►
Description
Get an overview of the building process, from remodels to new construction, while learning tips to ensure your design and build process ends with a vision turned reality.
A
A
A
There
are
other
contractors
out
there
that
are
called
trade
contractors
or
subcontractors,
and
they
are
a
specialty
contractor.
They
may
be
a
drywall
outfit
or
the
electrician,
the
plumbing
the
heating
guys.
Those
are
all
specialty
trays
that
work
for
a
general
contractor
and
a
general
contractor
has
the
expertise
to
pull
all
these
pieces
together.
A
A
The
process
of
doing
this
is
to
meet
with
some
building
contractors,
depending
on
the
size
of
the
job.
You
know,
if
you
wanted
to
do
drywall
walls-
I'm
probably
not
the
guy-
that
you'd
want
to
have
to
have
do
it,
but
if
you
wanted
to,
let's
say
finish
a
basement
where
you've
got
a
bunch
of
different
trades
in
there
you're
going
to
want
my
the
services
that
I
provide.
So
to
start
with,
we
will
meet
with
you
in
your
home
and
chat
about
what
it
is
that
you're
thinking
about
doing
and.
A
What
what
are
the
things
that
you
like,
and
what
are
the
things
that
you
don't
like
in
a
remodeling
job,
not
an
addition,
but
putting
together
a
remodeling
job?
What
is
it
that,
over
the
years
you
just
can't
stand
I've
seen
these
products
I'd
like
to
look
at
integrating
those
into
my
project,
so
that
first
consultation
is
free.
Let
me
come
out
there
and
and
chat
with
you
and
and
try
and
get
a
feel
of
what
it
is
you're
trying
to
accomplish.
We
also
want
to
chat
with
you
about
a
budget.
A
A
A
A
So
you
really
need
to
to
go
out
there
and
find
people
meet
people
this.
This
is
a
perfect
example
of
a
place
just
to
meet
people
and
and
see
how,
if
there's
a
connection
there,
if
there
isn't,
I
wouldn't
perceive.
If
you
don't
get
warm
and
fuzzies,
don't
go
ahead
with
it,
you
would
want
to
check
their
their
expertise.
Are
they
are
they
a
licensed
contractor.
A
You
want
to
check
to
see
what
kind
of
trade
associations
they're
part
of,
or
you
can
check,
with,
the
department
of
labor
and
industry
in
the
state
they're,
the
ones
that
our
licensors
licenses
are
held
with.
They
have
a
lot
of
clout
over
what
we
do
and
how
the
warranties
work
and
all
of
that
kind
of
stuff.
A
So,
okay,
I
know
I'm
gonna
get
out
on
different.
I
get
sidetracked
too
much,
so
we
met
and
we'll
come
back,
set
up
a
meeting
to
put
an
estimate
together
for
you
to
see
if
we're
really
getting
going
on
the
right
right
foot,
so
we'll
do
some
drawings,
for
you
sketches
and
put
an
estimate
together
that
isn't
going
to
be
rock
solid.
It
isn't
a
proposal,
it's
an
estimate,
so
we
can
see
if
we're
we're
going
down
the
right
track.
A
A
Those
are
the
kinds
of
things
that
a
general
will
bring
to
your
attention
that
you
may
not
have
even
thought
about
back
to
the
estimate
and
the
design
if
we
can
get.
If
things
are
looking
good
that
you'd
like
to
proceed
with
it,
I
our
firm,
would
want
to
put
together
a
proposal
and
we'd
like
to
get
more
specific
with
what
it
is
that
you
want
to
put
in
there
we're
talking
about
hardwood
floors.
A
Are
they
pre-finished
if
they
are
pre-finished?
Please
note
that
you
know
they're,
here's,
the
pluses
and
the
minuses
of
pluses
with
pre-finished
floors.
You
got
a
micro
bevel
in
there.
So
when
you
put
all
the
pieces
together,
each
piece
has
got
a
like
a
v
in
between
the
two
of
them
collects
dust
collects
dirt,
collects
food
or
you
can
put
a
strip
floor
in.
I
can
tell
you
what's
what
is
the
cost
difference?
A
What
is
it
that?
What
kind
of
cab,
if
it
was
a
kitchen?
What
kind
of
cabinetry
do
you
want
to
put
in
modular
cabinets,
or
you
want
to
put
in
a
custom
made
cabinet?
I
don't
know
that,
but
we're
going
to
talk
about
it
and
to
get
a
feel
of
where
we
want
to
go,
and
I
say
we
because
you're
we're
we're
a
team
we're
working
together
to
to
meet
your
needs
to
make
your
dream
come
true.
