Ask a General Contractor (me) anything!
Contractor · Henderson, TX · Member since 2017 · 34 posts · 37 votes
I am here to network and learn. I want to help however I can. I am a General contractor. Please feel free to ask anything about a project you have or are considering.
Do you own a house?
- Can you talk about the hardest project you've ever done?
- What jobs don't you take? And what jobs do you like the most? (I'm asking this because your answer may help investors with their buying strategy)
- What trends do you see right now with what you're working on?
- What are the biggest mistakes you've seen a client make with a fix and flip?
Thanks for responding to my thread guys, it's nice to meet you! Residential remodeling is my passion and I love helping people even if I am not doing the work. There are a few factors that can make a project get the title "hardest project". The thing that usually makes a project hard is the customer. That is why I am making the push to move into investing. It gets the customer out of my hair during construction. When I say customer that could be homeowners, banks, FEMA or inspectors. They can really be fickle and hard to please. Although, I have zero unsatisfied customers to date. The most challenging job I've ever been on?...IDK. I've painted oil Derricks, built roads, built houses, remodeled houses, commercial painting, custom showers, foundation repair, truss repair, Roofing, excavation, it's all a good time to me. I love my work. I don't take jobs when customer only wants low bid, I have a standard of work, and I will go out of business before I do bad work. I like jobs that have the largest before and after differences. I restored a home that sat under 4 feet of water for 2 weeks. The customer was pretty disheartened. It turned out amazing, and I was able to get him a few free upgrades that he loved! What trends do I see? Remove acoustic, paint walls light tans, use composite wood floors. Kitchens and baths are what sell a home so don't skimp there. The biggest mistake I see when people fix and flip is that they fix the home how they want it rather than putting what is popular. People need to be able to picture their tastes, not see yours. Staying in first time homebuyer territory is smart for the quick sale. There are a lot of government programs to help people to get into $100k homes. Also getting cheap contractors or trying to be their own general contractor. I am always ahead of time and under budget...always. I think a team of good investors and a good contractor would be unstoppable in this business.
I am in closing on a house right now for a fix and flip. I don’t like the fix and flip phraseology...how about rehab and resale?! There are a lot of variables on a raw property. I live on 12 acres that was completely untouched by Man before I bought it. It is on a creek and HEAVILY wooded. The more details you can give me the more I can help, but consider a couple of these decisions. Can the timber be sold? Can the top aggregate be sold. Can the top aggregate be used for your road? Is there private water or do you have to dig a well? Is the water on your side of the road or do you have to bore? Can you use a standard dirt road for construction or will you need topper...and how much topper? WHAT IS THE DIRT LIKE!!! Excavation is very costly!!! Is there sewer? Is it on your side of the road? If not can you go linear septic or do you need aerobic? Check the dirt! What’s the water pressure? How far are your water lines running? What size water lines do you need. Will you be installing your own water lines? Are you going above or below ground with electric? How far will the electric Co. Run for free? Are there building restrictions? Is it 18 wheeler accessible for deliveries? As far as solar goes, I’ve installed quite a bit of solar. I’d say for personal use go for it, but for resale use skip it. There’s a lot that goes into solar and power storage unless you just want to sell your leftovers to the electric company. Give me some details and I’ll try and help.
I am here to network and learn. I want to help however I can. I am a General contractor. Please feel free to ask anything about a project you have or are considering.
Hey Dalton, we should meet up some day for coffee or tea ( I dont do coffee much). I was a GC for 25 years both in residential remodeling as well as commercial. I gravitated into remodeling because it was the only thing to do here in Texas that I could compete in given that I was one of the few that carried insurance and WC. I was interviewed by Builder Magazine years ago explaining the reasons.
http://www.builderonline.com/money/caught-in-the-c...
Maybe there is a way to help each other out in the future and maybe not. I would like to meet a fellow tradesman though.
- Can you talk about the hardest project you've ever done?
- What jobs don't you take? And what jobs do you like the most? (I'm asking this because your answer may help investors with their buying strategy)
- What trends do you see right now with what you're working on?
- What are the biggest mistakes you've seen a client make with a fix and flip?
- The hardest was the last one actually. It was 1.5 million tear out and remodel in 110 days. Tearing out plaster and replacing with African Mahogany. I had all the MEP's as well as the millwork guys and painter all at the same time just in different areas. It was a logistic nightmare. Like Dalton says the hardest thing is often the customer. They think they know what they want but once its done they dont like it.
