Personal reps skillfully serve as general contractors

Upgrading a kitchen, redoing a bathroom or building a screened porch or other room addition is stressful enough. But before the work can even start, there’s the stress of hiring workers from a multitude of trades.

Where does a busy homeowner find electricians, carpenters, plumbers, tile experts and drywall hangers? Just as important, how do you schedule their work so that they don’t waste your time and money getting in each other’s way? How do you resolve conflicts when the electrician wants a wall outlet where the plumber wants a faucet?

The answer is to hire a personal representative to serve as your general contractor, said Jay Mowery, owner of Tennessee Craftsmen. The company takes on the task of hiring the right tradesmen for each job and scheduling their work.

“Hiring a general contractor solves all of those problems before they arise,” Mowery said. “Occasionally, I get a call when it’s too late. One woman wanted a hot tub in her new bathroom. I asked, ‘Where are the plumbing connections, the electrical line?’ The dry wall was already up and the floor was finished. She had not coordinated the work and now she faced an expensive situation.”

Tennessee Craftsmen works with a carefully selected group of tradesmen and guarantees their performance, which gives homeowners peace of mind, Mowery said.

“The homeowner doesn’t have to get involved in hiring different craftsmen and they don’t have to be concerned about whether someone will show up when they are supposed to or the quality of the work. We take all of the guesswork out of the process,” he said.

Mowery even makes sure the work site is cleaned up and all debris is removed at the end of each day

The company’s typical project is valued at $14,000 to more than 10 times that amount. Mowery understands, though, that sometimes homeowners need help with a project as small as hanging a ceiling fan. In such instances, he arranges for one of his subcontractors to do the job and doesn’t charge any additional fees.

The subcontractors appreciate the work during the recession, he said, and satisfied customers keep him in mind for larger jobs.

“Homeowners are being very careful with their budgets today and want to be sure they receive value for every dollar they spend,” Mowery said. “The best way to guarantee that is to hire an expert to handle all of the details of a project and guarantee a good result.”