What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
We generally provide a lump sum price for any job, which includes labor and materials. Change orders are addressed separately, but agreen upon beforehand. No hidden fees.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
During our initial contact, we like to set up an appointment to do a walkthrough of your property to get the most amount of information about the job. It allows us to provide you with the best price since there aren’t any unknown factors which are hard to identify without seeing the job. After that, we would email you a detailed proposal and scope of work of the job. If there are any hesitations about the bid, we are willing to negotiate or match any reasonable competitor bids as a way to earn your business.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Management from Oregon State University with a Minor in Business Administration.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
As a child, I grew up around construction and remodeling projects since my family was involved in the trade or had several projects of their own. When I got older, I had summer jobs at local residential painting companies where I learned more skills to the trade. While I attended college pursuing my degree in Construction Engineering Management, I landed an internship at a large painting company as a branch manager, which reinforced my desire to own a business and stay in the construction field. While my initial skillset was limited to painting, hence why I started out as a painting business, I was exposed to opportunities to learn and work with people in other trades which lead me to become a general contractor.
What types of customers have you worked with?
- Homeowners
- Property managers
- Building owners
- Real Estate agents
- Business owners
- Investors
- Other contractors
Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
We worked on a project where the clients wanted to stain their cabinets, banisters, and railings to a different tone. While it took some effort figuring out how to ensure that it matches with some of the existing woodwork, we were able to get it looking good after sanding all the surfaces down properly, staining them, glazing them to give it a darker tone, and finally spraying clear coating to give it a proper protection and a nice finish. The overall project was about a week and before and after pictures are posted below.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
- Make sure the contractors knows what they are doing. Especially for a delicate jobs like cabinet refinishing, it is important to have the contractor give you a detailed procedure to get the job done, the types of materials they use, and a potential timeline for each phase. There are many licensed contractors, but not everyone has the same skillset or expertise, or level of integrity.
- Compare the bids, but don’t always go for the lowest bid. Be sure to compare the scope of work, materials used, approaches to specific projects as the lowest price may present more headaches.
- Make sure the general contractor is licensed and bonded, and you have a contract prior to starting a job.
- You know you hired a good contractor if they are not only licensed, experienced, but have integrity, keep an open line of communication, and are willing to resolve any issues. It’s not just our career, but our reputation that’s on the line if we screw other people over.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
- Overall scope of work.
- When or how soon you would like to get the job done.
- Are there any future projects coming up or any options you might consider adding into the project? (Incase the sequence of the projects need to be changed, or its something we can give you a bid for).
- Are there any situations they would like to avoid when dealing with a contractor. (Making sure the job doesn’t drag out, keeping an open line of communication, etc).