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October 31, 2006
NEW AGE CONTRACTORS INC
We are about to start big basement project that includes structural work.
New Age Contracting from Astoria ( Harry Giannatos) submitted bid that we would like to accept.
What we like:
- he always responds in a timely manner. It took some time for us to be ready to start this project, so we had very extensive communication for the last couple of months.
- his price is not the cheapest, but in a lower half.
- we found him because he was working on similar project several blocks from us. The scope of that project is much bigger - complete gut for the house, but basement was completed already and was done exactly the way that we would want, including structural work and digging.
- he gave us detailed description in his proposal and it seems that everything that we want is covered.
What we do not like:
- he asked for 30% deposit and would not agree to restructure payment schedule;
- he does not look to be very entusiastic that we want to use our plumber and electrician (both licenced, of course, both very trusted and tested by time). The same goes for an architect (we have everything approved by DOB already). But maybe this is just our imagination on this one.
Do you have any experience with this company?
They are listed in DOB BIS menu with all insurance information and contact information:
Business Address: 38-08 ASTORIA BLVD ASTORIA, NY 11105
Business Phone: 718-204-7395
Owner is Harry Giannatos.
Comments
If it were me I would be wary of giving 30% of a very large job upfront. I would divide the job into a number of sections, i.e. the digging, the structural reinforcement, the finishing work, etc. Each of these can be a substantial job on it's own.
For each phase of the job have him give you a cost and then you can pay the 30% up front for that portion.
You also need to be very clear about what needs to be completed before he gets his next payment. There should be full completion of the milestone tasks and this may involve sign off by your architect or some other 3rd party verification that you both agree to so there is no question as to the completeness or quality of the task.
Lastly, your architect should be able to help you through this process better than any of us. They are experienced in this type of work and will be able to give you the guidelines that will help you properly manage the contractor.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 31, 2006 9:29 AM
You have an architect, right? You should sign a standard contract, like the B141, which spells out that work is paid in tandem with work completed.
A standard contract can also stipulate the GC work with the subs of your choice, although in my experience your subs fighting with a GC can be a real drag.
Your architect should also advise you about the upfront, but IMO 30% is too much.
Personally (and not surprisingly, as an architect) I would be very suspicious of a contractor who doesn't want to work with an architect.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 31, 2006 9:39 AM
I'm not familiar with New Age, but in my experience 25-30% upfront is customary for a good contractor. You must have a concrete, written and signed contract. Your architect can help with that. It sounds like you must have spoken to the clients in your neighborhood and they have given a positive recommendation. Ask for more references and take the time to check them thoroughly. All contractors prefer to use their own subs - they know that their subs are good and reliable. If your subs turn out to do substandard work or disappear for a few days, it's still going to be the contractor's responsibility to remedy the situation.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 31, 2006 10:41 AM
I agree with poster who said NOT to give 30% down. If the GC wants the job then he should do his best to work within your parameters. If he's combative or shows an unenthusiastic demeanor before even beginning the project then that could mean trouble down the road.
My neighbor used All Renovation (718-351-4099) to do her basement per my recommendation as I used them for my brownstone garden and parlor floor total gut renovation. They were extremely professional and a pleasure to deal with, just really nice people. The quote I got from them wasn't the cheapest but was fair and very detailed and specific. Their work speaks for itself. I'll attach pictures of the work they did for me below but they also have a website (www.allrenovation-ny.com)
Go with someone who makes you comfortable as you'll be seeing them very often once the job starts!
Before Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82516411@N00/sets/72157594354139070/show/
After Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82516411@N00/sets/72157594354142567/show/
Good Luck,
Al
allan@seveneighteen.net
Posted by: Al at October 31, 2006 1:59 PM
Hey Al. I see that you allways recomending (ALL RENOVATIONS). It seems that you are a big fan of them. How much Do They PAY you to recomend them? LOL..The way you are recomending them its like they are the BEST of all in NYC. And there are better companies way lot better than those all reno.. How many Houses do you have? You allways say different stuff that they did. i must guess that u have thousand of houses. You know what stop this crap.. do u think brownstoners are idiots. iam sure you are one.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 31, 2006 10:00 PM
All I can say Dollar: Don't get caught like this anymore. Get off this site. Brownstoner knows who you are DOLLAR!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at November 1, 2006 9:35 PM
Looks like DOLLAR, you are back. But why didn't you come my 19th Street job. You are a idiot DOLLAR!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at November 1, 2006 9:44 PM
I've done lots of renovations and it's always easier when the contractor uses his plumbers and electricians. You save A LOT of time scheduling and the contractor can't complain that his own plumber and electrician screwed up his job, which I'm 100% Positive your contractor will do if you do things your way.
You sound like a very dilligent home owner. Sounds like you should find an equally dilligent contractor.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 2, 2006 9:48 AM
I am OP. I do understand that everything should be coordinated. But we had a very bad experiance before with previous contractor (licensed, of course), mainly with his plumbing and electrical subs. It was not nessesory to apply for a permit for plumbing we were told because we just had to replace an existing pipes. Technically this is correct BUT they did not use a licensed plumber to do this and the way that they replaced pipes would never pass an inspection if we would call for it. So, we had to redo most of it with a licensed plumber.
It was much more trubles with an electrician. He was supposedly licenced and was hired to upgrade electrical service. He broked meters by himself (we had no idea!) did an Ok job but NEVER upgraded to 220 as he promised because it is not possible. He told us that everything is fine and dissapeared with our money. It looks like he learned that 220 upgrade is not doable because of the property disposition and revoked his permit. But he never told us. And then he had a heart attack and passed away half a year later.
So, we had to hire another licensed electrician to clear this permit and of course we had to pay him.
Now when I confessed (haha) you would understand why we want to be more in control. At least when inspection matters. And architect is our support and safety net for a structural part of the job.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 2, 2006 3:15 PM
Unless he has to order some expensive items up front, all he should get as a deposit is enough to mobilize and perform about 2 to 3 weeks of work before submitting another bill. A good contractor will submit a "schedule of values", so you know where the money is going. He should be given enough to perform the demolition, and to get some basic materials on the job site.
check out www.aylcon.com
Posted by: Anonymous at December 27, 2006 4:09 PM
Unless he has to order some expensive items up front, all he should get as a deposit is enough to mobilize and perform about 2 to 3 weeks of work before submitting another bill. A good contractor will submit a "schedule of values", so you know where the money is going. He should be given enough to perform the demolition, and to get some basic materials on the job site.
Divide the number of weeks the project will take to complete by the overall budget and you will get an idea of the weekly cash flow. If a job costs say $100k and will take 10 weeks then $20K to $30k is not unreasonable- BUT ONLY IF YOU TRUST YOUR CONTRACTOR! A contractor will often ask for a 50% deposit for a small job.
check out www.aylcon.com
Posted by: Anonymous at December 27, 2006 4:20 PM
From my experience, it's not unusual for a contractor to ask for 30% up front. What's the rest of the payment schedule like, because they may have to cover a lot of costs before the next payment is due.
I do know that NewAge had done some work for a couple of Ricky's stores in Manhattan at the end of 2005 and they were quite pleased with them. But probably the best reference you can get is to see how that other job close to you turned out.
I can also understand them not wanting to use your plumber and electrician. If your guys screw up and there's delays or worse still, extra costs, NewAge is still responsible.
Definitely have your architect follow the progress, regardless of who you end up using and how much you pay, including deposits. There will be things you won't be able to pick up on that can appear as bad workmanship years later.
If they've given you a detailed description and responded promptly, it's a good indication that they are prefessional.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 5, 2007 3:00 PM
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