RDG Read Development is a good choice for structural basement work, jobs that will involve a fair amount of carpentry or framing and small jobs that will involve a variety of skill sets but not necessarily have the budget to hire a variety of different trades.
We are also now contracting detached new construction, using practices that are more energy efficient practices than the norm.
Developing a Plan
The first step is to call us to discuss your goals. We will offer some free general guidance and a rough idea as to what your project might cost. If the project is small, we will be able to write up a punch-list and a contract and get straight to work.
If the project is larger, we will take the time to fully define a plan. Depending on the complexity of your project, we may suggest drawings, permitting and or engineering before moving ahead.
Designers vs Architects
Consider using a designer for your plans instead of an architect. A designer may charge half what an architect would. The City may require plans, and they may require an engineer’s stamp on those plans. As long as the plans meet certain basic drafting requirements (What Plans do I need for a Building Permit?), it does not matter who prepares them. Designers can be just as creative and aesthetically focused as an architect. There does seem to be a consensus among contractors that designers see themselves more as service providers than artists and are a bit more attuned to the engineering and building process.
Permits & Engineering
The City (Portland’s Bureau of Development Services) has a brochure titled Do I need a Permit for My Project. If it’s not already obvious, the City will also determine whether you need engineering for your project.
Permitting adds expense and takes extra time at the start and during the project. Nevertheless, it is not a good idea (or legal) to undertake a project of any real complexity that requires a permit without a permit. The liabilities and exposure for everyone involved is significant: your homeowner insurance will most likely not honor related claims; it may make it difficult to sell your house; it would complicate your ability to file a claim against your contractor; and you do lose the sometimes real benefit of an informed third party signing off on your contractor’s work.
Timeline
It can take a long time to get from idea to permit. Plans often move through BDS in a slow cycle, waiting on each desk along the way. Even “design/build” operations have to work with the city, which is on it’s own schedule. It safe to assume that it will take 2 to 3 months before you have a permit in hand for something like a dormer or basement dig out.
Contracts, Notices & Terms
Start with a telephone call to see if we are a good fit for your project. Next we will come by for a first home visit to talk it over in more detail and look at the job and surrounding site. Research, phone calls, number crunching, and possibly a second visit leads to a bid. Sometimes, it is not practical to estimate a bid until a near final set of building plans have been created. This means that engineering and planning costs may be outside of our construction bid.
With the bid, we will deliver a set of documents required by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. You can preview these Residential Notices Given by Contractors.
We have slowly realized that the way to work with clients, on any medium and larger size job, is on a bid with contingencies basis. The client gets a good idea as to what the job will cost, but the contractor is also reasonably protected if we discover that your entire rafter system is riddled with dry-rot or there is a boulder the size of a volkswagen under your basement floor.
Generally, we ask to receive 1/3 of the job cost up front and the remainder, less 10%, at final permit or completion. The last 10% is labeled retainage, and we receive that 30 days after completion. It is intended to give the customer some comfort if issues arise after we are gone. We will still address problems after those 30 days, but some retainage amount is common in construction. There is a lot of flexibility in setting up the terms, and they do vary case by case.
Smaller projects can work on a time & materials basis or a bid basis with payment after completion.