A tale of two contractors: help me choose!
We've been inching toward a reno/addition for a long time and need to make a decision on a contractor this week. Help me please!
Project involves adding a master suite above an existing addition, redoing 2 existing full baths, reconfiguring parts of the first floor, adding a fireplace, and replacing all windows and doors. High cost area, plans already done by a licensed architect. We'll move out for the duration. We got 4 bids, narrowed now to 2 options.
Option 1 is a firm that's worked with our architect regularly. I've seen their work, on Houzz and in the area, the work is so beautiful that I'd assumed they were too posh for us. Would take 6 months, they have multiple big projects at any given time, a lot of fancy custom homes. (Ours is not that, at all!) Bid was by far the lowest, $150k lower than the highest bid.
Option 2 is a firm that did our kitchen 6 years ago. The project had hiccups, but they addressed every issue and in the end, despite fixing a few additional small items around the house, the final cost was exactly what they had bid. They helped salvage a neighbor's reno after a bad initial contractor. They aren't perfect but they won't cheat us or lie. Time = 3 months, they only do one big reno at a time. (Most of their work is roofs, siding, windows, doors.) Bid is midway between high and low bids.
Time and trust argue for using our previous contractor; cost and relationship with the architect argue for the fancy firm. We're not remotely construction-savvy, although in either case the architect can be our ally. We just want this done right and with as few headaches as possible. Which would you choose?
Comentarios (12)
smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a strategery
Fori
hace 3 añosDid your architect meet with option 2? My architect brought in a couple firms she worked with (yeah, architects should work with whomever you hire...why is that weird?) as well as sitting through interviews with a few contractors that were recommended to us elsewhere.
After dealing with good contractors and bad, I'd take the one that you know. Faster is also better. But make sure they know how to deal with a project of this scope and can give you good references for this type of work.
And before being sure the cheap bid is the cheapest, are you sure everything is accounted for on both bids and you're comparing them fairly? They could be! But they might not be...smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a Fori
PROMark Bischak, Architect
hace 3 añosOption #1
(that is a personal selection not a professional selection)
(Professionally I would pick the one that likes walnuts in their chocolate chip cookies)
smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a Mark Bischak, Architect
PROJeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
hace 3 añosThe high bid may not be a valid bid to compare against. It's the two remaining bids to compare. Do remodelers include the "ho hum" photos?
smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
SapphireStitch
hace 3 añosÚltima modificación: hace 3 añosI think you’ve got to take into consideration what you’ve said about the bulk of the second contractor’s work. If their primary business is exteriors they may be underestimating the time involved in things like bathrooms. Also, and I admit I have no experience to base this assumption on, it seems to me that most other things being equal it would be an advantage to have someone who works well with your architect. At the very least I assume they’d be less likely to get innovative and screw things up by going off-plan.
Edited to say: I went back and reread your post and caught the fact that the 2nd firm had done your kitchen. So that negates my first point a bit.smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a SapphireStitch
PROSyros Construction
hace 3 añosHi, I would 100% go with option #2, You have worked with them and while there were some speed bumps in the end the contractor did right by you and did not hammer you with change orders which contractors always look to bang clients on. Trust is the #1 key factor in choosing a contractor and how I've been able to build up my business over the last 20 years.
I would suggest the contractor you have worked with and while some mistakes were made which are inevitable on projects the contractor addressed the issues.
Hope this helps.smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a Syros Construction
PROCharles Ross Homes
hace 3 añosI'm with live_wire_oak on this one. What you described is major surgery to your home. I don't think it's a three month job nor do I think it's a job for a company that does mostly siding, roofing and window replacement work, unless you would like your project to be another case study in educating an inexperienced contractor.
smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a Charles Ross Homesroccouple
hace 3 añosMy gut would be option 2. You might go look at some of their larger scale projects to make sure they are “up to” the job. I’m not a pro but do also put value on trust. hopefully you have 2 good options not a right and wrong though.
is the timeframe quoted time until completion of the job or time until they start? I do think this is more than 3 months to do. Also remember they may not start right on time. Our 4-6 month project took 18 months (mostly due to the town process)smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a roccouple
tartanmeup
hace 3 añosI like the idea of hiring a firm that works on one big project at a time but would worry that Firm 2 doesn't have enough experience in bathrooms. Have you seen the bathrooms they've done? Have you contacted past clients of both firms? Is it really best to give all this work to only one firm?
smalloldhouse_gw agradeció a tartanmeupsmalloldhouse_gw
Autor originalhace 3 añosThanks all! It is such a tough decision and your input is really really helpful.
Just to clarify, there was a $150k differential between the highest and lowest bids, but two of the four came in at about the same, $60k higher than the lowest bid. The low bid worries me (which seems crazy, because the low bid is double what we went into this thinking we'd spend!)
Both contractors have been around a long time. Not sure which one is larger.
I came here sort of implicitly favoring our old contractor. There's something really tempting about knowing what you're getting into - the bad as well as the good! - when you're doing something so far outside your own expertise. And really, after a few false starts with shady guys when we first approached our kitchen project, working with someone who's basically honest and fixes his mistakes counts for an awful lot.
But after reading your comments, I think I lean toward the contractor who's worked with our architect. They've done everything from custom new builds and seem to specialize in additions, kitchens, baths, etc. Our project would be squarely within their usual competencies. Plus the relationship with our architect. Plus a lower starting cost (because we all know the price will only go up once the work gets started.)
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