Conference 7.286::home_work

This note was copied here by a volunteer moderator's-little-helper, as part 
of an effort to copy all old contractor references to the 2000-series topics.

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Note 1104.0              Reputable Contractor - Salem NH              No replies
USMRW4::SHANSON "Depeche Mode"                       15 lines   4-MAY-1987 12:52
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	For a good general/remodeling/repair contractor in the Salem NH area 
contact the Papia Specialties Company.  They have been in business since
1981 doing many home remodeling and addition jobs.  They have a crew of 5-6 
so they have been contracted to do new homes too.  They are professionals
and have good list of satisfied customers.  You can reach them at (603)
893-8999.  Early planning would help, as they usually have a backlog of
requests. 


	No I don't get a commission, they've done some remodeling work for me.



Steve Hanson

	I can highly recommend John Aucoin / Aucoin Enterprises
                               Stow, MA  897-8649

	He is remodeling our bathroom, and is doing a great job.
	
	- Linda

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Note 3.3                    Architects & Contractors?                     3 of 3
STAR::FARNHAM "Stu Farnham"                           7 lines  19-FEB-1986 08:50
                       -< Classi Properties, Groton,MA >-
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    Talk to John Kilgore of Classic Properties in Groton. He's the
    architectfor our house, and has done a lot of work in Carlisle.
    
    The general contractor we're using is Jim Connolly, JEC Contracting,
    of MAson NH. Jim has worked with John a number of times.
    

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Note 36.1                Fitchburg,MA Gen'l Contractors?                  1 of 6
DRUID::STUBBE                                         8 lines  19-JAN-1986 12:11
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We are currently having a house built and are very pleased with everything
that has been done so far.  The quality of the work is excellent and the
builder is more than willing to talk with you about what he is doing and
why.  His name is Paul Silvester, SILCO Inc. in Clinton.  I don't know
what his availability is.

John

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Note 36.3                Fitchburg,MA Gen'l Contractors?                  3 of 6
AKOV05::MURRAY                                        9 lines   8-APR-1986 17:39
                          -< Maybe too late, but... >-
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    I know this reply is almost 4 months later, but just in case...
    
    We used a contractor/builder from Ayer to build a 600ft2 addition
    on to our house. He did an EXCELLENT job, was great to deal with,
    and also was by far the most reasonably priced of all we talked
    to. His name is Richard Gerace, owns RG Construction, phone
    772-2982.         
    
    Dave 

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Note 684.3                    Contractor needed: NH                       3 of 7
KANE::PAHIGIAN                                       12 lines  12-JAN-1987 15:14
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Desmarteaux Construction of Manchester, NH turned my freezing cabin into a 
comfortable year-round home. You and your husband would be more than welcome to 
stop by and check out the work. The house is in Auburn, NH, which is the town 
directly east of Manchester, 30 minutes from Salem. Desmarteaux does everything 
from foundations to roof vents.

You can reach Paul Desmarteau (that's not a mis-spelling; he adds an "x" to his 
name on his business cards to indicate the plural since it's a family business) 
at 627-4028. I'm at DTN 261-3691 (Salem) or 483-2083 (Auburn).

							- craig

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Note 684.4                    Contractor needed: NH                       4 of 7
MOZART::GALLAGHER                                    11 lines  13-JAN-1987 11:24
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    Also consider the Reed Brothers -- David and Jon Reed of Hollis
    N.H.  They did a fairly complex job for us and they were very good,
    thorough and are *honest*!
    
    I don't know how they are currently listed in the phone book, but
    if you look up David Reed of Rideout Road in Hollis N.H.  you will
    get their answering machine.
    
    Good luck!
    
    /Dave G.

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Note 684.6                    Contractor needed: NH                       6 of 7
SQM::SKABO                                           10 lines  10-FEB-1987 08:52
                     -< Try Home Investments in Derry.... >-
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    I had a challenging and different addition added on to my split
    entry house, it was my wife and my idea, designed by Hampstead
    Consultants (see note 750.3 and 750.4). My builder then took the
    plans and did a fantistic job as the room has three different levels
    (lofts, spirial stairs, large "4'x10'" windows, etc). He did the
    frameing, roofing, subflooring, windows, moved doors etc. and I
    did the finishing, insulation, electrical, drywall, hardwood floors.
    The builder was very polite (also his workers... no bad language
    etc.) lots of pride and completed the project on time. His company
    is Home Investments (Derry, N.H.), his name is Rick Novia (603)434-5545

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Note 782.2               BUILDERS IN THE NASHUA NH AREA                   2 of 2
AKOV04::KALINOWSKI                                   17 lines  10-FEB-1987 12:12
                              -< try vinyl-side  >-
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    try vinyl-side home improvement in manchester. I just had a 
    two car garage with a 22 X 24 ft room addition completed by
    them. they give a 5 year warranty on their work. they will
    allow you to subcontract anything you want. i'd get my own
    foundation people though as the clowns he hired were total
    losers. they ended up redoing half the foundation before i
    would let them build. 
    
    the guys are good and fast, and the materials are first rate
    (no particle board, double glazed windows that come out for
    cleaning etc).
    
    they came very highly recommended. the phone numbers are
    603 668 3370 for the office and 617 453 6890 for gloria,
    one of the salepersons. I'm very happy with the work.
    john
          

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Note 783.0                MARLBORO CONTRACTOR REFERRAL                 2 replies
CDR::HABIB                                           20 lines   9-FEB-1987 17:08
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		- MARLBORO AREA CONTRACTOR REFERRAL -
    
    I recently had some finish work done in my condo, and would like
    to share my experience so others may benefit. The work was done
    by CB General Contracting of Marlboro, a young family business run by
    three brothers. In a business where professionalism doesn't seem
    to be the norm, they were extremely professional in the way in which 
    they conducted their business. They appeared when they said they
    would, discussed problems as they arose, offered alternatives and
    advice, and worked to ensure I was satisfied (even when it meant re-
    work). The work I had done was mainly finish carpentry, with some 
    plastering and painting, and they did a great job - their prices were 
    competitive, and they even cleaned up after themselves! In short, 
    they were a refreshing change from my prior frustrating contractor 
    experiences, and I feel compelled to spread the word to others who 
    might be in the same boat. I know they do other work besides painting 
    and carpentry, such as laying tiles - no matter what they do, I'm sure 
    they'd do a good job of it. The number for CB General Contracting is 
    460-0477 in Marlboro; their names are Harry, Chris and Ed Coffin. 
    (They also do free estimates.) Hope this helps.

