You may need to Hire GREEN Contractors for some of your GREEN construction projects at home. How would you hire a Contractor? They could talk down to you and you would consider them the same as ruthless used car salesperson except they drive a rusted pickup truck full of tools.
And, even worse than hiring a contractor, you feel more vulnerable since GREEN construction is a new field for the industry with different materials, new jargon and more confusion.
• How do you protect yourself and the contractor from construction risks?
• How would you best work with contractors and ensure your expected results?
• How could you prepare to insure you receive the best bid price?
• What you must do to prepare for the installation and contingencies?
• Where do you find specific protection information for each type project?
• How do you find the rebates and incentives available?
Will you be able to identify GREEN construction ‘artists’ - the fakes, the frauds and the thieves riding the crest of this new technology before you hire GREEN contractor? My notes for each type of project will give you insight to possible swindles and will show you additional areas to research for your protection.
The steps listed in the hiring contractors' process are a result of my 23 years experience as construction estimator and project manager. The last item about trees and landscaping is from a continuing interest in my college major – Forestry.
If you hire GREEN contractor to build a new LEED home or to renovate your existing home with GREEN features, you could help others with their GREEN construction project if you send detailed information along with pictures. Any additional information concerning lessons learned from your experience and hiring the contractor would be a great help as well. Please contact me for information and details.
The most common construction risk include injury, workmanship, materials and delays. GREEN remodeling projects have their own additional quirks.
Every time you decide to work with contractors for a home improvement project, know there will be construction risks. Changes to the scope of work could lead to a triple play.
Your involvement with your home remodeling contractor in the past was minimal. You now call this same contractor, but now you want to be more involved. You must not delay the contractor or you ...
Start Planning With the End in Mind
Start planning your home improvement project by visualizing the results you want. Your home improvement project is a one-time effort that you do not have a second chance to do correctly.
First Meeting with Contractors
Your first meeting with the contractors is for those contractors you chose to ask for their bid. This is the next step in the process after your planning and preparation is complete.
Bid evaluation is the beginning of how you chose the contractor to award your GREEN remodeling project. ? Important as price is for every one there are many other factors to consider.
This section about me shows how class material that discussed GREEN products for remodeling sparked my thought of how households could be vulnerable to contractors who may be a fake, fraud or thief.
A Homeowner Association (HOA) can be self-managed or hire a management company. Your involvement may be as service to the community or more self serving.