We have signed up a contractor today to repair the roof and the kitchen ceiling. I finished the contract this morning and we all signed it after making a few changes. It was a great relief to see that the insurance money will cover the work that needs to be done.<\/p>\n
It’s always a bit dicey when you get insurance money based on an estimate from one contractor, then you end up having to call in a new contractor. In this case, I think we made out very well. The work is to start tomorrow, so I should have something to report soon.<\/p>\n
\nThe early indications were quite favorable. The contractor was quite willing to discuss how he planned to accomplish certain tasks and was willing to listen to my suggestions. <\/p>\n
I included detailed task lists in the contract as well as a one page agreement of what was to be accomplished, what sequence would be followed, who would be responsible for getting the work done, and how the contractors would be paid. <\/p>\n
Having all of the tasks written out beforehand made a great difference in my ability to manage the project. <\/p>\n
Because of a number of factors, I decided to handle the purchasing of materials and renting of a man-lift and a dumpster. Once the contractor realized that we were actually simplifying the job for him so that he was only responsible for getting the work done, everything went smoothly.<\/p>\n
The contractor employs his brother and son, so I feel resonably confident that the workers will show up reliably. I am using the neighbor who works with me in my shop as a consultant on this project. With him to side check my decisions and Gretchen to keep track of the money being spent, I feel confident that I can bring this project in on schedule. We even worked up a payment schedule so the contractor would get paid on completion of certain milestones. <\/p>\n
The thing I have to be careful of is not to micro-manage this project, but to exert enough control that we see the results we expect. Staying in good communication with the contractor and his people is essential.<\/p>\n
Stay tuned. This is going to become more exciting very soon. It snowed today and we are getting ready to rip the shingles off the roof in a very few days. Having our house open to the elements means that we will be living anxiously for a few days.<\/p>\n
If you have any suggestions or cautions, feel free to fire away. We appreciate the encouragements we have received so far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We have signed up a contractor today to repair the roof and the kitchen ceiling. I finished the contract this morning and we all signed it after making a few changes. It was a great relief to see that the insurance money will cover the work that needs to be done.<\/p>\n
It’s always a bit dicey when you get insurance money based on an estimate from one contractor, then you end up having to call in a new contractor. In this case, I think we made out very well. The work is to start tomorrow, so I should have something to report soon.<\/p>\n