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Note 783.1                MARLBORO CONTRACTOR REFERRAL                    1 of 2
VIDEO::KIVLIGHAN                                     13 lines  24-JUL-1987 10:47
                  -< C.B. General in Marlboro - recommended >-
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I would like to second the C.B. General contracting referral.  
I had an attached garage built by C.B. and was pleased by the 
result.  I would be happy to show the completed project.  I was 
pleased with C.B.'S professionalism and price.  My wife felt they 
were extremely professional around the house and with the children.  
They always kept my wife informed with the current status and what 
would be taking place.

C.B. General Contracting in Marlboro (460-0477) was a breath of 
fresh air..............
    
    John Kivlighan  
    DTN 223-3218

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Note 883.1                   Home repair in Clinton                       1 of 1
TLE::THORSTENSEN                                     12 lines  13-MAR-1987 14:14
                              -< Best I've seen >-
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    We've just had the second floor of our house completely done over
    and a shed dormer put on. I highly recommend our contractor for
    his honesty, workmanship, attention to detail, and reasonable rates.
    He's from Chelmsford, but Clinton isn't far. (For anyone  else reading
    this, he's also available for work in New Hampshire.)
    
    Tom Marcaurelle
    TPM Construction
    7 Whippletree Rd.
    Chelmsford, MA 01824
    
    617-256-0942

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Note 926.3             HELP= Contractor/Arch Westboro MA ?                3 of 4
AIMHI::WATERMAN                                      12 lines  27-MAR-1987 14:01
                            -< Westboro Reference >-
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    I would highly recommend a builder/contractor who is located right
    in Westboro.  His name is Jim Grenier (sp?) and I believe his phone
    number is 366-5876.  My husband and I purchased land from him in
    Westboro 2 years ago.  At the time, he was too busy to build our
    house so unfortunately (and I mean unfortunately, we had one problem
    after another with the contractor we chose!) we had to go with someone
    else.  Jim built most of the houses on our street and does absolutely
    beautiful work.  I've heard that he prefers to build houses but
    also does major renovations and from the sounds of it your situation
    certainly fits the bill!
    
    Deb

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Note 926.4             HELP= Contractor/Arch Westboro MA ?                4 of 4
CYGNUS::VHAMBURGER "Vic Hamburger IND-2/B4 262-8261"  9 lines  31-MAR-1987 15:24
                         -< One other person to call. >-
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    I would also suggest you call Lee Strout AKA the house doctor for
    an estimate. Lee is an excellent builder that will work with you
    to design the addition and put it up for you. Don't know about
    the 6 months estimate for living in a tent, I would think a couple
    of weeks with stripping the old roof and framing in a new would
    give you a livable feeling again. If you call Lee, do use my name
    as a reference.
    
    Vic Hamburger

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Note 1101.2                  Manchester contractor?                       2 of 3
SPLUNG::CHESTNUTT "Oh no, Don't let the rain come d" 28 lines  18-JUN-1987 15:07
                                -< Desmarteaux >-
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    I second Desmarteaux!
    
    He's currently working on adding a 2nd storey onto my ranch.  We're
    about 3 weeks into a 6 week project.
    
    I recommend him because:
    
       o He's a perfectionist -- in quality
       o He makes his crews hustle
       o He listens
    
    Be prepared for a few things though.  He's incredibly busy.  This
    means that he won't come out and talk to you unless he's convinced
    you're serious.  He does not advertise, and he's already booked
    into next summer.  Also, he mentioned he's planning to do more
    commercial jobs than residential.  It sounds like he's worked for
    a few unreasonable homeowners.  
    
    He also likes to work "cost plus", instead of with a fixed bid.
    I wouldn't recommend cost plus with most contractors, but it works
    out fine with Paul.  He itemizes everything, and it lets you change
    the plans during construction without undue grief.
    
    He loves his work.
    
    You can tell him I sent you, too!
    
    -Dave

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Note 1104.0              Reputable Contractor - Salem NH              No replies
USMRW4::SHANSON "Depeche Mode"                       15 lines   4-MAY-1987 12:52
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	For a good general/remodeling/repair contractor in the Salem NH area 
contact the Papia Specialties Company.  They have been in business since
1981 doing many home remodeling and addition jobs.  They have a crew of 5-6 
so they have been contracted to do new homes too.  They are professionals
and have good list of satisfied customers.  You can reach them at (603)
893-8999.  Early planning would help, as they usually have a backlog of
requests. 


	No I don't get a commission, they've done some remodeling work for me.



Steve Hanson

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Note 1425.5                  Need garage contractor                       5 of 5
FACVAX::WILLIAMS                                      9 lines  27-AUG-1987 11:26
                              -< New Contractor >-
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    Try Glenn Sammarco in Littleton, Mass. His work looks good and although
    he's been in building for a while, he recently established his own
    company so he might be more available and cheaper.
    
    Does't hurt to get a few estimates.
    
    617-486-8390
    
    Good luck.

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Note 1460.3                  help with a contractor                       3 of 4
SALES::VIGNEAULT "The Central Scrutinizer"            9 lines  28-AUG-1987 08:16
                       -< Try Mr. Build (Guild  Const.) >-
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    I recently had a second floor addition put on my ranch style house,
    and I hired Mr. Build out of Westboro.  Actually, Mr. Build is really
    Guild Construction.  They did an excellent job, and took care of all
    the arrangements with electricians, plumbers, etc..
    
