COMPETITIVE PRICING

This page is for those considering building a new structure or addition. If you need remodeling services, this page is not going to correspond to your needs. Please click on the page that best fits what you are looking for. 

CD Pressley provides bid pricing for new homes, businesses, and additions from professionally produced blueprints only. If you do not have any blueprints, we can contract with you to create them. If the structure you want to build is commercial or multi-family, and will be larger than 50k cubic feet, then you would need to have blueprints created by a licensed architect. CD Pressley, is not a licensed architect. 

The blueprint is the foundational document in any construction project. The industry is full of "remodelers" and "builders", that will show up at your door step, and either sketch something out on a napkin, or produce a very poorly detailed "blueprint", and propose a contract price based on that lack luster document. Most of these builders will provide that service for free, and tell the client that everything is considered, that signing a contract based off that, from the hip chicken-scratch, would be in the clients best interest. 

The client often will give into temptation, not wanting to take the time and investment necessary, to take the road best travelled, by contracting separately a professionally created blueprint. One thing the client usually misses in situations like that, is when they have 4 or 5 contractors, each giving them their hastily, independently produced "blueprints",  is that there is no way apples to apples are being compared. Clients almost always choose a contractor in that scenario based on parameters they think are wise, and think are well thought out, but the cart has already been put before the horse. The chance of success is already significantly diminished.

Contracting with someone that produces blue prints, and then using those blueprints to obtain accurate, and properly balanced bids from builders, will always be the wisest path taken. 

What kind of clients appreciate our services most?

1. Those that realize the design process is critical, that obtaining bids from various tradesmen, making a decision as to who should be hired, meeting the demands of the government, managing the construction site and the performance of the work, all require a skilled person that performs that kind of management work on a regular basis.

2. The clients that hire us don't have ideas that they know more about the trades than the tradesmen themselves. 

3. Our clients are not foolish with their funds, yet they have a strong understanding, that with quality there is cost. They won't pay the highest price on the market for quality work, but they also don't have outlandish ideas, of finding a contractor that will provide them with high quality work, for a dirt cheap price. 

4. Our clients appreciate having a General Contractor, that has an in depth knowledge of not just contracting, but design as well. 

5. Our clients expect their General Contractor to consider the whole picture, then give them the information they need to make an educated decision, on what is best for their project. 

6. Our clients know that the have selected a General Contractor that will put their interests first, while being fair and honest with all tradesmen working on the project. 

7. The clients that hire us want a General Contractor that is college educated in contract and construction law, that will not accept poor performance, or bad work ethic, by any of the tradesmen, and will take any action necessary to defend their interests, insuring the project stays on track. 

8. Our clients want a General Contractor that has experience creating and implementing construction timelines, and takes the time to make sure they fully understand the process, from beginning to end. 

9. They want a General Contractor that will never conceal anything of reasonable significance that arises at any time. 

10. While it may be esoteric to some, our clients either want, or appreciate, a General contractor that has a strong belief, that his work is his legacy, and has a firm belief that 100 to 150 years from now, the admiration of future tradesmen, and industry professionals, as to the test of time his work has endured, is the highest achievement this industry has to offer. 

Services can be provided on a percentage basis starting at 10% of entire job cost. This is for additions, full house remodels and new builds. A bathroom, kitchen, or basement remodel would not typically fit this type of contract. 

With a percent based contract, we provide services as needed for design, contract bidding with the subcontractors, awarding of contracts subject to your approval, permitting with authorities, management of the work to be performed, oversight of all warranty situations, and make all payments to subcontractors. 

All costs of the contracts with subcontractors, including structural engineers and or other licensed professionals if needed, permitting costs, etc are the total that we then use to calculate our fee. This is the most transparent method of doing business. 

If you want design and build services, not just general contracting, then pricing starts at 16%. 

This is what most people are familiar with. This is the seller/buyer option. We tell you a total price for the total project and you either say yes, or no, to that price. Most people prefer this option, but this is where it gets tricky. I will explain. 

Lets say you want a new addition. If you don't have blueprints, then what will we use to give you a price?  If I give you a price without there being any blueprints, wouldn't that mean I'm speculating on what the addition will include, and will look like. If once we build it you aren't happy with what you got for your money, who is at fault? Does the contractor give you more, just because you thought you were going to get more? 

Think of it like this. You want to buy a car. You go to the dealer and tell him you want a really nice one. He replies, "oh no worries, I got a really nice one I can sell you. It will be a midsized car, red with a black interior." You say, oh that sounds lovely, (while picturing a new Porche). You buy the car and then it rolls up - your new Volkswagen. But of course that doesn't happen, because before you buy a car, you know every detail possible about the car, even being able to test drive it. 

A home isn't any different, except that in order to be able to demonstrate exactly what your addition will include and look like, there first has to be a lot of work involved in designing the addition so that blueprints can be created which are the documents that are then used to provide honest pricing from. Its not as easy as selling a car that has detailed documents at the ready for the salesmen to show, as well as the car itself, sitting there for you to inspect and test drive. 

Total price contracting can only happen in an honest manner if there is a professionally produced blueprint, including a material selection list to price from. Anyone that shows up and throws out a number from their hip and tries to contract you on that number, is a scammer, or is giving you a price that is so bloated it would cover 18k gold faucets. 

Clients often dont realize how each and every item can affect the total cost. For instance, changing from carpet to marble tile, 8' or 10' ceilings, whether there is a crown molding and whether it is a multi stepped crown or just one component, etc etc. 

While not a wise method, there are average pricing "ball parks", that can be loosely calculated by square foot. A new home or addition built today will be difficult for less than $200 a square foot.  The problem however, with square foot pricing, is that its not a good method for predetermining cost. For instance, I could build a house for 150/ft, but you probably wouldn't like it. I could also build one for 300/ft and you wouldn't want to ever leave. Square foot pricing, while it can give a rough idea of potential cost, it is not a wise method of determining cost during contract negotiation. 

Keep in mind a simple rule of thumb - if it seems too easy, it probably isn't going to end up well. Total price contracting is only possible if there is a blueprint to price from. We usually do not bid on jobs that have blueprints by others. We will only price a job that has blueprints that have been created by CD Pressley. 

Abraham Lincoln once famously stated that "every self represented person has a fool for a lawyer". That saying is true even more so for general contracting . 

A general contractor is the representative for the client to the designers, government and tradesmen. While a lawyer practices his profession, a general contractor performs it. There is no room for error, and no chalking it up to practice vs performance when it comes to building a structure. If a lawyer fails representing you and you go to jail, he shrugs his shoulders and says its just a practice. However if a general contractor builds a home and it falls down on you, he can't shrug his shoulders and say "oh, but I only practice construction".  A lawyer can always claim they just practice, not perform legal services, while a general contractor must always perform. 

Taking on that kind of responsibility when construction is not your day job, is very unwise. Considering that your home is most likely your largest investment, to not put it in the hands of a professional will likely result in significant regret. 

If you don't want a horror story, be willing to take the time to do things right. Contracting is a highly demanding profession that requires a significant amount of experience and skill. Trust in those that do it for a living. For those that have read this far and agree, I think we would be a great fit to discuss your future goals on your home or business. We look forward to the privilege of meeting you, and hopefully helping you meet your goals.