A
So
anyways
we'll
talk
about
that.
If
we
go
through
that
estimate
phase
at
some
point
after
that,
we're
going
to
want
to
get
a
retainer
from
you
because
we'll
then
be
preparing
construction
drawings,
so
these
could
be
taken
to
the
city
and
a
permit
can
be
pulled
and-
and
so
at
that
point
we've
incurred
some
time
to
get
to
a
proposal
stage
with
some
drafting
with
some
numbers
that
fit
into
the
specifications
that
we've
we
have
put
together.
A
So
that
that's
all
negotiated,
we
talk
about
that,
but
it
it
again
it's
back
to
that
communication.
Do
you
trust
me?
Do
you
trust
your
building,
contractor
that
you're
talking
with
you're
gonna,
have
to
decide
that
if
you
go
with
a
contractor,
that's
very
seasoned
he's
going
to
make
recommendations
to
you
on
you
know
you
could
do
it
this
way.
You
could
do
it
that
way.
Here's
the
pros
and
cons
of
either
either
one
of
these
products,
let's
say
you're
putting
into
the
project.
A
Then
we
go
into
we,
we
firm
it
up
with
a
proposal
and
the
proposal
we've
sat
down
and
talked
about
all
those
issues,
all
those
different
subcontracts
that
we've
talked
about
and
put
numbers
to
it,
and
if
everything
isn't,
if
we
get
in
to
agreement
with
that,
then
we
prepare
repay.
We
prepare
construction
documents,
so
construction
documents
would
be
your
boilerplate.
A
A
A
You
guys
need
to
know
what
you're
getting
and
for
what
price,
and
I
need
to
know
whether
I
can
do
it
and
make
you
know
a
dollar
at
it,
make
a
living
at
it.
I'm
not
going
to
hit
a
home
run
with
anybody.
I,
with
my
experience
and
over
the
years
our
philosophy
is.
If
we
can
take,
take
care
of
our
clients,
we
don't
have
to
worry
about
getting
paid
because
they're
so
happy,
they're
gonna
pass.
B
A
Then
we
after
we
get
our
written
contract,
then
we
talk
about
scheduling
and
we
wouldn't
want
to
start
a
job
for
you
until
we
have
all
the
specifications
filled
in.
So
what
kind
of
tile
is
it?
Is
it?
Is
it
a
stock
tile
or
is
it
a
special
order?
Tile
we'd
want
to
know
we'd
start
honing
in
on
what
is
the
design
of
the
of
the
the
tile?
Let's
say
it's
a
in
a
kitchen
we're
doing
a
tile
backsplash.
Is
it?
Is
it
a
slate?
Is
it
a
natural
stone?
Is
it
ceramic
tile?
A
C
D
A
C
A
I
will
be
involved
in
that
I
would.
What
I
would
put
together,
for
you
is
a
selection
sheet.
Here
are
the
selections
that
I
need
to
have
made
and
if
you
go
back
to
the
proposal,
because
we
don't
know
what
what
it
is
exactly
that
we're
doing,
for
instance,
with
tile
I'll,
give
you
an
allowance
based
off
of
my
experience
on
what
it
costs
to
do
these
projects.
A
So
I
want
to
get
realistic
with
you
right
right
off
the
bat
so
that
when
you
go
and
select
that-
and
you
see
that
you're
under
or
over
with
the
square
footage
of
what
each
tile
costs
I
can
then
instruct.
I
can
then
communicate
to
you
based
off
of
the
square
footage
that
we're
doing
off
of
the
selection
that
you
have
come
up
with
how
intricate
it
is
and
if
we
start
making
cuts
on
tile
and
every
tile
needs
to
be
cut.
A
C
C
A
A
A
A
Right
and
my
my
subcontract,
I
put
together
a
team.
I've
worked
with
a
number
of
these
trade
contractors
for
10
20
years.
I've
got
a
heating
contractor.
I've
worked
with
for
30,
I'm
looking
for
somebody,
that's
going
to
put
a
good,
valued
piece
of
a
furnace
in
and
stand
behind
it.
The
guys
have
to
be
neat
neat
nor
orderly,
no
smoking
in
the
house.
No
cussing!
A
You
need
to
respect.
You
will
respect
my
client
and
if
there
are
issues
I
expect
to
hear
from
it
because
they
may
not
be
working
for
me
later
down
the
the
road.
So
it's
it
to
me,
it's
very
very
important.