    They were reasonably priced, cleaned their mess up daily, and worked
    efficiently.  If you're interested, contact Ed Cornely at 366-5333.
    
    - Larry

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Note 1460.4                  help with a contractor                       4 of 4
HPSVAX::POWELL "Reed Powell (HPS/LCG Marketing"       9 lines  28-AUG-1987 12:18
                     -< MR BUILD <> MR BUILD <> MR BUILD >-
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    Be careful with Mr Build, as each is totally independent of the
    other, so a vote for Guild in Westboro is not a vote for (in my
    case) Mr Build in Northboro (NORBRO construction).  Not that theya
    re no good - au contraire!  But their bid on a simple weathertight
    frame without doors,windows was $40,000!  The are better at complete
    projects, and they do high quality work, for a good $, but are not
    suited for doing small/simple things for a reasonable $.
    -reed
    

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Note 1555.2      General contractor needed in Hampstead NH area           2 of 3
BRAT::GERMANN                                         5 lines  22-SEP-1987 13:43
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    Try Bob Rondeau in Danville, NH.  His main business is house raising,
    you know for adding basements, moving, etc.  However, he also does
    additions.  He is not the cheapest you'll find, doesn't have to
    be since he has all the work he can handle, but interesting to talk
    with.

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Note 1555.3      General contractor needed in Hampstead NH area           3 of 3
GLIVET::BROOKS "I'll see you one day in Fiddlers Gre" 6 lines  24-SEP-1987 12:58
                       -< Paul Collins, Danville, N.H. >-
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    You might want to try Paul Collins from Danville N.H. He and his
    2 sons put an addition on of for me this year. They are dependable
    and very quality conscious. Paul is also the building inspector
    in Danville, I found this helpful when the Hampstead building inspector
    came to look at his work.
    You can find his number in the Haverhill phone book.

    Had Joe Puia remove several windows in my daughter's bedroom and
    replaced/relocated with new bay window.  He also removed my existing
    bay window in the dining room and replaced/relocated new picture
    window.  Required support of ceiling joists to remove existing header.
    
    He provides written quotes.  Carries public liability and workman's
    comp. insurance.  Prices are reasonable.  Works in southern NH and
    western, MA.
    
    PUIA CONSTRUCTION, INC.
    14 BEARD RD.
    NEW BOSTON, NH
    
    (603) 487-3326
    
          or
    
    Rt 41, BOX 1
    WEST STOCKBRIDGE, MA
    
    (413) 232-4320

	K & H Construction / General Contractors
	

	Harold Hatch 
        897-1802 (Maynard)

	or 

	Mark Knowlton
	448-9579 (Groton)

	I haven't used them myself, but, have heard they were good.

    I am pleased to highly recommend the contractor who is reconstructing
    my house in Newton after a fire in January.  He has taken care of
    everything:  new floors, ceilings, walls, wiring, plumbing, kitchen,
    two baths, interior and exterior doors, light fixtures, wall paper,
    painting, alterations, tile work, windows and siding.  He is skilled,
    accommodating, flexible, inventive, reasonable and works fast. 
    
    He is:
    
    Phil Pierce, 332-5402
    
    For more details call me at DTN 223-9957.  Anyone who would like
    to see the house can call me at 527-2819.
    
    Dave
    

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Note 2000.3                Contractors reference area                     3 of 3
LDYBUG::ARRAJ                                         8 lines  13-JUL-1988 14:19
               -< D.G. Mathieu Construction - Merrimack Valley >-
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    We used D.G. Mathieu Construction to put up a second story screen
    porch and an enclosed storage shed underneath with an attached wooden
    walkway leading into a deck.  He's done a great job and is reasonably
    priced. 
    
    He also does aluminum/vinal siding and trim and replacement windows.
    
    (508) 681-9085

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Note 2488.2            Need dormer on house, suggestions?                 2 of 2
TOLKIN::COTE                                          3 lines  25-JUL-1988 12:27
                           -< GALLOPING HORSE, INC. >-
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    try galloping horse const. (chris graham), hillsboro,n.h.
    (603)464-3134.just completed building my house. is very quality
    conscious and i was very satisfied with the price.

    I would like to recommend a general contracting co.: Custom
    Woodworking, W. Boylston, M.A.
    The owner/operator, Sam Kistler, is a true craftsman and perfectionist.
    Sam will take on just about any construction project. From light
    excavation, framing, finish carpentry, to cabinet making. Custom
    kitchens is his specialty! Sam has his own mechanical engineer for
    structure designs. (Father, W.P.I. professor). 
    
    
    Phone# (shop) : (508)835-2368
    	   (Home) : (508)422-6217	
    
    

    I highly recommend Seaver Construction of Woburn, MA.  Scott Seaver
    is a highly organized, intelligent person who keeps his appointments
    and returns phone calls.  
    
    His crew just recently finished adding a whole second floor to our
    house.  His bid was nearly 20% lower than two other competing bids.
    His crew is friendly and helpful, and they showed up every day until
    the job was done.
    
    He is quite busy, so you may have to wait a while to get scheduled
    in.
    
    His phone number is (617) 935-0130.  
    
    Bob Marchetti

    Bill Forrest has built *many* houses in the Millbury/Sutton
    area. I live in the midst of one of his developments that was
    done 20+ years ago. (He's been around awhile.) I'm friendly
    with all my neighbors and they've had no abnormal amounts
    of problems.
    
    I've never heard of Ansari.
    
    I would think a fly-by-night builder wouldn't have lasted that
    long...
    
    Edd
    

    
    I would highly recommend Colonial Construction Corp Inc.
    
    They specialize in general contracting and custom building but also
    do other work such as roofing.
    
    The person to talk to is Bob Rouine. He is at 508-663-6449.
    
    The cost seemed very reasonable and he does quality work.
    
    He is in the Billerica area.

