What do we know about design/build contractors.

[vash]

My wife and I want to bring our home out of the 70’s and into (at least) this decade. It’s a big renovation. Essentially taking my flat roof off and installing a sloped flat roof. My roof has a parapet around it that can and does fill with leaves. I climb up there to rake three times annually. It is perfectly flat with a few (minor) ponding issues. Mitigated with a welded seam roofing material.

A new modern garage door, windows and changing up done exterior wall materials would be awesome, and complete the look. I would take advantage and do some stuff to the interior as well.

I’m not an architect or do I have any creativity. I’d build a shoebox with doors.

Is a design-build firm what want to go with? How do you go about finding one? If there wasn’t a pandemic I would stop at a few renovations and ring a few doorbells for references. The wildfires did bring a lot of builders to our area.

[908/930]

I would speak with a good roofer first, usually about 1 1/2" to 2" rise over a foot is what they want for a folded standing seam metal roof around here, depends how high the seam is, shorter runs can probably be done with tapered foam by the roofers. They will possibly know of decent framers to do the rest of the wood work. I assume you are planning to use existing trusses? Talk to the roofers about the flashing details also, check out some other houses they did for ideas.

Not sure if you will need a building permit for modifying the roof, load should be less?

I did a low slope with a parapet around to make it safer to clean, and no eaves trough to deal with, but I do prefer the look of a thin overhang metal roof.

[Zeke]

For what you aim to do I wouldn't engage a design/build contractor. Just go through a ton of magazines and real estate brochures/ads and pick you what you like. The roof project needs an engineer more than a designer.

Windows are pretty straight forward. Grids or no grids. Interior, well there are so called design people at HD and Lowes so utilize them but don't buy.

A guy I built a lot for told me one day that in order to be successful just find someone who is successful in whatever area of interest and copy that person. There is a reason some things always look good.

Keep it simple and clean and you won't regret it.

There seems to be a trend now to hang surface mounted sliding doors in the interior. IOW, a pocket door that doesn't go into a pocket. Often times they use rustic, like some kind of barn door theme.

That fad will blow over fast.

I once was going to write a book about home fads from the wine barrel Jacuzzi's of the 70's to various window treatments to deck design, etc. It's amazing just looking at all the different shutters that have come out. Wallpaper and tile change or go away.

It's crazy. Keep in simple.

[944 S2]

I might be cheaper to move! I assume you like were you live, cause it will cost you an arm and a leg and a left you know what.

[look 171]

Hey Cliff, give me a call. I'll walk you through the processes, expectations from both designers and contractors and the order of getting this off the ground. I am jsut sitting here working on drawings for a client, bored out of my mind. Still got my number? Now its a great time if you wanna talk.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 944 S2

I might be cheaper to move! I assume you like were you live, cause it will cost you an arm and a leg and a left you know what.

Naaaaah.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I personally HATE design-build. It’s (IMHO) the absolute worst procurement method there is - unless you’re the contractor, then it’s a way to make lotsa money.

That said, I do mostly bigger projects, government and critical infrastructure stuff - not small residential jobs... My advice for that would be to spend a lot of time shopping around and engage a number of residential GCs - get references and take your time. There are an awful lot that talk a good game and are great salespeople / schmoozers but when push comes to shove will show their true colors - sub everything out, go cheap and not be shy about hitting you for mods. References are absolutely essential.

On the upside, I’ve seen a few residential GCs that actually were pretty fair designers and had a pretty good eye for detail and could think practically about what would be simple / easy / inexpensive to build yet still look good and actually hold up long-term too. That last one is the key... a lot of people can make something look good but not last, particularly in this day and age of throwaway everything (including building products). When we pick stuff it’s pretty tightly performance-speced with a very clear emphasis on long-term durability (because nobody in government puts any money into maintenance). So it tends to be over-designed. Residential is the other extreme - it’s 3-5 year construction if you’re lucky in a lot of cases.

Take your time, talk to people and get good, solid references. Talk with the prospective contractor and if you don’t get a good vibe, walk. Don’t succumb to pressure or slick fast-talkers. Or simply engage an architect to represent you (shameless plug). In all seriousness there are architects that love small residential jobs and do a lot of them, and will know some of the better contractors to reach out to once you’ve got a design concept worked out. They really can help you a lot.

Good luck!