Expert: Dan Griffin - 9/9/2009

Question
Hello,

My husband and I where invested with a developer (childhood friend) on a 6 unit, town home project in the urban Seattle area. It turns out our friend had really poor judgment and we are not left with a 70 percent complete building. The items that need to be completed are most interior finished, kitchens, landscaping, driveways and walkway, and electrical and plumbing finishing. The bank is requiring us to have 3 bids for completion in a week and a half or the project is going to be foreclosed on. Having never done this before I am trying to put together a scope of completion document for contractors to bid on. I am looking for some type of check list or template to help me figure out all the specifics that I need the establish so that the contractors are bidding on the same thing. I am also trying to be as specific as possible to increase the chances that these contractors can even get me a bit in the week and a half. Any help you can provide would be so greatly appreciated. I am in totally over my head!

Corinne


Answer
Corrine,  have you been working with a general contractor or builder on this project?  You might be best served to hire a builder that is familiar with the area, the sub contractors, and the overall market.  You could either ask him to create the bid list or to see the project through to completion.

As to creating a bid document and a complete and binding list on your own, it can certainly be done but omissions will eat you alive.  All subcontracts can contain a clause referencing completion in a workmanlike manner that will pass code inspection that includes, but is not limited to, xxxxxxxx.

Here is a list from the National Home Builders:
http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=1425
this is not a list of details or contractual matters, but if you understand each item and what it requires to accomplish them, I think you will make your bankers happy.

Here is one that is a bit more complete:
http://www.buildershandbook.com/
on the right hand side of the page, click and open the pdf titled "combined construction and completion"