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| General Questions |
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I hear horror stories about contractors, how can I be sure I
will be satisfied? |
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At Gecko Construction we provide
individual project managers who oversee the project for you. Our
project managers have the experience needed to insure that the
tradesmen on the job complete their task on time using the
highest quality standards. Additionally, we don’t receive final
Payment until the job is completed to your satisfaction. |
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What is the Project Managers job? |
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Since most jobs require several different trades, from Framing,
plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and others, your Project Manager is
your liaison between yourself and the tradesmen. He is in charge
of the project from start to finish. He is there to make sure
the job is done correctly and identify issues that need to be
addressed before they become problems. He is also responsible
for scheduling. |
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How long will my project take?
Do your guys work every day? or do you hop around from job to job? |
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Of course the duration of construction depends on the scope of the work. However, we will provide you with a calendar showing the day to day plan including your completion date. We provide this calendar at the start of the project so you always know who will be working at your home each day. We also put the start and completion information in writing. |
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How long do you guarantee your estimates? |
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Our bids are guaranteed for 30 days from the date they are
received by the customer. |
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How long will it take to get a written proposal? |
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We will deliver to you an estimate and proposal within 5
business days from the initial visit |
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How do I pick colors and products for my project? |
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We get an idea or samples from the customer and then go out and
find the materials to match. |
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How much do you charge for estimates? |
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Our estimates are complete, easy to read and understand and are
free. |
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Is there a charge for blueprints if required? |
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There are charges for blueprinting and they vary by the scope of
the project. The cost of this service can be included in the
written estimate and proposal. |
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What if I already have my blueprints? |
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That is great; it will speed up the process and save you money. |
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I hear about companies adding charges to the job after the work
starts. How can I be sure that won’t happen with Gecko
Construction? |
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No additional charges can be added to our agreement without your
written consent. |
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What is the deposit you require? |
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We charge 30% at the contract signing. Then according to the scale and scope of the project, we will come up with a payment schedule where the work performed is always more than the funds you have provided, we will always leave at least 40% for the final payment which is due upon job completion and your satisfaction. Many contractors receive more money than the work provided, which leaves the customer in a bad situation if something goes wrong. |
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Building Permits |
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I have been told by previous contractors that I don’t need a permit, how do I know? |
Many times contractors don’t like to get permits for various reasons. 1) they’re license may be revoked or suspended 2) the cost 3) the added time due to the inspections
Be ware of contractors who ask you to apply for permits, this is not in your best interest as they may be hiding something. The simple fact is that a permit is required for any electric changes or modifications, pluming changes or modifications, structural changes or modifications. It is true that the customer can do some things without a permit but the moment you employ a contractor, it is their responsibility to get permits.
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What are the cost for building permits? |
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Building Permits vary by the scope of the job. These costs will
be included in the estimate if they are required. |
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How long does it take to get a building permit? |
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The time to have blueprints drawn up and approved so a building permit can be issued
Typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. This is an expected job delay and we keep you up to date throughout this step in the process. We will begin construction within 20 days of issue date on the permit.
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If a building permit is required, can you just skip that and do
the work anyway? |
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No, if a permit is required we are obliged by law to pull them.
We do this as part of our service, we will never ask you the
customer to do this. |
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What if I as the customer / property owner want to pull the
permit? |
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It is legal for a homeowner to pull permits, but keep in mind;
it won’t speed up the process. |
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I want to add to the back of my home, what are some
considerations I should be aware of? |
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The existing A/C unit is a very important item often overlooked.
You need to be sure it will heat and cool the home including the
addition. More often than not it will need to be upgraded or replaced. Also
see what changes need to be made to plumbing, gas lines and
meter, and electrical. |
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Are there substantial differences in windows? |
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Yes, windows range in single pane aluminum framed to high
efficiency glass and vinyl frames. The difference in glass will
impact the energy usage of your home. Especially here in Arizona
with its’ “dry heat”. |
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What about the siding or stucco already on my home? |
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If you are considering a room addition, this is a great
question. Often the materials used in the siding are no longer
available. It is important to find as best a match as possible
so it doesn’t appear that the addition was an afterthought.
Stucco is typically easy to match in texture. |
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I’ve thought about remodeling but I just don’t want to deal with
a big mess. How does Gecko maintain their job site? |
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At Gecko, we believe a clean job site is a safe job site. We
clean up each day which reduces the possibility of someone
getting hurt and this includes our customers. We also put in
writing, on every agreement, that we will clean up and haul away
all job related debris. We leave nothing for our customers to
get rid of, nor do we use their trash cans to do it. |
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Do you use sub-contractors? |
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Yes we do use subs, however, they must pass our background
checks. We make sure they are licensed and current with the ROC.
We make sure they have the proper insurances in place and we
check their past work to insure that they are capable and
prepared to deliver a quality service. One important aspect for
you is this, We stand behind our contractors’ work so if
something goes wrong, we will make any changes or repairs
necessary for your satisfaction. |
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What kind of insurance do you carry? |
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At gecko, your piece of mind is important. Therefore we carry
Workers’ Compensation, a Two Million Dollar General Liability
policy as well as Commercial Truck Insurance. Copies of the
insurance certificates are available upon request. |
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