    I'd like to enter a very positive reference for the following
    general contractor:
    
    Burke Delmastro Builders
    187 Belmont Street
    Manchester, NH  03103
    (603)668-8701
    
    The 2 guys involved are Vince Burke (phone above goes to his house)
    and Pete Delmastro.
    
    We hired them to do an addition to our house.  They came by, we told
    them what we'd like, they sent out their designer and we came up with
    a really good design.  They then submitted a detailed estimate on
    the costs and a full design specification on the work.  Their estimate
    was very good.  To date, 90% of the work has been completed, and
    we're more than pleased.  They never take shortcuts, and use only the
    highest quality of materials.  They sub-contract out the electrical,
    plumbing and skim-coat plastering, and the folks they use are top-notch
    as well.
    
    Only negative thing to say about Vince and Pete is that there are 
    only 2 of them doing most of the work, and their time estimate was
    a bit on the short-side. (i.e. they anticipated 8 weeks total, and
    it'll end up taking 10-11 total).  But they are very careful workers,
    and really care about keeping things fairly neat while working, which
    is helpful when you're living in and around the work they're doing.
    
    Tell them I sent you!
    
    Andy Schneider
    

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Note 2883.0                       Does it all!                        No replies
OBSESS::MIKELIS "Could you and I with fate conspire" 13 lines  16-DEC-1988 09:48
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Robert Brook, Construction Supervisor (Mass Lic# 045470)
 	Mechanical Engineer (WPI graduate)
	Evenings 508-754-9634
   	From Worcester area, but willing to travel

    		He does it all (and well!):  Total houses, Additions, 
    		Designs, Plans, Foundations, Framing, Drywall, Roofing, 
    		Clapboarding, Vinyl Siding, Porches, Decks, Barns, 
    		Kitchens, Baths, Tile Floors.  

	I've seen top quality work on every project, a real nice attitude, 
        and a genuine love for his work!  

I've just had a house assembled (built by a log home co. in MT, shipped 
to NH and assembled) and interior work, foundation work, and roofing 
done by Accura Construction in New Ipswich NH. These guys did a great 
job - very conscientious, very creative and thoughtful solutions to the 
number of problems that came up. Field ECO's to the design were handled 
quite gracefully. I think their work was priced reasonably, especially 
considering the quality of work they did. Give Michael Lampinen a call 
at 603.878.4024, and tell him I recommended him....

                                        ken

    I would like to highly recommend to anyone in the Fitchburg,
    Leominster, Stering area Paul Leblanc of PAUL LEBLANC CONST. 
    LEOMINSTER MA (508)537-5582.
    
    Paul did a 20 X 12 Kitchen addition to our 200 year old Sterling home.
    He did beautiful work, trying to match new constuction with 200 year
    old is very difficult and he did it beautifully.  Paul has a lot more
    patiences then I do.
    
    Please give him a call.
    Ron Sciabarrasi

    I saw "This Old House" Sunday (Feb. 12) and was impressed by the
    work of an Aurora, IL builder who's houses heat for $200 a heating
    season, mostly off the hot water heater and with fireplace backup.
    I'm a novice at this subject, so please forgive the uncertain
    vocabulary, but basically it worked something like this.
    
    His houses are carefully crafted, designed by engineers, and built
    using (as far as I could see) normally available building materials.
    They used a insulated wooden foundation (treated), some kind of
    insulated sheathing (no plywood -- the siding was nailed through
    the sheathing to the studs), 5" of asbestos batting fitted VERY
    carefully, foil-backed sheet rock with rubber gaskets at corners,
    and urethane (?) foam insulation at the bottom.  The engineering
    made for tight tolerances for windows etc. so that there were minimal
    places for heat transfer.  (Maybe somebody more techical who saw
    this can amplify and correct this.)  Hot water from the water heater
    was circulated to a "radiator" (like in a car, sort of) which warmed
    air that then was circulated through the spaces in the floor joists
    (?) like a wooden duct system, then out through carefully sized
    floor and ceiling registers throughtout the house.
    
    The fireplaces installed in the houses are the type (don't remember
    the term) which pull combustion air from the outside and circulate
    and heat room air through vents around the firebox without the two
    mixing.
    
    What I'd like to find out, if anybody can help me, is whether any
    regional builders do work like this or contact information for this
    guy in Aurora (near Chicago) in case he's published on the subject
    for my future builder here to read!  (I hope to be able to build
    in about a year, and this approach sounds great!  The guy built
    a solar house a few years ago, and learned from the project that
    solar collectors, south-facing windows, storage tanks, etc. are
    all unnecessary if you just build tightly and insulate well!  I'm
    for energy conservation and ecology, and this sounds like an even
    better solution to the problems than any I'd heard about so far.)
    
    Thanks for any input!
    
    Sherry

    Re .1
    
    5" of asbestos?  Are you sure?  Asbestos has been a no-no for
    several years.
    
    pbm
    

    re: .0, .1
    
    If the foam insulation is Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI),
    then that, too, is a no-no, at least in MA.
    
    With all the recent publicity concerning indoor pollution, I think
    I'd rather have the south facing windows, solar collectors, etc.
    rather than live in an efficiently heated house whose atmosphere
    may slowly poison me.  I suppose one solution is a heat-exchanging
    ventilator, that would bring new air into the house, and heat it
    up with air being exhausted to the outside.
    
       Gary

    Fiberglass not asbestos.
    
    I also got a laugh out of the guy saying that only the building code
    stood between him and a less expensive house. I want headers over my
    windows and doors thankyou. Many of the passive solar homes built in
    New Hampshire are "super insulated" and also structurally sound. One of
    the ideas is double walls where there is a space between the inside and
    outside walls where there is no wood, just insulation. The idea being
    that wood is a terrible heat insulator when compared to others.
    
    These houses ended up with 12" thick outside walls. You might be able
    to do better if you used the foil covered foam sheets (like TOH had)
    between 2 insulated 2x4 walls. We looked at these houses in the Nashua
    area 4-5 years ago but didn't build/buy one. Cost up front verses
    ongoing expense played a big role in the decision.
    
