If you’re planning a home makeover or a new home construction project and you really want to be involved in the process, hiring a construction consultant might be a good route for you.
Construction consultants help homeowners serve as their own general contractors.
National construction consultant companies such as U Build It help owner-builders “self manage” their projects, “allowing them to build more home for their money” or simply save on the overall cost.
Of course, there are also independent construction consultants who offer a variety of services, depending on the homeowner’s needs.
The latter includes Thom Martin of Everett, who will explain his business at the Everett Fall Home Show this weekend.
“I do a lot of the same things that a general contractor does, but I’m employed by the homeowner,” he said. “Every decision that I make, I’m looking out for the best interests of my client.”
Martin, 64, has been a featured vendor at the Everett home shows since they began in 2004.
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in architecture in 1967. He worked for an architectural firm for 2½ years and then struck out on his own in southern Oregon, where he worked as custom home builder for 20 years.
He came to the Seattle area in 1995 to work for Homes Now, a construction consulting business. In 1999, he started his own independent construction consulting business in Everett and it’s still going strong today.
Jeff and Diane Likes of Tulalip recently hired Martin to help them manage the construction of their new 3,600-square-foot custom home in Mission Beach.
“I really wanted somebody who really didn’t have a horse in this game,” said Jeff Likes, 44. “He’s not getting a percentage of it like contractors do.”
That’s correct.
Martin, generally speaking, charges a flat fee per square foot for his consulting and management services. His remodeling clients or clients on difficult sites pay based on the scope of work.
For the Likeses, whose new home is just getting off the ground, that means a cost of $36,000 or $10 per square foot, spread out over the project.
“That’s already paid dividends,” Jeff Likes said of the decision to hire Martin. “He doesn’t get paid until the work gets done and it gets a successful inspection from the county. We’ve been moving along fairly well.”
Martin said his fees amount to about one-half to one-third of what a general contractor’s overhead and profit would be at the end of a project.
Owner-builders typically use that extra money to add upgrades such as granite countertops or other luxuries, therefore getting more house for the money, Martin said.
The Likeses, meanwhile, are in charge of hiring and paying each subcontractor and supplier on their project, using input, advice and oversight from Martin. That arrangement means the Likeses are also free to do some of their own work, as long as it meets code and county inspection.
“So far, it’s really worked well,” Jeff Likes said of Martin’s services. “He’s a good communicator and he keeps us apprised of what’s going on.”
Martin, who helped the Likeses create a detailed budget, sees himself as an experienced guide helping people create one-of-a-kind spaces.
“I tell my clients that I’m like their guardian angel,” Martin said. “Even if a mistake is made, it’s not like brain surgery. We can fix it. What I try to do with my 30-plus years experience in construction is try to minimize the mistakes or ‘oopses’ that happen along the way.”
Jeff Likes, who is a pilot for UPS, said hiring Martin was part of balancing his busy international travel schedule with wanting to be closely involved in their new home project.
“I didn’t just want to hand a contractor a check and say, ‘Here’s the plan, go build the house, I’ll see you in a year,’ or whatever,” he said. “I want to be a hands-on homeowner.”
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