- Home
- About Us
- Why Lyon
- Gallery
- What's Important
- Services
- What's New
- Contact Us
- Lyon Tales Blog
- NKBA Standards and Guidelines
- How to Choose the Right Contractor for You and Your Family
- Green Kitchen Remodel
- Energy Conservation / Green
- Tale of a General Contractor... Can't Live With Us, Can't Live Without Us?!
- Words Work Wonders in the Client-Advisor Relationship
- Bathroom Design Trends
- Your Design and Remodel team!
- Improvements that make economic sense
- Lyon Kitchen Remodel
Join the Lyon E-News Mailing List
General Contractors - Can't Live Without Us?!
A clients' innocent comment recently made us
realize we're not doing a great job of clarifying our place in the industry - or
even the services we offer!
Here's what she said when we were talking
about the various jobs to be completed in and around her home related to an
energy audit: "I didn't realize you could coordinate all that work for me!".
Even though we'd remodeled a Master Bathroom some years ago for them, and had
done some other work at their home, these friends and clients just didn't
understand the scope of a General Contractors responsibilities (and I apparently
hadn't explained!).
Roughly speaking, General Contractors
coordinate and supervise all aspects of the projects they're hired to complete.
This often includes employees and subcontractors labor, materials purchase and
installation, and all other tasks related to 'getting the job done'. What some
people consider a simple kitchen remodel actually breaks down into somewhere
between 100 and 1000 separate and individual tasks, many of which need to be
sequenced. The General Contractor's job is to coordinate and conduct that
activity so the project is completed efficiently.
In the case of this Client, she just wanted
some help interpreting and implementing some of the audit recommendations for
her home. This initially included insulation, window repairs, and completion of
some other small projects. When we started discussing the details of the
individual tasks, however, she realized that the work would require 5 different
subcontractors, 20 or more product selections and deliveries, and various other
components. What was thought to be a few simple tasks turned into a management
exercise that these folks were unwilling and unable to commit the time to - and
that's where we come in.
We've found this to be a good general rule -
if your project has only one skilled trade working on it (room painting, faucet
replacement, etc), a General Contractor is not required (although you could hire
our Lyon Cub Small Projects division to handle it!). But if it has 3 or
more different trades, involves a large or important space in your home, or you
actually have another job already!, then calling a General Contractor like Lyon
is probably a wise investment. Call Lyon - we'll help talk you through the
options and you can decide for yourself!
Love, love, love it - our green kitchen remodel will make an enormous difference.