    You can build a house that heats through the heat of the occupants if
    you go whole hog. Triple glazed windows with storms, 12" insulated
    walls... The trade off is how much house you can build for the
    available money.
    
    BTW: the outside sheeting adds a lot to the structural strength of the
    house. I don't think I'd want to walk that fine an engineering line
    just to build a $90k-$150k house. A hard hit ball or rock would do some
    serious damage to a house with only aluminium siding over foam board on
    studs. Don't punch the house or you'll go through.

    Then there are always the health considerations of "super insulated"
    homes.
    
    There appear to be a number of health problems related to the fact
    that the air in these super insulated houses becomes stagnant. 
    There also appears to be a relationship between sealing up houses
    (for energy conservation) and the problems being experienced with
    radon.
    
    All in all, it would appear that with super insulating, you simply
    exchange one set of problems (health related) for another (cost
    of heat exchangers, energy conservation, etc.).
    
    - Mark

    Some of the techniques that were demonstrated there are questionable as
    building practices - styrofoam for sheathing (no structural ability),
    No headers over windows (minimal structure),  no ductwork (the joist
    cavities will both absorb heat and leak), etc. I'm no building code
    expert, but I don't think most of them are legal around here. I know
    they claimed that qualified engineers had designed it all, but, I wouldn't
    want *my* house built like that. I also noted that they said the
    heating costs doubled in areas where the building code was stricter -
    hint, hint, hint.  

    Yeah, I meant fiberglass -- can you tell I don't talk house-building
    much!?  (Duh!)
    
    OK -- so what's the best way to assure that you have THE most
    heat-conservative home (with appropriate ventilation) without going
    overboard for expensive non-essentials, and not MISSING some (possibly
    new) innovations that make a significant difference?  Especially
    when you know dangerously little, like me?!
    
    (For example, I never heard of using foil-backed sheetrock in
    combination with rubber gaskets and foam insulation (is that stuff
    ok in NH??) -- and I never would have considered that a wood foundation
    would have ANY benefits over concrete or block.)
    
    Design, energy efficiency, and cost are THE factors for me.  Even
    more important than "location, location, location!"
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Sherry-with-the-red-face!

Much of what this developer did made sense when building inexpensive, efficient
dwellings.  First, the houses  were small;  I believe he mentioned 1400 SQFT of
living space.  Next, all of  the houses in the development looked the same that
means one set of drawings and an  easy  learning  curve.    The landscaping was
"suburban simple";  nothing but lawns (He should  have  kept broadleaf trees on
the south facing sides).  

Essentially, he made the house drum-head tight.    He  uses  a "safe" expanding
foam in all cracks around windows as well  as  at  the  junctions of floors and
putside walls.  The sheetrock on the outside walls  had  a  foil barrier on the
outside and he used foam gasket materials at the outside  seams.  He used 2x6's
at 24" intervals instead of 2x4's at 16" and does not  use solid siding such as
particle board or plywood.

I  also  felt  uneasy  when he said that he could make them cheaper (although I
think he  said "less expensive") but he keeps coming up against building codes.
Since he doesnt  not  use  an  underlayer  siding  nor  headers  over doors and
windows, I suspect that  the  building  codes he comes up against are doing the
job they were written for.    I  could  be  simply  parochial, there since I am
usually (and rightfully) accused of overkill when it comes to construction.

I was refreshing (if somewhat wasted)  to  have  TOH  doing a show on something
affordable.
Dave

    You might take a look at Acorn Houses in Concord MA for an education
    in energy efficient houses. They premanufacture house components
    in their factory and assemble them at the building site. These 
    are *not* cheap manufactured houses - they are energy efficient,
    state-of-the-artish, and fairly expensive. They have a model you
    can tour in Concord for a nice education in techniques. There's
    no sales pressure.   

    
    I wonder too about a lot of the methods.  The self-sealing duct-work
    (sealed by the sheetrock) seemed like a good idea until you realize
    this provides a great way to spread a fire through the whole house
    in minutes.
    
    No headers over doors and windows?  No thank you.  Rigid insulation
    instead of plywood?  Pass on that one too!
    
    There is plenty you can do to insulate without giving up structural
    integrity and safety.  Seems the lengths they went to just went
    too far.  I'd prefer not to live in a sealed capsule.  And one that
    may fall on you to boot...
    

    What these houses look like in a few years would be REAL interesting -- 
    assuming that (as the previous note suggests) any remain standing.  
    
    Given the questionable constuction methods which seem to conform to the
    letter, but not neccessarily the intent, of building codes, I wonder 
    the "affordable" home of today might become the "money pit" of
    tomorrow! 
    
    What happens 5-15 years down the road when these houses start to require 
    regular maintenance?  Will the owners will wind up rebuilding major 
    sections of the homes because there doesn't seem to be much on which
    you could actually fix!  I mean if you had some water/ice damage under the
    siding which damaged the insulation, what's left?  -- the back-side of 
    your wallpaper?
    
    I also wasn't clear on what sort of foundation on which these houses
    were being built.  Correct me if I misunderstood, but I thought the 
    guy said they were being built on two feet of packed gravel ontop of
    which some sort of pressure-treated timbers were placed.  Did I hear
    correctly?  

There's shoddy construction, and then there's legitimate new technology that 
people simply don't understand or feel comfortable with yet.  I don't know
enough about this particular system to comment on which category it falls
under, but although I also feel pretty uneasy about styrofoam sheathing and no
headers over openings, remember that everyone felt the same way about plywood
50 years ago. 

Paul

    I'll second the recommendation in .8 to investigate Acorn homes.
    They have a model and office on Route 2A in Acton, or you can find
    one of their ads in most home or handyman magazines.  We almost
    went with Acorn, but found a southern New Hampshire builder who
    incorporated a lot of energy conserving features without going
    to the more drastic earth-berm or envelope designs.  His 1100 sq
    ft contemporary ranch (small 4/5 room house) cost us only about
    600 gallons of oil/year for heat & hot water with a fairly conventional
    Beckett burner and typical modern boiler.  2 x 6, "over" insulated,
    truss roof, plywood siding overlaid with foil-backed 1 inch styro-
    foam, covered with vertical shiplap for protection.  Reasonable
    approach; bought the new house for $58K in 1979, sold it 1987
    for $144K; still "affordable" in today's terms.
    
