The Inside Outside Guys ~ Create a Specification Before Any Work Starts on Your Home

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein

DETROIT, July 13, 2023 ~ In this busy economy, it is not surprising the Guys get a lot of emails from owners who have had work done by contractors that don’t use well-written contracts and proposals.

What we hear from our listeners is that they “really don’t know what they should have gotten,” or they “have no idea what recourse is available to them” in the event of an issue arising after the work is complete. The common explanation is simple. “We tried for so long to get someone out here, we hired the first person that showed up with a ‘credible’ proposal.”

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July 13, 2023 ~ Chuck “The Inside Guy” Breidenstein and Ken “The Outside Guy” Calverly offer the knowledge and resources you need to make the home of your dreams a reality. Catch them every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon on 760 WJR.

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We get it. But you should know there are laws and rules that contractors are obligated to follow, and the good ones will do so not only because it’s required, but because, in most cases, the mandates represent good business practice.

Start with the idea of creating a good specification. The law says the contract must be clear in terms of what is going to be done, what will be provided, and how much the work described will cost.

How does a homeowner create or obtain a good specification?

The answer lies in talking with a great provider, one more reason to use the professionals like the ones at InsideOutsideGuys.com.

When the Inside Guy was still building homes, it was not unusual to have to bid on a specification he was not up to date or familiar with. A typical one might be the installation of a private water well for the home.

The Guy would invite a great local well driller to enjoy a free meal while the two talked about wells and well installation. During the course of the extended encounter, the Guy would learn about the process and pricing while also making it clear this future work was going to be done, preferably by the professional at the table.

The Inside Guy used the information gleaned from this meeting to create a bid specification for the well including items such as estimated depth, pump type and size, and various other material and process information unique to that work.

Why would a professional let you take such advantage of them? Because it is what they do. The good ones know if they create the specification and invest in building a relationship with the builder, they have an inside track of getting the work.

They want the work to provide for their families. Good sales consultants are trained to do this very thing with you in your home. They are knowledgeable regarding what constitutes good product and good process in their specialty. Such people will also use the written contract to reinforce what they anticipate doing so that you become more comfortable with all that “legal mumble-jumble.”

Keep in mind the written contract is your agreement reduced to writing.

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For housing advice and more, listen to “The Inside Outside Guys” every Saturday and Sunday on 760 WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact them at InsideOutsideGuys.com.

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