Category Archives: the Archadeck Difference

Top 5 reasons not to be your own contractor by Archadeck of Central GA

Macon GA screened porch with fireplace
It is important to let a professional take the reins and see to it that your outdoor dreams are brought to life in a timely manner with quality workmanship and materials.

When it comes to adding an outdoor living space to your home, there are certain things that should not be undertaken or decided upon without the help of an expert. These things are quality, structural expertise, cost, and safety. These are the aspects that may be lost when deciding to be your own general contractor for your structural outdoor project. I like to compare the pitfalls that homeowners experience when choosing to be their own general contractor to representing yourself in a trial with no prior experience of how the judicial system operates. A novice taking on their own defense would not be familiar with the judge, the district attorneys, or even how to present a case. All good intentions aside in order to represent yourself you need the guidance of an experienced professional with knowledge of the courtroom. The same can be said about an experienced contractor. A seasoned builder or contractor knows the business and how it operates, how to get the best values on the highest quality materials and how to avoid being pushed onto the back burner of the schedule.

5 reasons to not be your own general contractor

Archadeck of Central GA quality sub contractors
Archadeck of Central GA only uses sub-contractors that are experts in the quality and workmanship of their given trade.

1) Risk – if you are acting as your own contractor there will be substantial risks involved. These can range from the design, the construction and the people you hire to work for you. Being a homeowner and taking on these risks means there is no recourse for holding subcontractors accountable if something goes wrong. Since you are not licensed as a contractor you are accepting all the risk. In addition to the liability and danger involved if an accident such as a fire happens, your homeowner’s insurance does not cover the risk associated with deciding to take on the role of a general contractor. Reputable sub-contractors you seek to complete the work will require an up-to-date certificate of insurance showing you are covered in the event of an accident.

2) Expertise– the sub-contractors hired will have to be supervised and instructed. Questions like “how deep are the footings supposed to be”, and “how many nails should go in the joist” commonly arise. Knowledge of code requirements is also crucial when managing a building project. In order to play the role of a general contractor you must have knowledge and be well-versed in conveying the proper structural requirements to the subs when needed. Without the skill, experience and expertise; you will be left in the dark. This means when the inspections are completed and something doesn’t meet code, or is done incorrectly, you as the general contractor will have to fix it.

Archadeck
Our customers our priority one and we uphold the highest expectations of each contractor, safety and the highest quality materials.

3) Costs– licensed contractors have relationships with their suppliers. They deal with them on a regular basis and are repeat customers. This relationship between the contractor, the supplier and the sub-contractors helps facilitate honesty between the groups. Suppliers want good relationships with their contractors and sub-contractors because they want repeat business. This rapport means that they are more apt to be treated fairly on price and delivery versus doing business with a one-time customer. You are not likely to get the same discounts or prompt delivery as that of one their regular contractors.

4) Timing – suppliers will make sure the deliveries for the contractors they deal with as repeat customers on a regular basis are top priority. Deliveries for one time clients are generally placed last. The same can be said about the scheduling importance of your sub-contractors. Since yours is a one time job they will likely not have the same incentive to get the work completed in a timely manner as the jobs of their repeat contractors. They will prioritize their better relationships over your job of someone they are not familiar with and will likely never work for again. Building is a realm where contractors, subs and suppliers take care of their “own” before any others, much like a family would.

5) Quality – this is especially a concern where sub-contractors are concerned. Many quality subs already have specific contractors which they will only work for. It is difficult to find a good sub that will work for you as a one-time deal. The inability to hire quality sub-contractors will set the stage for inferior or sub-standard work, because all the quality workers are already scheduled on jobs for licensed contractors. This is a major pitfall for homeowners acting as their own general contractor because it can lead to problems in the future as a result of shoddy workmanship.

The best way to avoid these dilemmas is to hire a licensed general contractor to oversee your outdoor structure project. Archadeck of Central Georgia specializes in taking the pressure off of the homeowner and ensuring a safe and trained work environment with skilled sub-contractors, turn-key pricing and quality workmanship in a timely manner. If you are looking for an answer to “all of the above”, we can provide it for a lot less than you may expect. Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to learn more and to discuss how we can bring your outdoor living dreams to life. Call for a free consultation (478) 745 – 2000
centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

See more of our award-winning outdoor living projects by visiting our deck gallery and  our outdoor living gallery located on our website. Quality you can see and feel in every project we build!

What the Archadeck difference means to Archadeck of Central GA

Warner Robins deck
Each of our structures comes with a guarantee of quality and craftsmanship.

You may have heard of “the Archadeck difference”. But what do these 3 words mean?

Archadeck is the 8th largest outdoor living company in the US, Canada and Japan. As a proud part of Archadeck I get the benefit of working with a large company with a headquarters engineering team that stays on top of engineering, architecture, building codes, new materials, and changes in the industry. With having superior warranties and work ethic, Archadeck offers a superb building process. Archadeck owners have the confidence of knowing we are backed by a corporate leader and get to offer the same customer service as that of a small, home town company. We run the kind of company where we get to know our clients on a level where we can give them a truly custom job.

Macon GA screened porch with fireplace
This Macon, GA screened porch is the perfect spot for friends and family to gather.

As a whole, the construction industry often does not have a good reputation. More than half the home-remodeling shows you see flipping through the channels are talking about a contractor that did something wrong, or ways to avoid repairs down the road. It is a constant repeat of the “don’t let this happen to you” theme. Archadeck of Central Georgia is indeed different. All our drawings are reviewed carefully by corporate headquarters. All of the lumber requirements, plans, sizes of joists, footings, posts and even the number of screws are reviewed carefully by our engineering department. No stone is left un-turned in providing the customer with the highest level of quality and materials on each project.

At Archadeck of Central GA, we are the company that provides you with a structure or outdoor living space filled with craftsmanship and quality. We want lifetime customers. Our customers have moved and have called us to build outdoor living spaces at their new homes.

When you contact Archadeck of Central GA you get real people, not a computerized robot. We meet with you, one-on-one and go over your individual needs and wants carefully before we compose a specification sheet or drawing. Most companies send out a sales guy looking for commission. We aren’t that company, we are seasoned, caring builders who take pride in every project we do.

Perry GA Cypress pergola

I think it was Marcus Aurelius, the wise roman solider who said” A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.” With that being said, my goal is to improve the quality of people’s lives by creating living spaces worthy of truly living in their backyards. There is nothing greater than being in the company of the ones you love and having an outdoor space that provides a functional comfortable place for that to happen, this is my ambition.Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA

Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to learn what makes the Archadeck difference a true difference indeed; a difference you can see, feel and trust.

Call for a free consultation:(478) 745 – 2000
centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

What is the Archadeck Difference?

When working with contractors, you really don’t know the difference between one contractor and another. You might connect better with one contractor or you might like one contractor better. Those are intangibles and they’re very important. You shouldn’t seal the deal without both of those. But are there tangibles that you can count on? Are there tangibles that are put in writing? With Archadeck there are. We call this the Archadeck Difference.

Watch the Archadeck Difference in action.