    Today, we're living in a loose, drafty 1972-built 8-room gambrel
    with 2200 sq ft and we love the layout and the extra rooms. :-)
    
    Check out Acorn.
    
    pbm
    

	RE: .11
    

>    remember that everyone felt the same way about plywood 50 years ago. 

    Don't know about this since I wasn't here then! ;-)
    
    But I find it hard to classify very much of what was shown as "new
    technology"!  Spacing studs 24" on center, eliminating plywood
    sheathing, eliminating headers, eliminating ductwork.  Sounds like
    cost control to me!
    
    I wonder how insurance companies view this type of "construction"?
    I wonder what window and door companies say about their warrenties
    when their products are installed without headers??  I wonder what
    fire departments think about no fire code sheetrock on these "ducts"???
    
    Weighing the additional cost of this stuff against the "insulation
    loss".
    
    
    

    What's all the fuss about the "no headers above doors, windows"?
    Didn't anybody see the 2X12s laminated together supporting the next
    level?  It doesn't strike me as odd to be able to skip a few feet
    between 2X6s where there's a window or a door when I see vertically
    oriented band joists of 2X12 laminated construction. It works fine
    supporting the centerline of my house with the lolly columns beneath.
    
    As far as the rest of the house: They probably had diagonal bracing
    recessed into flush position in the outer wall stud space to accomplish
    what the sheathing does... The sheetrock also stiffens the walls
    sufficiently from the inside. 	Although the price to heat seems
    great, I would not care for stale air inside for the heating season.
    	I liked the windows, with the dual sliding glazing, with integral
    low-E venician blinds installed. 	One question I immediately had
    was; If you use the floor joists as ductwork, then you have to either
    use no strapping for the cieling drywall, or the method of strapping
    has to be altered to make the duct seal. 
    
    I'll take the fresher air of a "normal" house any day, for health
    reasons. An alternative would be a large-capacity air-to-air heat
    exchanger in the "air-tight" house of the future.
    
    One other thing: No external sheathing could be a big help for
    burgulars; just kick a door out of the siding and walk on in!
    
    Mike

    You could try talking to New Energy Homes, Northern Blvd, Amherst, NH.
    They've done several developments in the area: Redfield Estates in
    Derry, Adam Estates (Hudson), Sunview (Derry), Sunview II (Milford),
    Kensington Ridge (Nashua).
    
    Sunview and Kensington Ridge are condos, the rest are housing
    developments. They've been playing with energy efficiency for several
    years - I live in Adam Estates in a 28' x 48' home, 8 inch walls, inch
    thick windows, active solar heat/hot water, R-48 insulation in the
    roof, etc. Heat costs me about $200-$300 a year, mostly for propane
    for the back-up heating unit. The Sunview condos have R-60 insulation
    with guaranteed heating costs of $200/year. They all have central air
    with air-source heat pumps and the cooling may even be included in that
    $200 guarantee but I can't remember off the top of my head. These
    condos all come with air-to-air heat exchangers as well.
    
    We have a two of what the builder called "Zero Energy" homes in our
    development - R-60 or so, foot thick walls, heated basically from body
    heat, heat given off by applicances, the sun etc. These were built with
    all the extra caulking, sealers, etc etc, pressure-tested for leaks with
    big fans, and so forth.
    
    I've looked a lot at both Deck and Acorn homes; I like the Deck House
    style but the Acorn energy efficiency. Decisions...decisions.
    
    						Trace

    
    I certainly don't want to condemn new technology or the advancement
    of building science beyond that of 200 years ago, but I think there
    are legitimate advances in the energy saving field and then there
    are shortcuts taken by builders. I'll be the first to admit that
    wihtout a complete examination of the plans for those houses and
    without being an engineer, you can't put your finger on what's
    legit and what's not. I'll also concur that building codes are often 
    slow to respond to advances in products.
    
    Still I don't believe that the ductwork-less approach is particularly
    good (BTW, if the sheet rock is anchored to the joists directly, how do
    you run home-improvement wiring ?)  I also would not want to live
    in a house with only styrofoam and cedar between me and the outside
    world. These really seem like shortcuts rather than technology.
        

    Another 'local' builder to talk with would be L & S Builders of
    Pepperill (spelling), MA.  We live in one of their passive solar
    homes (in Acton, MA).  The house is a a contemporary cape with a
    full dormer in the back (3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, family room, living
    room, dining room and kitchen).  Cost to heat (average over the
    last eight winters) 1 1/2 ton of coal (less than $300).
    
    An interesting aside, L & S had planned on constructing active and
    passive solar homes in a number of their developments but gave in
    to market demands after the second development.  Kevin, one of the
    owners, tells me the market for solar homes is just too small!
    
    Douglas

    I have been wondering for quite some time about the need for strapping
    underneath sheetrock.  There seems to be a feeling that it is necessary
    by what I have been able to see in this notes file.  Here in Atlanta NO
    houses use strapping under sheetrock.  And I including houses in the
    5000 sq ft range, houses for the rich and willing to pay for the best. 

    The other thing which is common in Atlanta is plywood sheathing on the
    corners of houses but the remainder of the exterior wall is foil backed
    styrofoam and then the exterior of choice.  Sure I can kick in a
    brick wall and then thru the styrofoam and then the insulation and
    then sheetrock and then squeeze thru a 14 1/2 inch channel to enter
    a house.  Why bother??  Break one window pane and raise a 24 by 36
    window and have a much easier access.  Break one window pane in

    
    
    re  .18
    
    I have heard that the strapping under sheetrock serves two purposes,
    
    1) it serves in place of diagonal support between the joists to
       prevent warping.
    
