We believe our rates are competitive and reflect the quality, care, workmanship, and professionalism that go into each and every project we undertake for our clients. The security and protection of our clients and employees is our number one concern, and because of this, we carry full business liability insurance, as well as workers compensation. All of our employees are United States citizens or authorized to live and work in the United States, involved in ongoing job site safety training, and paid through a payroll company. We do not hire day laborers, nor do we pay our employees “off the books.” Because we carry full business liability and workers compensation insurance, you, the homeowner, can rest assured that in the rare instance that an accident should happen (we are 100% accident free over our entire decades long history!), you will not be, and cannot be, held legally responsible. With every budget and scope we send out, we include a copy of the insurance forms, provided directly by our carrier, for your peace of mind. We also add you as, additional insured on the policy for the term of your project, which gives you direct policy owner access to the insurance company in the event of any claim.
We always recommend that if you are getting multiple quotes or estimates from other contractors, please ask to see a copy of their business liability insurance and workers compensation policies. If they do not have these, then you, the homeowner, are at risk of being sued if anything happens to them or their employees in your home. If their rates seem exceptionally low, chances are they are paying their employees “off the books”, and do not have insurance. The bottom line is: they make more money by cutting corners, but you carry all the risk and liability. Paying higher salaries to retain quality employees, paying employer taxes and fees, and carrying the proper insurance is very expensive in New York and as a result our rates may be slightly higher than others that do not pay this kind of attention to detail, but we believe the safety and security of our clients and employees outweighs any extra money we could make by cutting corners. Many homeowners find out the hard way that the great deal they got turns out to be not such a great deal in the end. At LDR, we do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do! We believe our prices to be fair and am confident each and every client will feel satisfied that they got value for their hard earned money when the job is completed.
For more information on this subject see Jeff's articles in Upstate House Magazine in our blog or here. https://upstatehouse.com/tips-for-choosing-the-right-contractor/
Estimates are provided at the beginning stages of planning a project. It is a rough range of pricing (called an Order of Magnitude or Schematic estimate) of what your project like it might cost to complete. It is not a quote for work to be performed, but a cited range of pricing in the region for the type of home you want to build, usually written as a range of prices per gross square foot of the house . Once the general pricing range for the project is understood and agreed upon we produce an agreement between us to continue to the design and budgeting phase of the project, where the quoted budget is developed alongside the design. A quote can include material 'allowances' for each undecided condition which allows us to provide pricing for you as we develop the project plan. All quotes are accompanied by a detailed scope of work which is eventually incorporated into our contract. A scope of work is a detailed list of materials and labor of what we will and will not perform to complete your project. Our quotes also include a schedule for the amount of time it will take to complete your project. The
LDR charges a fee for the permitting process based on the project size. This includes collecting paperwork, sketches and plans, delivering paperwork in person to Building Department for filing, and attending initial and final inspections. The town’s building permit fee varies by town and project, and is in addition to LDR’s fee. Plans and drawings are not included in the permitting process.
Plans and drawings are priced according to the size and complexity of the project, and will be quoted and billed separately. All projects require a full set of drawings as they are required to secure a building permit. Our drawings are produced in house by our Director of Design Juhani Kelvin, a registered architect in New York and Massachusetts, Certified Passive House Designer, NCARB and AIA Member. We can also work with the architect you have already engaged or one you prefer to work with.
When you agree to the terms of the contract and the written scope and would like to schedule the job, we ask that you sign the contract and send it back with a payment or 'draw, schedule that has been agreed upon by all parties. These schedules usually include a deposit, payments made based on completed tasks or procured materials, and a small percentage of each held in credit as a retainer to completion of final punch list.
We try our best to keep your scheduled appointment(s) and complete the job in the time requested. However, circumstances beyond our control, such as inclement weather, delays in arrival of ordered materials, labor strikes, subcontractor delays, or equipment problems, may require us to reschedule your appointment or result in your project being delayed. We understand this is frustrating for you, and it is equally as frustrating for us! We appreciate your understanding in these circumstances, and we will notify you in advance of delays if possible.
Occasionally you may decide after you have signed our contract and agreed to the scope that you want to change something, or we may expose a condition that was assumed to be usable that is not. Sometimes we even discover that something we thought was needed, was not or you decide to reuse something like an antique bathtub instead of replacing it. When that happens we will issue a 'change order' to accommodate those events, whether they are an increase or a decrease in the contract amount. A change order is always issued in writing before work is done, signed by both you and our representative and becomes part of the prime contract. One more way we are dedicated to transparency and open book billing.