All Forum Posts by: John Vosika

Thanks everyone for responding.I am not an REI so it is good to get some honest perspective. Here is some perspective from the GC side of things:

1.One of the hardest things I have found as a general contractor is competing against those that @Brandon Battle describes.It is very frustrating.I think I actually lose bids sometimes because of my honesty.I try to itemize all and am not sure if the competing bids are “apples to apples”. It seems like many go for the lowest number whether itemized or not. I am not a general contractor that just gives base type bids to get hired and then make it up on change orders.

2.Competing against the unlicensed/uninsured has always been an issue here in Arizona.

3.Convincing a new potential client that I do not do #1 and I am not #2 - until after the first job with us, that is.

Thanks again for the words of wisdom.Onward and Upward!

@Jonathan Makovsky  Thank you so much for the feedback, valuable information and very much appreciated. I have heard the quote on this site: good, fast, cheap - pick two.  Honest and Realistic, I think.  We of course strive for all three.  

Onward and Upward!

Welcome to BP -TONS of info on here!  Great way to learn and connect.  

Good Morning!

I am pretty new to BP, been perusing it for a couple months now and have made some solid contacts and am amazed at the endless information available here.I am an Arizona licensed general contractor with 30+ years in the construction industry.I started my own drywall company in Minnesota when I was a teenager.I moved to AZ in 1984, opened a drywall company here and then in 2004 transitioned to a GC.I have tons of experience in remodels and rehabs which lead me to the REI industry.

I have a couple of questions for the industry as a whole (wholesalers, investors, flippers, etc).I realize “to each their own” but am truly interested and would appreciate honest feedback:

What do you want from a GC?

What do look for when hiring one?

Is there a need for walk through estimating and if so what is the going rate?

How do you like your proposals; extreme itemization?

Do you expect a GC to recognize and/or evaluate potential code issues within the estimate?

Do you find value in the GC pointing out potential code issues? (frequently comes up with older homes)

For you PRO members – what is the best part of upgrading to PRO?

Hi @Ann Larson. I am also a fellow Gilbert resident and "stumbled on" to BP as well. So much information here and a great way to connect to others trying to achieve success in the REI industry. Onward and Upward!

Thank you for your service @Peter Ward and welcome to BP - awesome site, full of great information and contacts that will help you grow your business.  My son is an ASU grad, about your age.  Go Devils! 

I am sorry that you had that bad experience @Itay Heled. Those are the kind of things that give us good and honest contractors (and realtors) a bad rep. Like @Santos Collantes said, they definitely burned the bridge(s).

Hi! I know a great probate attorney as well as a real estate attorney in the Phoenix area (may be a good resource for future purchases too if these issues come up). If you would like their information, PM me and I would be happy to share.

Hi Al 

Welcome I'm a Arizona general contractor new to BP. I like Arizona for all what it can offer and that includes great walleye fishing.  Come and visit .

I am new to BP so just seeing this post now. I am a licensed AZ GC and have extensive experience in re-models and housing re-habs - if you are still in need of a GC, I would love to speak with you.  I see we are already connected as colleagues on BP - let me know if you have time to discuss potentially working together.