I
I'm
a
german-born
guy
that
is
very
persnickety
about
things
being
plumb
and
level
and
everything
looking
correctly
and
but
functioning
correctly.
A
Construction
process
will
like
a
kitchen
project,
we'll
take
somewhere
for
our
firm
and
most
well
for
any
general
contractor.
That
does
the
kind
of
work
that
we
do
you're
going
to
have
a
month
to
six
weeks.
You
know
being
disrupted
we'll
make
sure
if
it's
a
kitchen
job
that
you're
able
to
have
your
refrigerator
and
keep
keep
things
and
have
a
microwave
but
you're
going
to
be
short,
the
the
range
oven
that
kind
of
stuff.
A
Actually
it's
a
good
deal
for
the
wife,
because
then
she
makes
a
husband
take
her
out
to
dinner
all
it.
But
you
know,
after
a
point
in
time
you
get
tired
of
eating
out
the
same
stuff,
so
anyways
we
when
we
come
in
when
we
start
this
job
we'll
come
in
and
protect
all
of
your
all
of
the
things
that
are
not
part
of
the
construction
project.
A
A
A
So
now
we've
we've
defined
our
work
area
and
access
areas.
We've
made
all
that
done
all
of
the
protection
protective
kinds
of
things
that
we
can
do
to
get
started
at
that
point,
then
we
start
doing
the
demolition,
so
everything
that
we
don't
want's
gotta
gotta
get
out.
Yes,
sir,
about
the
demolition.
A
A
A
So
then,
all
of
a
sudden,
it's
the
next
step
up
and
driving
the
price
of
a
project,
and
if
you
can
stay
down
low,
redo
the
the
the
flooring
whatever
it
is.
You
know
the
kitchens
you're
doing
your
cabinets
and
so
on
and
so
forth
the
countertops
and
moving
some
electrical
around.
Maybe
it
move
the
placement
of
the
sink.
I
don't
you
know
we're
just
talking
general
generally
about
that.
A
So
we've
demoed
now
we
start
rebuilding.
So
remodeling
is
a
type
of
construction
where
you
back
up
a
bunch
to
go
forward.
So
you
look
at
this
thing
and
it's
being
torn
apart
and
all
of
a
sudden
you
know
things
got
to
get
started,
putting
back
together
we're
going
to
do
our
mechanicals
rough-ins,
so
moving
switches,
adding
recessed
lighting
or
what
have
you
is
all
going
to
be
done
at
that
time.
Once
that's
been
finished,
then
we'll
drywall,
so
getting
from
the
point
of
starting
to
drywall,
will
be
typically.
A
A
week
and
a
half
two
weeks,
then
after
that
we've
got
drywall
sanded.
We
try
them
to
prime
the
walls
if
we're
doing
a
knock
down
or
a
flat
ceiling,
we'll
paint
the
paint,
the
ceilings,
and
then
we
start
bringing
all
the
goodies
back
in
so
the
cabinetry
comes
in
and
the
countertops
and
you
know,
then
we
finish
it
out
and
put
the
fixtures
back
in
and
the
appliances
come
and
I
mean
then
then
it
starts
to
look
like
something.
A
Yeah
that'll
all
be
installed
by
us,
you,
the
general
contractor,
is
a
guy.
That
is
a
band
leader
I
would
be.
I
would
make
this.
This
comment,
though,
is
if
you
start
providing
all
sorts
of
things,
and
we
start
installing
them.
For
instance,
let's
talk
about
plumbing
plumbing
fixtures
sinks
and
so
on
and
so
forth.
A
If
you
provide
those
and
they
don't
function
right,
sink's
got
or
the
sink's
got
a
crack
in
it
or
a
fixture
drips
a
lot
that
becomes
your
responsibility,
because
you
provided
again,
should
I
pay
20
bucks
more
or
not
to
have
them
provide
so
provide
the
fixture.
So
now
they
provided
it
and
installed
it.
A
F
A
True
to
some
parts,
not
true
to
some
to
other
parts,
plumbing
fixtures,
the
guts
of
them
that
you
buy
to
cash
and
carry
are
going
to
be
plastic
per
se.
And
if
you
buy
from
through
a
wholesaler
that
sells
to
the
subcontractor
yeah,
there
can
be
some
better
they'll.
They
might
have
metal
parts
in
in
there
rather
than
plastic
parts.
A
That's
what
it
forget
that
I
have
a
kind
of
a
weird
sense
of
humor,
but
anyways
sticks
or
sticks.
You
can
buy
studs
at
monards
or
home
depot
chances
are
the
the
material
they
buy.
