Today, more than ever, your money needs to go as far as it can. If your home improvement goals exceed your budget, you can save tens of thousands of dollars by simply assuming the General Contractor role yourself. This might be a daunting concept, if you're not a veteran construction "insider." We'll explore the "insider's" perspective of successful General Contracting and dispel any mysteries about it in a hurry. This is in a practical language that any homeowner can easily understand.
We'll cover exactly how to:
* Size up a project
* Estimate a realistic budget
* Understand exactly how to hire only the best subcontractors
* How to negotiate the best price with those subcontractors
* How to manage them
* How to pay them
* How to keep everything effectively on track
We'll also discuss how to protect your project from going over budget and the critical decisions that need to be made prior to even starting which so many people overlook, to their peril. In the end, you'll be ready to manage your own project, or if you choose, hire the very best General Contractor. You'll have a much more informed perspective of what a good General Contractor does in any successful renovation or new construction project and be able to easily distinguish the competent ones from the rest.
Here is a breakdown of the chapters inside:
Preface
A note from the author
1 Should you trust a General Contractor?
2 What does a competent GC do and why should I think like one?
3 How much do things really cost?
4 I have a project in mind. Where do I start?
5 How do I find the right subcontractors in terms of competence and price?
6 How should I pay the subcontractors?
7 What is the typical chronology of the construction process?
8 How do I estimate the time to do the whole job?
9 How do I check the quality of the work?
10 What are some issues to be aware of when making finish selections?
11 What about appliances?
12 What if I just want to hire a General Contractor? How do I pick the right one and not get taken for a ride?
13 What are some common mistakes to avoid on the road to achieving excellence?