- The ones that think you can do a whole house remodel for 10-15K. They see it done on HGTV all the time and wonder why you (we) arent good enough to do the same. They usually end up with a hack and are not satisfied with the final project.
- Lots of grey tones. Dark stain. But to be fair Texas is usually far behind the fashion trends. We only got sunlight piped here twenty years ago.
- Not taking into consideration the foundation issues. Add another 6-10k to that remodel. Even on pier and beam here. We are a humid climate and rot is also a factor.
@Dalton Smith, thanks for offering to help folks. I have a question that might be too simple. I have a remodel, built in late 1950s that has cement board with holes in it then plaster over top of that. I have only seen lathe and plaster before. How do I repair cracks and places where the plaster has powdered and loosened? Also if I replace part of a wall with sheetrock when I meet the ceiling the plaster has chicken wire in it. How do I join them? Just use a lot of mud and taper it as best I can? Thanks again.
why do general contractors suck so bad? not saying you do. just hard to find good honest contractors
"The thing that usually makes a project hard is the customer."
Every contractor knows this is the gospel truth. I've wanted to say, "I can do anything.... if you get out of the way."
Dalton,
you may be a busy guy on this site with that offer. I've been in the residential remodel business for 31 years, also have built new homes and some commercial work and from what i have read so far it seems like you have done quite a bit. I started in Real Estate investing in 2013 when my daughter went to college ( first investment was student rental), i still own that house and several others in the town, not all student rentals. i look at this as my retirement in the near future and my kids inheritance should i ever pass. As you have stated, you will answer any questions anyone has to ask about construction, do not be afraid to ask questions on these forums, you can learn a lot here on BP by asking and talking to other investors, i wish you the best of luck.
I have a question.......
Are stairs in a unit usually load baring? More specifically, if I MOVE the stairs (we are talking about a 9-12 step straight up stair case), do I need to reinforce any walls?
Of course, I assume your answer will be in general terms. I am more looking for in your expierence are stairs tied to load baring walls, so that if moved would impact that?
@Dalton Smith, Closing on new deal in about a week's time, Denver Metro Area. I made some mistakes in the past with overspending on my remodeling efforts, what would you suggest as a fair cost for remodeling (duplex property), at first was going to do window replacement but had to quickly rethink that as I do not want to fall back into doing too much too soon with little to no ROI. What would be a good amount to set aside for remodeling and what would be something to focus on as far as remodeling priorities as well as cheap or affordable is a better word substitutes for the more high-end stuff. Granite countertops, stainless steel, are these really necessary or does it depend on the area. Class B property.
What is the best way that me as a potential customer can prepare as much as possible to get the most accurate estimate from a general contractor before talking to any of them?
Great thread. I want to become more handy so I can fix important items. What would be the cheapest way to learn how be handy if you dont have time to work in the construction field?
Are there certain red flags I should look for to test if a GC doesnt know what they are doing or will run off with my cash?
Dalton, thanks for the vote, as far as @Jerry W. question, the boards are not cement board, they are drywall boards with holes in it, ran into these a few times. the boards you talk about Jerry are what was used when they tried to make plastering earlier ( they were the first drywall ) these products were sold in strips, not sheets, but they still had to be plastered just like with wood lathe. the purpose of the board was to cut down on the time it took to install the wood lathe. The holes in the boards were there to hold the plaster (because they did not have spackle yet and still had to plaster), just like the wood lathe would. you can repair the cracks just like you would in drywall, i would recommend cleaning out all loose plaster, using a mesh tape and for the first coat some 45 minute easy sand, this product will dry fast and ready for you to put another coat of it or spackle on it, but you may want to solve why you got the cracks in the first place before repairing, usually something needs re supporting. the wire mesh you talk of in the corners can be cut with a sawzall or you can use a drywall hammer and chop it out at the corner ( if your aim is good ) this can be removed and easily patched then with the drywall, just make sure to wear gloves and safety glasses when doing so.
Thanks so much for doing this! Question regarding payment schedule. Let’s just assume both parties are new to each other. From your perspective, are you willing to be compensated for finished work? Or do you require payment all upfront for each phase of work? Or maybe half up front and half upon completion? I am only talking about in phases, which again is just an assumption that’s how you work on a bigger rehab. I understand the tension of customers not wanting to constantly give everything up front for fear of the contractor having no incentive to work quickly, and even worse the possibility of them running off with the cash...but in the same breath the contractor wants to be certain that the customer is in fact going to pay, and pay in a timely manner. Curious your thoughts!