What is a General Contractor?
A General Contractor, or builder, is responsible for the whole construction project from beginning to end, and is the client or owners contact person throughout the construction process. He may hire sub-contractors to complete certain aspects of the project, or complete them through internal means. He is required by law to subcontract out certain trades or obtain a separate license. A general contractor manages the construction schedule, manages sub-contractors, insures that the project is built according to plan, provides quality control, solves problems that arise, manages coordination with municipality requirements, and manages the financing of the project.
Why should I hire a licensed General Contractor?
A licensed contractor provides the client peace of mind in four ways. 1. In order to obtain a license, the contractor has to have years of experience in his field giving him knowledge and expertise of his trade or profession. In addition, he must pass a series of written tests, pay licensing fees, and organize a legal business entity. 2. Licensed contractors are required by law to provide a warranty of at least a year on everything he builds or provides. 3. If problems arise between you and the contractor, The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) provides you the homeowner an opportunity to take part in the "Residential Contractors Recovery Fund". If the homeowner feels they have been wronged by a contractor, they may file a formal complaint with the ROC. Through the process of this formal complaint, the homeowner may take part in the Recovery Fund and recieve compensation for damages. The contractor could loose his license and therefore his abiltiy to conduct business in Arizona. 4. The licensed general contractor is required by law to provide General Liability Insurance and Workmans Compensation Insurance for employees. These insurances provide you the homeowner with an added level of protection against liability and damages.
How do I know if someone is really licensed, or if their license is current?
The first place to look if you are trying to investigate a contractor is the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website. On the ROC website, you can see if the license of a contractor is current, the type of license they carry, or if there have been any formal complaints filed on this contractor. Click HERE to check out the ROC website.
Why do the unlicensed guys seem less expensive?
In the long run they are actually more expensive! An unlicensed contractor seems cheaper initially because his cost of "doing business" are less. They typically do not have insurance, they do not provide warranties, they don't take part in the Recovery Fund, many times they have less experience, they often do not pay taxes and try and do everything "under the table". In the long run, taking these risks only costs the owner more money. They often do not have even so much as a legal business entity. A name and phone number on a pretty business card does not make him a professional contractor, does not provide a warranty or provide the protection and experience that homeowners deserve!
I don't like the track homes, but I can't afford a huge custom home. Can you build a custom home that fits in my budget?
Don't get caught in the track home trap! Many people mistakenly believe a custom home has to cost seven figures. We can build a home, custom made to order, to fit any budget. We have built homes starting at 800 square feet! We can fit on almost any lot, with almost any budget. We can provide plans, help with design ideas, and be creative.
I want to remove a load bearing wall in my house. Can you do that?
YES! As long as we do it the right way. We start by having your plans approved by the municipality. Then we have to transfer the load carried by the wall to another more desirable location. Typically this is done with posts and beams. Below are pictures of how we have done it in the past.
First, we build temporary walls to hold the load. Then we retrofit in a large beam to take the load, and remove the temporary walls. Now the load has been transferred to the new beam. As pictured to the left, the new glu-lam beam is the lighter colored wood. The existing ceiling rafters (darker colored) tie into the new beam with engineered hanger hardware. Not pictured are the new wood posts on each end of the beam supporting the structure.
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Now that the load is carried by the new beam, we can safely remove the original load bearing wall. As pictured (left) the wall is now partially removed.
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Can you build an addition to my home, that doesn't look like "an addition"?
YES! When doing additions, we always use matching materials to the existing and we do not take short cuts, so that the transition from new to old becomes very difficult to see. In addition, roof lines are extended and tied in almost seamlessly. Nothing looks more tacky than a poorly done addition.
Why should I hire White Tundra Construction over the other guy?
We are a family owned and operated business. You will deal directly with the owner of the company who has an obvious interest in client satisfaction. You won't be dealing with a subordinate, or sub contractor. Questions and concerns are answered right away by someone who actually has the answers! Construction is our chosen profession. We did not fall into this industry because we could not do anything else or because we did not want to go to college. Quite the opposite. The owner of White Tundra Construction has a Bachelor's Degree from a top Construction Management program in the country.