FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I won’t be the least expensive contractor out there because my price reflects excellent craftsmanship, attention to detail, and pride in the final outcome. I want my customers to be thrilled with both the process and the final product, and I also want them to feel that they paid a fair price for excellent workmanship and high quality materials.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I’m happy to start the relationship with either a phone call or a visit to the project site. If we start on the phone, I will typically ask for a few pictures of the project area via text messaging. Once I visit the new customer at the project site, it’s important that we have enough conversation to know on both sides if we will work well together; process and relationship are hugely important aspects of this venture — who wants a grumpy contractor coming into their home every day for the duration of the project? We will discuss specific plans and goals that the customer has, dream a little bit about any aspects of the project that aren’t firmly established, and then I will get enough photos, videos, and measurements to put together an estimate.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Perhaps surprisingly I’d have to say that 30 years in education as a teacher and principal have provided the best training for my work as a general contractor. Lots of people can fix drywall, hang a door, or build a deck, but not all of them are able to listen to customers, communicate effectively, or solve problems. It is so important to me that my customers love the final product that they hired me to build or fix, but it’s also critical that they enjoy the process and feel comfortable and safe with the contractor who is entering their home. Don’t take this the wrong way, as I will need to be paid for my work, but it’s more important to me that my customers would recommend me to friends and family than getting that final payment. You will also read in the next section that I have nearly 50 years of building and fixing stuff, so if you need it done, I’ve probably already done it a few times, and if I don’t know how, I know how to learn it.