What's a Citizen to Do About Poor Quality Building?
Fitzpatrick-
A reader writes:
I've long believed that the houses I’ve seen being thrown up are of poor quality and craftsmanship. It seems the focus is on getting it done as cheaply as possible instead of building it to last. What is the layperson to do about it?
Unfortunately, the layperson doesn’t have a lot of choice as a consumer in the selection of a quality dwelling. Sure, they’re a million tract homes out there, but very few quality builders, even though you’ll hear the words “quality builders” ad nauseum.
To change this, pay attention to propositions on the ballot that determine building wages and standards. Publicly object to developer tactics to abolish the Prevailing Wage on Public Works projects. These wage standards are what keep apprecticeship programs alive and skilled workers adequately compensated so they stay in the trades; professions like concrete finishing that can literally cripple your body in two decades. Object to school districts trading in high school vocational building workshops for computer labs; the graduates of which will then lose their jobs to outsourced technology. (Ain't no one outsourcing the electrical work on our new multi-million dollar courthouse or the tile floor in your neighbor's house.) Vote, vote, vote.
I fault lack of standards for the abysmal quality of our labor. Think of it, even the person who cuts your hair or changes the oil in your car must put in hundred of hours of supervised training and have a license. In California, a general contractor or a sub-contractor must be licensed, but there's no regulation any longer requiring any of the laborers working under him/her to have any training whatsoever.
Here's another problem; greed. Even if a large home building company hires professional subcontractors, (or even, god forbid, union-trained labor), they demand such huge discounts, that the framing, electrical, roofing, plumbing, drywall and flooring companies make so little on each house, they tend to cut corners and not care about the work. My husband owns and operates a commercial flooring company. We just got rid of our last production builder client. We work on a cost-plus basis, it’s very fair, but he kept squeezing to the point that we could not do the quality of work we insist on and have the job profitable. It's no surprise that this builder is currently being sued for substandard workmanship; several of his homes are literally cracking apart.
Once upon a time, a home builder was himself a craftsman. Now, he’s an MBA or the private-schooled son or daughter of a home builder, who’s never worn a set of bags (tool bags) in his life. They don’t build houses anymore, they build spreadsheets.
I'd like to build a house in the next 5 years on my own lot. How do I get started learning more about the process?
If you're going to have your own home individually-built, you stand a better chance of ending up with a quality structure. The problem is, if done properly and professionally, it will end up being more expensive than a “production” or tract house. (Not to mention the headache while it’s being built; hope you have a strong stomach/marriage). It’s economy of scale. Also, you’ll have to get a construction loan that will be converted to a conventional mortgage when the structure is complete. These are harder to obtain than an ordinary mortgage, have higher interest rates, and often require higher loan amounts.
There are all kinds of publications around that will teach you about the process. You can also e-mail us with specific questions and we’d be happy to expound. Peg and I are fond of The Taunton Press (see our links); anything by them is generally good, professional information. If you're interested in quality, avoid the plethora of books pitching being your own contractor. You might save money, but with all the poor quality work around, and no consumer standards, if you decide to run your own project you’ll have no idea whether your trades are actually doing a good job; because you don’t know what to look for. You'll also have to pull all your own permits, be there for each inspection, etc. A good building contractor earns his or her money.
As does an architect. You’d be surprised how cheap they are, and what a great structure you can arrive at with their help.
A reader writes:
I've long believed that the houses I’ve seen being thrown up are of poor quality and craftsmanship. It seems the focus is on getting it done as cheaply as possible instead of building it to last. What is the layperson to do about it?
Unfortunately, the layperson doesn’t have a lot of choice as a consumer in the selection of a quality dwelling. Sure, they’re a million tract homes out there, but very few quality builders, even though you’ll hear the words “quality builders” ad nauseum.
To change this, pay attention to propositions on the ballot that determine building wages and standards. Publicly object to developer tactics to abolish the Prevailing Wage on Public Works projects. These wage standards are what keep apprecticeship programs alive and skilled workers adequately compensated so they stay in the trades; professions like concrete finishing that can literally cripple your body in two decades. Object to school districts trading in high school vocational building workshops for computer labs; the graduates of which will then lose their jobs to outsourced technology. (Ain't no one outsourcing the electrical work on our new multi-million dollar courthouse or the tile floor in your neighbor's house.) Vote, vote, vote.
I fault lack of standards for the abysmal quality of our labor. Think of it, even the person who cuts your hair or changes the oil in your car must put in hundred of hours of supervised training and have a license. In California, a general contractor or a sub-contractor must be licensed, but there's no regulation any longer requiring any of the laborers working under him/her to have any training whatsoever.
Here's another problem; greed. Even if a large home building company hires professional subcontractors, (or even, god forbid, union-trained labor), they demand such huge discounts, that the framing, electrical, roofing, plumbing, drywall and flooring companies make so little on each house, they tend to cut corners and not care about the work. My husband owns and operates a commercial flooring company. We just got rid of our last production builder client. We work on a cost-plus basis, it’s very fair, but he kept squeezing to the point that we could not do the quality of work we insist on and have the job profitable. It's no surprise that this builder is currently being sued for substandard workmanship; several of his homes are literally cracking apart.
Once upon a time, a home builder was himself a craftsman. Now, he’s an MBA or the private-schooled son or daughter of a home builder, who’s never worn a set of bags (tool bags) in his life. They don’t build houses anymore, they build spreadsheets.
I'd like to build a house in the next 5 years on my own lot. How do I get started learning more about the process?
If you're going to have your own home individually-built, you stand a better chance of ending up with a quality structure. The problem is, if done properly and professionally, it will end up being more expensive than a “production” or tract house. (Not to mention the headache while it’s being built; hope you have a strong stomach/marriage). It’s economy of scale. Also, you’ll have to get a construction loan that will be converted to a conventional mortgage when the structure is complete. These are harder to obtain than an ordinary mortgage, have higher interest rates, and often require higher loan amounts.
There are all kinds of publications around that will teach you about the process. You can also e-mail us with specific questions and we’d be happy to expound. Peg and I are fond of The Taunton Press (see our links); anything by them is generally good, professional information. If you're interested in quality, avoid the plethora of books pitching being your own contractor. You might save money, but with all the poor quality work around, and no consumer standards, if you decide to run your own project you’ll have no idea whether your trades are actually doing a good job; because you don’t know what to look for. You'll also have to pull all your own permits, be there for each inspection, etc. A good building contractor earns his or her money.
As does an architect. You’d be surprised how cheap they are, and what a great structure you can arrive at with their help.
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