I have been designing my home for about a year. As time has gone on the project has grown substantionally. It went from a slight remodel/rennovation to a tear down and build new. The project is very contemporary with a large amount of glass, and open space. Steel is the main structral member.
Since the project is so large, I have decided to relieve the burden from myself and hire a GC. I have been looking at several commercial contractors, because here around Chicago those are the best ones for the type of construction I will be doing..
So anyway I haven’t had a whole lot of luck finding interest in my project from these commercial guys who are used to doing 5+ million dollar multi-family or office building spaces.
I did have a meeting with one company and would like to share some of the proposal I got back. I am not at all sure how fair his pricing is. I have been trying to do my due diligence and get some more quotes for comparison but no luck as of yet.
If any of you could share your opinions would be much appreciated.
EDIT:: I’ve deleted the images and reposted them below in my reply
Replies
Eww, 800x600 restriction.
Here are some elevation shots of the project
b....i think you're chasing
the wrong contractors
your project looks more in tune with a good custom builder GC....or some of the better Project Manager firms
i think you are not going to get the attention to detail you will need with Commercial GC's
Agreed.
Commercial guys are not going to be used to the hand-holding and level of finish detail you probably want. They want all details on the plans and then they get the low bidder to blow it out.
You should probably find some of the custom homebuilders in the area who can run a design/build project for you.
Oh, and your proposal there for $800K - $1.3M? How does he figure he can get high end homebuilding done in a market like Chicago for $130-200/SF? It'll never come in anywhere near that.
Sorry David, do you mean thats too low or too high? my brain is fried for the night.
I didn't read it that closely
but one part of his proposal states something like "based on an expected contract of $800,000 to $1,300,000" to which he will add his markup and possibly his general conditions.... but it seems very low for a house with a steel frame and no doubt lots of nice finishes. I could build you that house in my market in the $3,500,000 range.
I know exactly one contractor in Chicago and he's really, really good. It would be worthwhile calling him for his thoughts. http://www.manorredevelopment.com/
First of all, I will admit to being an Architect. I will also admit to being one familiar with the Chicago area. But it would probably be wrong for me start off by telling you to call me, call me!
You seem to have a vision which is more than a concept. I think you need to interview residential architects in and around your area. It costs nothing to interview them. You can start by even just Googling Residential Architects in you municipality. You'll see their websites, you'll see some of their projects, and you'll read some of their thoughts on how they provide their services.
Share your thoughts and concerns with them and see if you sense a chemistry with anyone. Ask for references, call the references, ask to visit the completed projects. Ask about the extent of the services they provide and ask about the contractors they work with.
Granted, some architects give my profession a bad name just as some contractors and construction managers do the same for their disciplines. You need an architect that sees you as a homeowner with a family, and not as an opportunity to build a monument to themselves.
And if you can't find one you feel comfortable to work with, then call me, call me!
Good Luck in this adventure. I believe all should experience such an undertaking. Your project has great potential for achieving so much satisfaction.