All Forum Posts by: Ryan Heywood

That has to feel great, congratulations on breaking free! It's post like this that help keep me motivated. Thanks for the inspiration!

You'll probably see GCs here in the bay area mark up material 10 to 15%, though sometimes they receive a builders discount so there is a smaller gap between their quote and the retail price for everybody else. Unless the GC is pretty desperate for work, it's going to be hard to get them to warranty material they didn't purchase, as they have no incentive.

I would also agree that good GC will know where to find higher quality materials

Hope that helps

Most suppliers will only warranty replacement, leaving you on the hook the pay a GC to remove and reinstall a product. This can be pretty expensive for things like siding, roofing, doors and windows if they are defective.

Most GCs won't warranty client bought materials. If the material you buy is faulty, you may end up having to pay for it to be pulled out and replaced and deal with getting reimbursed by the material supplier. Reputable contractors will warranty materials they provide for a specific period of time, as required by CA state law. Unless it's a relatively simple job or you've got solid construction experience, you'll want to proceed carefully, as a good GC's markup includes the value of their experience in selecting the right materials at the best quality available. In the end, this advice is really only helpful if you get a good GC with a solid reputation.