There
isn't
going
to
be,
as
straight
as
if
you
go
to
a
lumber
yard
for
us
I'd.
Much
rather
call
on
the
phone
tell
them
what
I
need
tell
them
when
I
need
it
delivered.
A
If
there's
leftovers,
they
come
and
pick
it
up.
I
mean
I
don't
have
to
deal
with
any
of
that.
If
I
got
an
issue
with
a
bunch
of
crooked
studs,
I
sent
them
back,
give
me
credit
for
you
fry
and
they
do,
but
how
much
time
you
know
if
you
go
to
cash
and
carry
and
eyeball
all
these
sticks,
how
much
time
and
then
try
and
figure
out
how
to
strap
it
onto
your
car?
E
A
It
depends
on,
is
it
am
I
putting
a
crawl
space
in
to
put
the
addition
on?
Am
I
doing
a
full
basement
underneath
it
somehow
it's
got
to
be
held
up
so
then
do
we
pour
concrete
in
there
or
are
we
not
in
the
crawl
space?
Probably
not?
Okay,
then
we're
going
to
have
a
discussion
about
radon
and
musty
smells
and
all
that
kind
of
stuff
where
we
could
have
poured
the
concrete
for
a
really
reasonable
price
and
the
guys
wouldn't
be
banging
their
heads
on
the
floor
joists.
A
So
you
know
that's
what
I'm
going
to
bring
to
the
table
is:
let's
think
about
this:
what's
it
worth
to
you,
what's
it
worth
to
have
a
dry
basement
and
be
able
to
use
that
crawl
space
for
storage
along
with
mechanicals?
Perhaps
so,
there's
a
lot
of
pieces
to
the
puzzle,
so
we
dug
a
hole
we
put
footings
in,
we
put
blocks
in
we
backfilled.
We
decided
what
we
were
doing
with
the
crawl
space.
F
A
A
A
A
F
A
A
That
were
doing
bathrooms
and
they
could
they
could
gut
it
out.
They
could
pull
fixtures
out.
They
could
do
the
ceramic
tile.
They'd
do
the
the
own,
their
own
drywall
and
painting,
and
I
mean
they
do
all
of
those
things
and
they
can
make
a
living
at
it.
Where
I'm
orchestrating
something,
I'm
I'm
bringing
something
other
to
the
plate,
that's
different
than
they
are,
but
then
how
long
have
they
been
doing
it?
A
A
A
Where
are
we
going
to
put
the
lights?
What
kind
of
lights
are
they
are
there
where
the
switch
is
going
to
be?
I
need
to
know
all
that
so
I'll
be
at
that
meeting
to
overhear
it
you'll
be
communicating
with
the
electrician
who's
going
to
put
it
in,
but
I'm
going
to
document
it
I'm
going
to
give
you
an
update
weekly.
A
My
partner,
jim
ganz,
is
on
site
every
day
unless
we're
in
some
kind
of
phase,
let's
say
we're
in
sheet
rocking
phase
he'll
be
there
to
get
the
board
situated
and
make
sure
that
everything's
going
right,
but
he
won't
come
there
every
day
to
watch
him
tape,
there's
no
change
in
in
the
process.
So
when
we
get
to
mechanicals
you'll
see
him
every
day
when
we
get
to
the
finishing
part
of
it,
he'll
be
there
every
day,
jim
and
I
are
both
carpenters.
A
A
A
That'd
be
the
guy
that
that
I
would
look
for
to
run
that
job
and
jim
would
oversee
that,
and
we
we
again
it
depends
on
the
size
of
the
job,
how
busy
we
are
those
kinds
of
things
so
periodically
we'll
have
a
meeting
on
site
you'll
get
an
update
weekly
at
the
end
of
the
week,
or
usually
that's
when
I'll
say.
Well,
we
got
this
done.
Here's
what's
going
to
happen
next
week.
This
is
where
we,
where
we're
going
to
be,
we
have
acts
of
god,
including
snowstorms.
A
We
have
you
know,
there's
things
that
are
outside
of
our
control
but
having,
but
knowing
what
it
is
that
we're
doing
what
kind
of
materials
are
involved
and
making
sure
they're
in
stock
and
so
on
and
so
forth,
and
setting
up
a
timeline
when
we
need
to
have
those
things
if
it
fluctuates
a
day
or
two,
it's
not
a
big
deal,
but
I've
got
them.
I
need
to
have
those,
and
I
I
I
won't
put
up
with
it.
You
know
if
I,
if
I
say
I
want
something
by
this
date,
I
want
it.
