Building Contractor

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Commercial residential, interior, exterior design, and construction. hard landscape design and construction

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. that even we are trying to be good and have experience we some times make mistake like any one else. We also are relying on other subcontractors, and suppliers. We do our best to avoid understanding, but it could happen.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. It is hard to make everyone happy, Remodeling is hard on home owners. I would like to see if I am able to have a friendly relationship with my contractors first. can I trust them with my family my home and my belongings. I would ask the potential contractor how long have they been in the area do they own their Home? and I will make some effort to meet them after hours, for a drink or find a excuse to meet them at their home. You would know a lot about other people that way.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Customer must do a little research and go to a book store look at many colors and spaces and try to communicate with us then ask us to explain and be sure we are talking on the same path.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I have a Graduate degrees in architecture and interior architecture. I have a long history working in the field of design and construction. I am also an artist in Water colors and oil paintings. I look at any construction an artistic affair, but here the media is the space to function and make the users feel good and live happier.
For me consideration of usage of water and energy is important. in my House I am using all my Gutters to store water to Garden, utilize sun in the winter to heat the spaces, and avoid the Sun in the Summer time.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I have achieved working in large scale but as i am going forward in my path I realize that small houses are what I want to improve. I like to make little spaces to be more efficient and help people to spend less and get more for their needs

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Usually my costumers are concern about the cost and wonder if a good design mean an expensive approach?
I tell them not necessarily but it sue helps to get out of their investments

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. 35 years ago my first estimate was $30 over the phone to paint a 10'X8' porch floor for an older lady. It was so exciting to get my first job that it was not important to loose or make a profit. after driving 15 miles with my tools and a 67 VW Van I noticed that it will take more than a day work to scrape vacuum prime and paint. The owner noticed my concern and she wanted a new estimate, but I did not want to loose the pleasure of my first job, plus thought of some one may help my poor Grand Ma some day. It took me 14 hour from early morning to the dark to finish that job. Next day I got call for a big job and big profit, and the owner gave me more work and recommended me to other people later. My business was really doing well and life was so good and busy many people to be friend with and provide work for many workers was very satisfying.
One day I asked my client how lucky I was to advertise so we could find each other. He said he never saw my add, it was his Mother in Law who recommended me. How did your Mother knew about me? I asked. He said the Lady that I painted her Porch.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish they know That I am very aware of the Economy and it will be a pleasure to find ways to save time and money. I want them to know that I am going to invent ways to solve the problem without worry that it may come back. I want them to know if we paint it is going to have a longer life than a normal paint job. and when I design they will see how it is going to look after it is done. so what they see is what they get.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I have been in this line of work since 1974 when I came to The US as a Graduate Architect student I was buying a home or a building improve it. I admired the older buildings in Dallas and would love to save them for the future. I believe that a reasonable men adjust themselves to their environment, and unreasonable men adjust the environment to themselves, and I feel we Americans are unreasonable people.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I have restored and remodeled few of the turn of the century era. I am very proud to buy these buildings and improve our neighborhoods

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am now researching to utilize natural energy, like wind and Sun in mu addition. I have taken courses in Plumbing and Electrical just to understand the language of my sub contractors.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. I know we are in transition and our building will be obsolete in the area of electrical HVAC and perhaps water consumption.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I did a project to restore 24 units of apartment and involved $500,000 it took 6 months to finish

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I use a software called RSMeans Repair& Remodeling cost Data

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. That we are in it to serve people, and it is not a get rich quickly. We should do what we say we can do.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. I ask my client about their ideas first and try to do the best to make it work.
Do they have a plan?
Do they have an existing drawing of their building.