Getting the Builders in: ..And Staying in Control
Paul J. Grimaldi Paperback 224 pages (March 18, 2003)At last, someone has finally written a book on employing contractors. Most people have a least heard, if not experienced stories of inept builders, and this book is the first to help you avoid them, starting from step one – how to avoid the ‘cowboys’! Next, it’s a matter of getting the best from your contractors, and that’s what this book is really about. Author Paul J Grimaldi condenses his 30 years’ experience into the essentials of domestic ‘project management’: - knowing what you want - knowing what to expect - knowing how to deal with any problems that arrive (and they always do!) There are also chapters on building design, payments for works and disputes. But this is not a ‘bite sized’ book of snappy bullet points and little else. It is a source of practical advice that is backed with solid examples and indispensable detail. For example, Grimaldi suggests that your contract contains the clause – "claims for unforeseeable work will not be entertained where the work could reasonably have been anticipated by a thorough survey." – A simple but priceless inclusion, as it will save you considerable cost and heartache if your builder intends to start ‘trying it on’ with extra, ‘unforeseeable’ works! And it is only one of countless ‘pearls of wisdom’ that are to be found in Getting the Builders in. An essential read before you embark on having work done on your home