01-29-2021, 01:20 AM
Yes, a site visit is recommended. They will not charge for a bid. They use the plans to price the job. You want to give them as much info as possible, that way they can give you an accurate price. I'm talking about materials for roofing, siding, lanais, landscaping etc. if they are not already spelled out on the plans. (which they should be).
Make sure EVERYTHING is in the contract as far as work to be done and materials used. For example, if it says "tile floors", specify that it is X brand/name of tile. Give every contractor the same info. Usually they will give you an "allowance" for things like cabinets and countertops, plumbing, electrical. Make sure your choices fit within those allowances or be prepared to pay more. If you don't use the allowance in one area, you will be able to use it elsewhere.
When we did it the proposals varied wildly. The highest price was almost 100% higher than the lowest. Sam Berg's price fell somewhere in the middle, and we are VERY satisfied with his work. We feel like we got MORE than we paid for.
Get your permit and approval processes started ASAP. I waited about 6 months for a well permit. Make sure your building permit is still valid. If not, plans take about 3 months to approve. Longer if they find issues to be resolved. I did some of this myself, but the contractor should handle all the permits. They are used to dealing with "the process".
If you are financing, you have to use a licensed contractor. The process takes about 2 months after everyone has submitted the required paperwork to the time the bank releases the first draw. There are some advantages to financing. One, interest rates are extremely low. Two, you end up being protected due to the bank not wanting to lose their money. They will put in place requirements to release liens etc. which will also protect YOU from being ripped off. (By the contractor at least, don't get me started on banks though!)
It's almost impossible to get anything done from the mainland. I moved to Hawaii to get the process started, and got more done in the first two weeks than I did the previous year from the mainland.
Make sure EVERYTHING is in the contract as far as work to be done and materials used. For example, if it says "tile floors", specify that it is X brand/name of tile. Give every contractor the same info. Usually they will give you an "allowance" for things like cabinets and countertops, plumbing, electrical. Make sure your choices fit within those allowances or be prepared to pay more. If you don't use the allowance in one area, you will be able to use it elsewhere.
When we did it the proposals varied wildly. The highest price was almost 100% higher than the lowest. Sam Berg's price fell somewhere in the middle, and we are VERY satisfied with his work. We feel like we got MORE than we paid for.
Get your permit and approval processes started ASAP. I waited about 6 months for a well permit. Make sure your building permit is still valid. If not, plans take about 3 months to approve. Longer if they find issues to be resolved. I did some of this myself, but the contractor should handle all the permits. They are used to dealing with "the process".
If you are financing, you have to use a licensed contractor. The process takes about 2 months after everyone has submitted the required paperwork to the time the bank releases the first draw. There are some advantages to financing. One, interest rates are extremely low. Two, you end up being protected due to the bank not wanting to lose their money. They will put in place requirements to release liens etc. which will also protect YOU from being ripped off. (By the contractor at least, don't get me started on banks though!)
It's almost impossible to get anything done from the mainland. I moved to Hawaii to get the process started, and got more done in the first two weeks than I did the previous year from the mainland.