There are many forms, formulas and websites where you can go to check out the remodeling and building contractors in your area. If you're in Washington State, you would first go to the State Labor & Industries Department to make sure the contractors are licensed (https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Search.aspx) and that if there have been any consumer claims against their bond, such claims have been amicably resolved. There are other web sites where you can see if anybody's posted reviews for their company on "rating" websites, their testimonials on their own website or even their "status" with the online yellow pages! Beware though, a company can write their own reviews and one not-so-good review from an cantankerous customer does not make a contractor necessarilly "bad".

With the overload of information available to us, it's important to remember the necessary questions to get to the heart of each potential contractor's appropriateness for you. Whomever you choose to do your project not only has to be skilled, capable, and financially sound, but you also have to be comfortable with them working on your house, or in your house as the case may be, day in and day out.

Here are a sample of important questions to ask every contractor that you speak to:

-- How long have you been in business? -- A contractor in business for a good length of time is a testament to his abilities to weather the vulgarieties of the marketplace (such as a recession) and to do good work.

-- Are you a member of a national or local trade association? -- Membership in trade organizations means that the contractor is usually interested in improving himself through continuing education, doing public service work, networking and making contacts with others including sub contractors, material suppliers, designers, innovators, and being a part of the legislative process that affects his industry. All this is good!

-- May I have a list of project references? -- References are the number one key to finding a good contractor. First, there should be a good number of references. Secondly, you should call three or four of the references and ask about the contractor: was this a similar project? (it should be); was the contractor on time and on budget?; were his preliminary budgets accurate?; was his billing clear and fair?; were his communications clear and timely?; was he willing to work with the reference if there was a misunderstanding?. In summary, you should ask the reference: would you recommend this contractor?; On a one to ten scale, where ten is the best, where would you place this contractor and why?

-- Who will be working on this project? Are they employees or subcontractors? -- If they are employees, how long have the employees been employed by the contractor and what is their experience in this building type?; If they are subcontractors, do they carry the same insurance level as the contractor?; Ideally, in residential construction, a project will have both long time employees working on the project and subcontractors working on the specialties, subcontractors who have a long term relationship with the contractor. Long term employees & subcontractors demonstrate that the contractor continually does good work that's high in quality (good carpenters and subs are universally proud of their work), is fair, and importantly, has safe job sites.

-- Is the contractor insured adequately to cover all contingencies? Who pays if your house burns down in the middle of the project? What happens if there's an injury on the job? -- The State only requires a bare minimum bonding and insurance, which often will not cover a problem. In some cases, the homeowner could be liable. You should ask for more than the minimum coverages and verify with your home owners insurance company that the coverage is adequate.

Don't be afraid or shy about communicating and asking questions of potential building or remodeling contractors! Your project may cost a lot of money and this upfront investigation will be more than worth the effort.

Labels: remodeling and building

We've been fortunate to have had a blast of artic cold and sunny weather here in Seattle -- it's demonstrated to even the most non believer of non believers the relevance of passive solar heating! Our offices, which we lease, have old single pane glass windows that face directly south, with views of Lake Union and the Seattle skyline. When it's sunny, and especially when the sun in low in the sky in the winter, fall and spring -- it is toasty warm inside our offices and we don't use any other heat! In the summer, when the sun is high, our office stays much cooler as sunlight is not directly coming in our windows. So for our clients, for the architecture of their buildings, we locate them very carefully to take full advantage of the potential of solar design -- for heating, for electrical generation, for natural ventilation and cooling. In remodels of urban structures, we actively look for opportunities to design with the climate, such as strategically locating operable windows to take advantage of summer breezes for cross ventilation, incorporate shading devices and plantings, or utilizing geothermal heat pumps. There's a lot one can do to save energy and live more comfortably too, more in tune with the natural surroundings, and still have lovely spaces and buildings.

Labels: architecture and design, remodeling and building

A question we commonly get from clients is asking whether they should remodel or add on, build anew, or move. While we're architects and builders and not real estate agents, but we can still speak to the some of the processes many go through in making this decision.

Typically when a home needs major updating or enlarging, the "remodel/move/build new" question arises. As a first step, most clients contact a real estate agent to determine the value of their house in the current market, and what they might be able to buy that more readily meets their needs. Next, they will contact an architect to see what can be done with their existing house, whether remodeling or adding on or both, to make it right for them. The architect (or a good contractor) can then generally price these options. Thirdly, in their meeting with their architect, clients may also discuss building new - whether at a new site or a tearing down their house and building a new house right there. Added into the mix, our clients usually give great weight to location, i.e. the neighborhood and amenities - neighbors, views, schools, walk-ability if in an urban setting, shopping, etc.

Each option, remodel/addition, build new, or move has its own advantages and disadvantages. Pricewise, if a house is in relatively good condition, remodel/addition usually wins over building new, because a) one may not remodel the entire house, or b) because the existing house is grandfathered into older, less restrictive zoning. However, remodel/addition usually requires some compromises in scope to meet demands of budget or time. Building new, an owner should be able to get a house that is really made for them, and reflects who they are and their interests. The moving option, often brings up the same old issues of the new house still not being quite right and needing some work to make it a good fit.

The decision can be a difficult one, but with good advice a homeowner should be able to figure the best way to go.

Labels: remodeling and building

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created energy tax credits, which are different than tax deductions in that they apply directly to reduce taxes. The broad categories for these credits are: Building Envelope, HVAC systems and Renewable Energy.

"Building Envelope" refers to items such as roofing and insulation, windows and doors. The credit for these items is 30% of the cost of the product, excluding labor, with a maximum of $1,500 for all improvements combined.

HVAC Systems cover wood stoves and water heaters along with traditional HVAC systems. You can receive a 30% credit of the total cost of the materials and labor under this umbrella with a maximum of $1,500.

Under the "Renewable Energy" umbrella, there are many avenues where you can take advantage of the substantial energy credits in this arena. This covers items such as photovoltaics (solar electric panels), wind energy, fuel cells, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps. These credits act differently than the two stated above as you receive a 30% tax credit of the total cost of the items, which includes the cost of the product and labor, with no maximum; any unused credit may carry over to future tax years!

The architecture of our new home project on Camano Island (www.ctabuilds.com/camano.html) utilizes large South facing glazing to take advantage of solar gain, utilizes a geothermal heat pump and is additionally prepped for future photovoltaic arrays on a specially designed flat roof section.

For more information on these energy tax credits, please visit: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Labels: construction costs and financing

Labels: remodeling and building