proceeded smoothly as the contractor pulled out all the existing cabinets; as he pulled out all the existing counters and neatly ("neatly" being the key word here) stacked them in the bed of his truck, then covered them up with a protective tarp. I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing it probably didn't dawn on Liza or Rob that the contractor acted timely and responsibly during the Demo phase of the home project since what he had in mind all along was to use the old cabinets and counters on a another job—a job in which he would charge full price as if he were installing new stuff. So why should Liza and Rob have been surprised when their low bid contractor hardly ever showed up again after ripping apart their kitchen? Even after banking a substantial down payment? Why should they have been surprised when by the time the Thanksgiving holiday approached (along with the out of town in-laws) that their kitchen renovation was not yet completed?

Still not convinced that a low bid is a red flag?

A lawyer living in historic Troy, New York decided that he was going to by-pass a contractor altogether. In fact, he was going to act as his own general contractor! He'd assemble the necessary subcontractors to perform a complete interior and exterior renovation of his historic three-story brick townhouse. Being a frustrated architect and a lush for Architectural Digest not to mention wannabe cable shows like Flip This House and Extreme Engineering, he entrusted himself to draw up his own plans for the job. Using considerable pull, he was able to get them stamped by a reputable architect in exchange for a few drinks and the promise of client references. From there, he was able to obtain a building permit.

Having assembled a band of subcontractors, all of them chosen on the basis of "Free Estimates" and "Low Bids," our lawyer was ready to break ground. In this case, his excavator brought in a backhoe to begin digging a trench for a new French drain that was to be installed around the old building's existing stone foundation walls. While said lawyer looked on from a safe distance, no doubt visions of all that money saved dancing through his brain, the excavator—a chain-smoking seventy-five year old—carefully positioned the steel tooth of his backhoe bucket in the precise place where the grassy earth met the building's foundation wall. He hadn't scooped out his first bucket-load of dirt when the historic townhouse collapsed like a house of cards caught in a windstorm.

There you have it, construction/remodeling lessons learned the hard way, most of them completely avoidable if only people weren't so obsessed with saving money while, at the same time, trying their damndest to burn through it.

So where does this leave you, the would-be construction/remodeling client?

Back to our speeding Mr. "Free Estimates" Marino.

As he passes me by I can't help but take notice of that rusted, dented, pre-used door frame bobbing around in the red Ford's cargo bay. You know, some frame that's no doubt been yanked out of a door opening with a crow bar and framing hammer, which in Marino's mind, can now be used on some unsuspecting sucker's loft renovation on the upper east side.

I know what he's thinking as he rockets his way towards the Tri-Borrow Bridge, as he anxiously fires up another smoke. He's thinking I'm gonna make some money on this job! Sad truth of that matter is that he will make undeserved money. That is, he's able to re-use a significant portion of the materials he's jacked off some demo job in Queens.

Maybe his client on the upper east side is a lawyer or a banker or a better yet a doctor who keeps God awful hours—a doc who's never home; who's tummy-tucked trophy wife is always soaking up rays in the Hamptons or down at the condo in South Beach. Maybe even ole' Dr. Whiplash himself! Because once Mr. Marini pounds that new metal door frame into place, slaps on a little spackle and paint, ole' Doc. Whiplash ain't gonna have a clue. Maybe the doc knows the difference between myocardial infarction and just plain angina, but he don't know diddly about construction remodeling; he don't know a cob job from a snow job. After all, Mr. Marini seemed like such a nice, hardworking guy. Maybe he didn't appear as professional as the other two contractors he interviewed; maybe he wasn't as thorough with his note-taking and with his written proposal. Maybe he needed a good bath! But Marini did offer up a free estimate and the low bid.

So, while Mr. Marini sits back on the terrace of Dr. Whiplash's apartment, a snifter of the Doc's best brandy in hand, perhaps a pair of the wife's silk Victoria Secret undies stuffed in the right hand pocket of his Carhardts (She'll never notice!), take heed gentle would-be construction/remodeling client: do not be fooled by any contractor who offers anything up for free. Do not accept a low bid unless you and your architect are positively floored by the estimate's thoroughness and professionalism. Do not proceed until you have made necessary background checks and personally contacted the references.

On the other hand, don't allow these words to deter you from entering into a remodeling job, even if you have to work for a living and can't always be around to baby sit the contractor. A newly renovated kitchen is something to live for. A newly renovated farmhouse is something you'll relish and enjoy for years to come. A spacious addition to your suburban kitchen and rec room means more space in which to, well, eat and rec. These are worthwhile causes; worthwhile enough to put yourself into further debt.

Don't be afraid. Just be smart. And be willing to do the research.

So now that you've read this, go ahead and open the phone book to the yellow pages. Under the heading "Contractor-General" you'll find hundreds, even thousands of potential builders and remodeling professionals to choose from.

Choose wisely.