A
So
post-construction
we're
going
to
have
a
meeting
and
we'll
walk
through
the
house
and
we'll
talk
about
how
things
function,
how
to
run
whatever
it
is
that
you
got
an
hrv
unit
that
you
put
in
heat
recovery
ventilation
system.
How
does
that
function?
How
does
it
tie
in
with
your
forced
air,
furnace
and
and
your
air
air
humidifier
that
you
put
on
your
aprilaire?
Let's
say
we'll
go
through
those
things,
so
that
you
feel
comfortable
with
how
it's
how
it
works.
A
A
A
Anything
that's
mechanical,
so
plumbing
fixtures
furnace,
some
of
the
wiring
aspects
are
warranted
for
two
years
and
then
any
structural
items
that
are
installed
here
in
your
house
are
warranted
for
ten
years.
Now,
that's
a
state
statute!
If
you,
if
you
pull
that
up
online,
it
will
also
get
into
what
is
a
defect
and
what
isn't
a
defect?
You
got
a
crack
on
the
basement
floor.
Well,
if
it's
over
an
eighth
of
an
inch,
you
know
now
we
have
an
issue.
If
it's
a
spiderweb
crack.
Well,
that's
common,
it
happens.
A
There's
two
types
of
concrete:
there,
there's
concrete,
that's
broken
and
concrete!
That's
gonna
break!
You
know,
that's
just
the
way
it
is,
but
we
try
and
minimize
that
by
putting
control
joints
in
there
hoping
that
it'll
it'll
break
on
the
control
joint
sometimes
would
work.
Sometimes
it
doesn't
basements.
It
works
more
often
than
it
does
on
a
driveway.
A
A
What
is
it
that
we
don't
like
and
and
we're
pretty
good
at
policing
ourselves
to
know
what
it
is
that
are
not
acceptable
because
it
doesn't
accept,
meet
our
standards
and
you
may
find
these
things
and
bring
it
to
our
attention
only
to
find
out
yeah.
It
was
on
our
own
punch
list,
but
I
would
rather
hear
it
also
from
you
to
to
to
know
that.
That's
a
these
are
issues
she's
paying
attention.
B
A
For
I
would
give
you
a
ranges
yeah,
I
won't.
I
won't
and
if
you
give
ranges
everybody's
gonna
just
like
if
you,
if
I
gave
you
a
number
that
becomes
the
number
right
or
if
it's
a
range,
your
number
is
always
the
lower
end
of
of
it.
So
I
try
and
steer
clear
of
that,
but
I
do
know
what
projects
cost
in
general
kitchens
cost
x
additions
cost
x.
A
So
I'm
going
to
be
able
to
say
yeah
it's
going
to
be
in
this
yeah
in
this
general
area
in
price.
Is
that
something
that
you
want?
Is
that
does
that
fit
in
your
budget
if
it
doesn't
fit
how
much
d?
How
much
money
doesn't
it
fit?
Because
I
can
bring
to
the
table
and
say
well,
we
can
change
this
or
change
that
and
get
it
back
down
into
a
a
range
that
is
palatable
to
you.
A
A
F
A
A
C
A
A
F
A
H
A
A
H
Yeah
and
I
did
talk
to
the
city
of
bloomington
and
the
gallon
planning
said
yeah,
I'm
going
to
give
you
a
conforming
home
on
this
lot
and
she
said
yeah.
You
could
probably
go
toward
the
creek
a
little
bit
over
here,
but
there's
actually
no
build
line
that
the
home's
already
kind
of
over
on
on
edge
of
it,
and
you
know
we're
talking
about
one
way
from
the
creek,
so
that
part
of
that
you
know,
if
we
were
to
add
on,
I
don't
think
would
be
an
issue.
H
A
I
would
think
that
there's
some
kind
of
a
a
foundation
below
that
it
might
not
be
below
frost.
It
might
be
just
a
couple
of
course
of
block
and
then
a
footing
below
that,
but
it's
not
just
a
slab
that
was
poured
with
thickened
edge
edges.
I
don't
believe
I
mean
I
haven't
seen
that
in
housing
that
vintage
it's
usually
got
some
kind
of
a
foundation
underneath
it.
H
A
No
not
back
that
far
they
keep
stuff.
You
can
find
stuff.
You
can
find
surveys
that
go
back
into
the
70s
building
plans.
Don't
go
back
that
far.
They
usually
leave
those
they
get
rid
of
those
now
with
the
computer
generation,
a
lot
of
that
they'll
scan
and
and
save
because
it's
not
it
doesn't
take
up
a
lot
of
room.