    2) it gives a better flatter surface to attach the sheetrock to,
       as the joists are not always semi-florenceindicular you can
       shim the strapping to get a smooth ceiling.
    
    as for the absence of sheathing a potential thief would have to
    first know the construction of a house before he started kicking
    in the walls. Not that I agree with this type of construction,
    although it is supposedly engineered to be sturdy I don't think
    I would be comfortable with it. This raises the question in future
    years, how will you know if there IS sheathing or not when you look
    at a house(if this becomes popular).
    
    ace
    

	Wood Foundation:  Wood foundations are built with 2x8 PT lumber 
	resting on concrete or stone footings.  The space between the 
	studs is insulated and any side exposed to weather or dirt is sheathed 
	with PT plywood.  This is not easy for a 2' crawl space, but there 
	would be an additional need for lateral strengthening in New England 
	where foundation depths must be 4'+.

	24" O.C. 2x6:  2x6 24" O.C. will provide about the same support as 
	2x4 16" O.C. and in Chicago Douglas Fir is readily available, which
	is stronger then the SPF that is available in New England.

	Poly-isocyanurate sheathing:  The siding was PIC not styrofoam.  There 
	is vertical sheathing rated PIC(e.g. KoppeR) that can be used istead of
	plywood.  The sheathing has nylon fibers woven into one of the surfaces
	(the on with the name printed on it so the company gets free advertising
	during construction).  Impact resistant under vinyl and aluminum siding.
	I am not sure if it has been rated for 24" O.C.  There is no need for 
	corner bracing, and I doubt it was used because it would decrease the 
	energy efficiency.

	Headers:  Integral to the 2x12 glu-lam band joist.  Would need to do 
	a little math to see if 2x6 provide adequate support, but glu-lam are
	strong enough to translate weight across the width of the window.  Note 
	that there were NO supports over windows even when the span was 
	greater then 24" horizontally.  These supports could have put pressure
	on the center of the window and cracked it.  Would have to see 
	roof trusses to see how much weight the center walls carry.  Suspect
	that most of the snow load is carried by the center walls.

	Plasterboard:  This also has an advantage of providing a better barrier
	from the poisonous gas that PIC puts out when it burns.  The plaster-
	board looked like it was only 1/2" thick(its hard to tell), but 
	5/8" or thicker should be used with 24" O.C. studs.

	Heating Ductwork:  This has been done for years.  Hometime did some of 
	this to cut costs.  Straping is less common in the midwest for 
	installing plasterboard.  This was done as a construction cost savings, 
	not energy efficiency.  Heating maybe less efficient because of 
	turbulence in the large cavity between joists.  

	Heating:  They must have low electricity costs, because the tank had
	an E.E.R of $195 just for providing hot water.  Looked like an 80 gal
	tank, but it still may have problems providing heat after peak hot 
	water usage.  2-40 gal tanks instead would work better?

I was not impressed with the cost to heat numbers.  We only spend $400-500 
a season to heat a drafty 1500 sq ft house and we get gas from one of the 10 
most expensive commercial utilities in the country(Fitchburg Gas & Electric).  
I think most of the difference between the $400 6 years ago and $200 now is 
the price of energy.  I did find it interesting that he did not put an air 
lock on this house.  I guess for the cost it does not save much heat.  

	Re: .0

	Something else to consider is the relative cost of the house built
using the super-energy-efficient techniques versus normal techniques.  Sure,
you can cut down on the heating costs, but if the house costs a lot more, you
might end up better off paying the higher heating costs with a lower mortgage.

	Personally, my preference is to end up with a house like my neighbors.
When the previous owners put on the addition, they installed a good wood-burning
stove in the two-story family room that can heat the entire house.  Even in the
middle of the winter, they typically have their windows open a crack to let in
some fresh (and cool!) air.  That's my idea of goodness -- an excessive amount
of cheap energy and not having to worry about every little crack in the house.
Someday, I'll hopefully be in that situation...

								-c

I had some work done by Lenbeck Construction
                        15 Old Mail Road
                        Amherst, NH 03031
                        (603) 673-4051

He custom made some ballusters, installed nice railings in the living 
room, installed cheap railings for the cellar stairs, repaired my living 
room doorway, and made a number of small repairs.  They also cleaned up 
after themselves.  

The bill was only $25 more than the $900 estimate which is OK considering 
I asked him to make the custom ballusters after he made the estimate.  He 
even met me twice in Amherst, once to approve of his first balluster and 
once as gave me the ballusters to polyurethane prior to installation.

I wish I hired him when I had my house built.  I don't know how good he 
is as a general contractor, but I'm happy with him on the job he did for 
me.

                                 Kurt

    Well, i just can't help but put in my two cents worth on this 
    energy savings house.
    I did not like it at all. Structure is something i fully support,
    (no punn intended). Even Bob V. snickered a bit at the lack of
    exterior plywood and headers. After around 10,000 slams of the front
    door the wall might come down on you. What if you had a slider?
    
    Older houses' were built using 24" center consturction on joist,
    take a look at the sagging contructions of yesterday, there must
    be a reason for the change in building codes to 16" on center.
    
    there was no basement in the house, saved some bucks there.
    It would be nice to have the energy savings but i would never
    make these sacs'.
    
    i have a ranch that only cost $500 per year for heat(FHW) and hot
    water (on demand). Having a solid construction is worth $300+-
    per year.
    
    Seems like it would cost around the same for a "Pre-Fab" house,
    with the "Low-E" windows and the 2x6 in constuction and a good
    furnance for the heating system.
    
    If the future has these type houses in store for us than i would
    want no part of it.

