All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

If the property is in Texas, you are in a far more favorable area to benefit from solar than folks up my way.  @JD Martin's comments are great.  Other things to consider:

- Will the panels be fixed, semi-fixed or will they track with the sun automatically?

- Cost to remove and replace panels next time the roof needs to be replaced.

- Given the time of year, many CPAs might be up to their eyeballs right now, but just in case... @Brandon Hall...

@Loren Thomas?

Reach out to @Brandon Hall.

@Al Philips, the state in which the property is located is likely to govern the minimum contract requirements.  As well, the type of property and project may come into play (i.e., residential vs. commercial property; improvement vs. new construction).  

I see that you are just down the road from me in VA, but I was unable to access Virginia's website this morning... perhaps their site is down at the moment? But here in Maryland, there are very specific requirements that must be included in residential home improvement contracts (for a summary overview, see http://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/mhic/mhiccontr...).

Commercial projects often utilize AIA agreements and new home projects, may differ too.

@Grant Boynton, numbers aside, while you've indicated the land is zoned multi-family, what is the density of that zoning? Does is provide for four units per acre? Is there a requirement for MFU to utilize public water and sewer and does said land have access to these? Access to each lot should be considered... is there road frontage for each and if not, then you may have to explore creating an easement(s).

You can certainly get feedback here on BP, however, you may well be best served consulting with a local real estate attorney well versed in zoning matters in your area along with surveying/engineering folks.

Good luck!

@Luc Boiron - Pre-bid meetings like this are fantastic and we never hesitated to participate!  We were happy to know who are competition was.  Of course, it was expected that participants were vetted and pre-qualified. Plucking random folks from the internet, or the like, only invites disaster.

Construction doesn't really have trade secrets and so sharing openly was of no concern to us.

Since communication is such a large contributor to the success or failure of a project, pre-bid meetings allows everyone access to identical information at a singular time.  Properly done, minutes should be taken and distributed to all within 24 hours of the meeting.

That said, set a time (just one), stick to it and proceed.  Just send late comers away... they DQ'd themselves (barring extenuating circumstances or communication otherwise).  Equally, all questions by bidders received during the bidding period should be submitted in the form of RFI (Request for Information) and formally responded to and distributed to all bidders.  The better your plans, specifications and scope of work is, the better.

From a business standpoint, we shy away from owner supplied items. Too many variables that can cause problems (e.g., damage, warranty) and is poor business (when was the last time you brought your own beef to a restaurant for the chef to cook?).  Be specific about what you want and have the contractor provide it.  If you don't know exactly what you want, then set an allowance that you're willing to pay for that item.

40 - bah, that's nothing - you're just hitting prime time! Happy Birthday!

As @Cave Johnson mentioned, an agreed upon cost-plus for extras is viable and oft implemented especially in commercial work.

Regarding pointing out problems or work needed... if you're not qualified to be walking the project yourself on a regular basis, hire someone who is (e.g., owner's rep).  Regular dialogue with workers on site, building rapport, and asking lots of questions may keep one better in tune with things.

You can also require daily reports from all trades and a contractual requirement to report known problems immediately.

In both cases, be prepared to pay for these things and neither will guarantee success.

And if not doing so already, make sure budgets include appropriate contingencies.

If you're hiring blindly (i.e., no prior relationship), I suggest hiring contractors with a brick and mortar storefront or office that has staff of employees (field and office), that has been around for awhile and are, of course, properly licensed and insured.  I hear horror stories like this all the time and without fail, the culprits are usually owner/operator types.  In short, if you don't know the person already and have built a rapport and trust factor with them hire a company of persons, not just a company of one.

You may want to contact the plumber's insurance and/or bonding company and make a claim (assuming they had coverage) and I'd also contact the licensing agency.

@David Valkus, you might just want to start by having a conversation with the other party. The matter you've presented is one that deals with the issue of personal property vs. permanent fixtures vs. trade fixtures.  Largely, permanent fixtures are considered a part of the property while trade fixtures are removable.  As I understand it, there are legal tests for defining the differences, of which, relationship and agreement of the parties comes into play.