I have to say, one of the most frustrating parts of owning a service business is the bidding process. This is one area that I have worked diligently to master, but have constantly fallen short. I have created check lists so I don’t forget items in the bid; I’ve searched for quality and proven products at the best price and I have tracked how long different jobs take to determine a fair amount to charge. Then when the job is completed; I compare actual material and labor costs verses what was on the bid and adjust from there for all similar future bids.

After many years of driving across the city to give a bid just to find out that the customer had no intention on spending the proposed amount or they were price shopping for the magic number; I realized that I needed to ask better questions up front. These questions included the use and reason for remodeling or adding a new space, proposed budget and design thoughts. Once the project is brought to life: I can give minimum charges, design fees or average costs per square foot on that type of project. Once this is done; it is quickly seen if the customer is prepared for this type of major remodel or if they need to save some more money. This is usually done quickly without driving across town.

The hard part is when the customer seeks a bid without really having a concrete plan or budget. Without a concrete plan; it is impossible to compare contractor bids properly. You want to be able to compare a bid with other bids that are using the same or very similar products. The familiar term is “comparing apples to apples”.

Weekly, I’ll get several requests to “bid” on a project where the customer has a number in mind (usually too low) that they want to spend, but they will not reveal that number in fear that a contractor might actually spend it all. Usually, they are vague at best at what they want and when each contractor arrives for the “bid”; the contractor proceeds to design the space how he would want it and come up with a number. If that number doesn’t match what the customer was hoping for; they call another contractor until they find that magic number or ultimately, give up.

Pursuing the magic number is dangerous for a property owner. They might find someone to do what they want for the dollar amount that they want, but when it comes to all of the other contractors’ bids; is the one that they chose really the better value? Is the contractor even qualified or the best choice for this type of work?

I do things a little different from most; I always like to get a semi-concrete direction in what the customer wants. From there, a design can be done and budgets for fixtures, flooring, etc.… can be established making every future competing bid comparable since each will be bidding on the same things. From there, the property owner can make an educated decision on which company is giving the best value for the money.

Product choices and prices can vary on each item. I have seen ceramic tile as low as $.49 a square foot (not recommended) and as high as $20 a square foot. If one contractor comes in sensing your taste and budget would rather have a $10 a square foot tile; while the second contractor comes in and assumes that you would be happy with a $2 a square foot tile; this would make an $8 a square foot price difference in flooring alone. At an $8 a square foot difference; a simple 10’x10’ room could have a $800 difference in flooring pricing alone. If the customer is only seeking a magic number; he could get the project done in his price range, but is he really getting the best quality product and craftsmanship for his money? Product wise, is that even what the customer wanted or is he only focused on the magic number? Make sure that you are comparing apples to apples.

If you are thinking about a major remodel, room addition or a commercial tenant finish in Kansas City; be sure to only approach established licensed contractors that can help you define the design you want while using the products of your choice. Once a design and product list is established; each of the contractor bids can be compared like you would compare apples to apples. From there, you will be able to make an educated decision and get the professional results that you are seeking at the best value for your money.

A very popular carefree perennial is the peony flower. My introduction to this flower was probably ten years ago. I just had taken on a new residential mowing account with a huge lawn. The house was not elaborate but it was huge. It had a large deck that went down and landed on the most massive paver patio that I had seen. The patio had to be at least 20’x40’ and it flowed beautifully out from the house while it curved around missing the enormous oak trees in the yard. Following along the curvy edges of this patio was a three-foot-deep landscape bed with little green plants starting to come out as spring progressed.

One Wednesday morning in May, I came cruising around the corner of this house, headed to the backyard on my 52” Snapper mower and I was immediately intoxicated by the beauty of fifty plus feet of dark pink peony flowers in full bloom in that 3’ landscape bed that followed along the patio. I turned off the mower and approached the row of flowers to touch, smell and drink in this sight. The view was magnificent and forever etched in my mind.

After asking the homeowner, what type of flowers those were; I sought to make sure that I had some in my yard.

The peony flower is a low maintenance perennial plant does well in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Unfortunately, the one down side is that the bloom cycle is short, but even so, it will be a great welcome in your back yard to see it come and show off its colors each spring.

First cut of the year

Spring is here! It’s time to get out in the lawn and landscape and clean it up after winter and recent storm damage. In the landscape, it’s time to cut back perennials and fountain grasses to allow the new growth to come forth. Cut back the knockout roses to your desirable size ( I usually cut them to knee high and let them grow through out the year and only cut back the spent buds). Get the leaves out of the landscape and the window wells so there is no home for unwanted critters. In the lawn, pick up all of the sticks and debris. With all of the storm damage, rake around the trees to get all of the small sticks and bark. If you have access to a blower; walk the yard blowing the grass to help it stand back up and blow the thatch and debris out of the grass. After the yard is cleaned up; mow your grass a little lower than normal. This will cut back any frost damage and help remove the thatch, plus your grass will green up quicker. After cutting, you can overseed any bare areas and/or fertilize with a pre-emergent for crabgrass control.

There has been a lot of hail and wind storms this spring. Many roofs have been damaged and some completely destroyed. These storms typically pull in out-of-town contractors who promise you everything just to get the job, but they usually find the cheapest labor they can find because they are not concerned about quality since they will be gone in a few month leaving you a worthless piece of paper with the word “warranty” on it and a disconnected phone number. Also, with all of this extra available work; many under qualified local contractors without the skill, licenses or workman compensation insurance will seek after to repair your roof.

Property Owners Beware!

Having a roof installed is a major project that many property owners may only do a few times in their lifetime. For the safety of your investment, customers and/or your family; make sure you only hire local contractors who are properly trained and has the proper licenses and workman compensation insurance so you do not end up with a bigger mess than you had with the storm damage. Once the local contractor is hired make sure that they will take the extra effort to protect your siding, landscape and lawn. Plywood should be placed up against windows that could have debris falling near it and also use plywood to deflect debris from the landscape. There is nothing worse than your landscape surviving a hail storm only to get destroyed by fallen debris and being trampled upon. Tarps should be strung out to catch debris and once completed a magnet should be ran around the property to pick up stray nails. It is impossible to get all the nails, but the extra effort goes along ways.

Once the old shingles and tar paper is removed the wood decking needs to be inspected for any water damage and then addressed if need be. The proper flashing, ice and water shield , tar paper and vents should be used to complete the roofing system.  During the shingle installation; the minimal amount of nails should be determined by the manufacturer, but not less than four fasteners per strip or two fasteners per individual shingle. Any less then this; your shingles will blow off during the next strong winds.

After installation and clean up; make sure that your contractor does a final inspection making sure everything was done proper.

Be sure to hire a local company that is properly licensed and insured for your safety and to protect your investment.

This bathroom remodel we added a re purposed antique dresser that was customized into a sink vanity to allow a Moen sink and chrome faucet. The drawers were rebuilt so they would go around the plumbing and basin. There was an extra coat of polyurethane added afterwards to help protect it from water damage.