You’ve decided to build. You have spent months planning and saving
and sacrificing to be able to have that garage, barn, shell home or
accessory building at last. You and your wife have discussed all the
details. So you go to the internet to find a Building Contractor. What
do you find? Terms and titles like: General Contractor, building
contractor, framing contractor, remodeler, and the list goes on. Who is
best suited for your building project and what will it cost?
SUCCESSFUL GARAGE CONSTRUCTION COMES FROM EXPERIENCE AND NOTHING ELSE.
The cost of the materials, the labor to install them, the insurance
to cover the project, and supervision of the job determine the price of a
garage, shell home, addition, or accessory structure.
When you want to build a new structure, you want a Building
Contractor, preferably one that specializes in the type of building
project you want to undertake. You want a Building Contractor that has
been in business for many, many years. You don’t want a remodeler who is
short on business and has decided to rebrand themselves a new
Construction Builder. The knowledge it takes to produce a worry-free
building in a timely fashion can only come as a result of building those
structures over and over and over again. Every detail of a successful
garage project counts. The way you turn a board, the nails you use, the
importance of leveling and measuring twice and therefore only cutting
once. All of these things are watermarks of an experienced tradesman.
The materials used to construct a garage are as important as who is
building the structure itself. There are multiple grades of lumber.
Lumber in some applications must be salt-treated. Grade one lumber is
custom cut lumber, largely used for custom cabinetry and other products
that are high-end building products. Grade two and three lumber is used
in construction of buildings. Grade two is a bit better than three. It
is uniform, unwrapped and with few knots and other deformities inherit
to wood products. Grade three lumber is considered by many to be “trash”
lumber because it is riddled with knots, decay, warping and other
either natural or imposed defects.
Knowledge of which fasteners to use and where is as important as the
wood they are affixed to. Caulks and other adhesives used in building
are numerous and many are specific to application. If you use the wrong
adhesive to caulk around windows and it shrinks because it isn’t an
exterior product, you might as well as used nothing at all.
If you want to cut corners to save money you will be giving something
up elsewhere. If you chose number three lumber you will spend an
enormous amount of time sifting and returning bad lumber. Depending on
the task, you may have to increase the amount of lumber used to
accomplish the same result. If your contractor puts the bottom plate
down upside down, the base of the building will curl up over time. If
studs are used that are twisted, the walls will rack over time. If the
trusses are offset and out of plumb, and the fasteners are off at the
corners, the roof assembly will shift over time. The torque created
due to the offset will cause the trusses to lift off of the top plates.
If fasteners necessary are not in the proper place(s), or there aren’t
enough of them, the lumber can pull apart.
Ideally, the cost of each project has 3 proportional components:
materials, labor and overhead. If a company suffers intense overhead,
it may try to either lower the wage for labor or alter its materials to
remain competitive. In order to lower the labor expense, the laborers
used must change. Experience commands higher wages, so using less
experienced workers can help lower the overall cost. Exchanging number
two lumber for number three will also reduce the material costs.
Let me give you an example. When I need a “throw-away” notebook for
my 3 year-old child, I can go to the local dollar store and get one for a
buck and be on my way. Nothing lost, it’s a notebook that she will
scribble in and draw pictures and spill her snack-time milk on. No
biggie. If I need to get a 3-ringed binder that will last her a couple
of months for school work, I’ll probably go to Wal-Mart. If my office
needs a new job board, I’ll probably go to OfficeMax to buy that because
I need it to last a long time. So, that longevity justifies paying a
little more money for better quality.
Buildings are not disposable. They are to stand erect for decades, in
good condition. In order to do so, they must be able to withstand
tens of thousands of pounds of force and weathering, on a daily basis,
from beneath, the sides and the roof, individually and collectively.
Safe construction isn’t something an ordinary person can undertake. You
have to have specialized training for years in many disciplines to be a
successful builder or construction worker. Hey, will a little common
sense and determination be enough? NO. Can extra adhesive in the corners
make up for missing nails and fastening plates? NO.
In a tax-conscience world, a stable, responsible Building Contractor
who has long-term workers, not necessarily employees, with years and
years of established work, who specializes in the project you want to
start is a company you want to do business with. While it is great to
help out a “new kid on the block”, it will be a life-long decision you
will have to live with. SUCCESSFUL GARAGE CONSTRUCTION COMES FROM EXPERIENCE AND NOTHING ELSE.
Building using kits is a cost-effective choice initially. You get
your lumber and fasteners delivered straight to your door and all you
need is labor. Okay, established builders don’t build with kits. Why?
Changes on-site and changes in code render kits annoying, at best, to
established contractors. There is a swap of lumber due to poor
condition, there are fasteners missing, the lumber count is off, door
frames that are warped and no threshold exists, windows are smaller than
you wanted, so what to do? Get some friends or workers together waiting
for a days work at the local 7-11? Besides, you can get some names when
you have to hire out the foundation, right? WRONG. This isn’t a Barbie
Treehouse, it is a building that you are going to be in along with your
cars and tools and belongings. It’s on your property next to your home.
Do you want it to add or subtract from the property value?
An experience garage builder has already planned for all of the
things mentioned above and about 50 other things. You sit back with your
coffee and watch a hole turn into a building that in some cases is
built better than your home. Call H.W. ENTERPRISES, INC. for a successful, timely garage project at 
757-595-4562 or 757-696-1927. VISIT US AT: WWW.HWENTERPRISESINC.COM . Short-sighted building is a nightmare from start to finish and beyond. H.W. ENTERPRISES, INC. HAS OVER 59 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BUILDING GARAGES, SHELL HOMES, ADDITIONS AND BARNS. We are cost-competitive while being quality orientated. There is no need to go anywhere else.
Ask yourself this question before you build: Do I want a
Dollar Store, a Walmart or Office Max permanent garage, addition, shell
home, barn or other accessory structure?