    I would like to highly recommend Tom Lukas from Falmouth if anyone
    is planning to have work done on the Cape.
    Tom Has done a major project for me it involved new construction,
    additions and renovations. The quality of his work is excellent
    and he and his crew are honest and hard working, all business. There
    were some gray areas in the architects plans and Tom came up with
    outstanding suggestions. He shows up when he says he will does what
    he says he will do and does it well.
    If you are looking for an excellent General Contractor and Carpenter
    on the Cape you won't go wrong with Lukas Building & Woodworking
    Co. Give Tom a call at (508) 548-2759, he is a very easy guy to
    talk with, mention my name he likes referrals.
    If you have any questions send mail or give me a call DTN:223-1311
    
    Paul Caldera

                   *** Marston Construction 889-7417 ***

  I highly recommend Marston Const. Co. of Hudson NH (Ken and Don Marston). 
They are near completion of our 2 story addition. They have done a *GREAT* job 
and are not only craftsmen but have been very easy to work with from day one. 
I have had not needed to request anything (well, very few things). They have 
always been 1 step ahead of me since day one - from penalty clauses in the 
contract to details of contruction, placement of things and finish work. 
I can't say enough good things about them. 

We originally had them give us a proposal based on other excellent work they 
had done in our neighborhood. All of their subcontractors (site work, 
foundation, concrete floor, plumber, electrician) also have been *OUTSTANDING* 
and easy to work with. 

They primarily do work in the southern NH, but are also MASS. licensed and 
may put together a proposal for my brother-in-law who lives in Wellesley MA
and have gone as far north as Laconia. They currently have a 20+ unit 
subdivision in Merrimack NH. They plan ~2000 sq ft+ farm house style houses 
there, but will build to suit. 

Give me a call @DTN 261-3188 for further information or send me MAIL
 
Rick.....

I would like to recommend Design Alterations in the Nashua/Amherst NH area.

We have had some major renovations completed by them over the past year and
found their work consistently above standard.  We own a 75 year old house 
which needed some structural work on the porches (large two family with
front and rear porches).  To replace twelve pillars with decorative ring
trim, they made new rings that matched the originals exactly, thus retaining
the victorian flavor to the trim.

They worked with us to restore a bathroom in the apartment that had some
water damage.  They worked to replace the ceiling and update the bath while
maintaining the original charm intended in our older home.

We were so pleased with the work to-date that we had Dan, the General
Contractor with Design Alterations, draw up plans to convert our attic
into a two bedroom apartment.  He worked with us for 6 hours one day to
discuss various alternatives and drew up two different plans for our 
review.

If you are looking for reliability, experience, and innovative ideas from
a General Contractor I would recommend calling Dan at Design Alterations.
He can be reached at 603-672-6138.
    
                                                                          

                       < WOODIE HOME IMPROVEMENTS>
    
    I would like to recommend these guys, they've done work in Maine
    for me and have been great and reasonable!! They have done from
    my kitchen to ceilings, I've seen some Homes they've built in this
    area...Excellent!! They are stationed in Lowell but will travel!!
    Hard working too, I had them install 300+' of fencing in my backyard
    and it was done in 1 day, and my backyard is all ledge!! I just
    can't say enough about these guys. I believe they are currently
    doing a job of some 40 deck porches for the city of lowell somewhere.
    the names are Darren Wood or Peter Kennedy 508-453-6275.
    
    Mig.

Attached is a copy of the letter we sent to our contractor when he was
finished.  He was not cheap, but his quality is very high.  A number of
individuals, including other contractors, have commented on the high 
quality of his work.  Our built-in oak shelves are beautiful. 

He is young (late 20s), very intelligent, and has a small crew.  It takes
longer for him to complete than large firms with lots of employees.

He works primarily in the Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Lawrence,
Methuen etc. Massachusetts area.  He works strictly by word of mouth 
with no advertising except his truck. 

He tends to want to work by time and materials.  In general that's okay
because he is certainly honest.  However, he buys mostly from Doyle Lumber 
in Andover, which, even at contractor's prices is a bit pricy at times. 
If you want to buy some items yourself, negotiate that with him far in
advance.  He may be willing to do some projects on bid.  

He prefers to work from architect plans, although detailed plans done by
you and certified by engineers (if needed) might be okay.   He has the
best of intentions, but it is still a good idea to write down details on
what you have agreed on.  He has several projects going on at once and
written agreements tend to result in less likelihood of a misunderstanding.  
Also, while I'm sure he took special pains to advise us on status, we
would have liked better commitments about when things would have been 
completed.  With time and materials it is harder to design the right 
buttons in the contract to ensure that the project is done by a given date.  

Our project was a two-story addition (with full above-ground basement, so
really 3 stories), including a bedroom and a kitchen.  It involved
removing a solid masonry wall and relatively complicated structural
details.  He (his crew) does the bulk of the work himself from sheetrocking to
roofing.  He contracts out for masonry, electrical, plumbing (his
brother--see note), insulation, and backhoe work.  (In our case, we had
selected the kitchen contractor before we met Ken).  

Feel free to send me mail if you would like more information. 

Alex 


Mr. Ken LaRose
General Carpentry
1 Farmington Avenue
Haverhill, MA  01830

Dear Ken:

We are writing to express to you our high degree of satisfaction with
the addition you built for us this past year.  We believe that your
combination of high quality, honesty, and willingness to work with
your customer resulted in an addition that was even closer to our
dreams than we had expected.

We believe we should point out those areas in which you carried out
your work beyond expectations:

     1.  You worked very carefully with our plans, correctly assessed
         our interest in details, and frequently presented us with
         options when you understood that the choices would be of
         importance to us.

     2.  You found creative solutions to difficult problems which
         either resulted in less cost or less inconvenience to us.  In
         particular, you were able to find a way to support the
         addition on a half beam supported by one layer of bricks
         allowing us to continue to use our old kitchen until the
         addition was sheetrocked and ready for the cabinets.  In
         fact, the dishwasher and sink were still operational until
         the day the dishwasher was moved and the new sink was
         installed and working in the new location.

         For the foundation, you contracted out for concrete blocks in
         order to avoid the cost and mess of pumping cement.  The
         savings were substantial and the blocks are fine with us.

         We were able to work together on the computer to devise a
         plan to use the largest possible skylight at second floor
         landing.  The light from that skylight has been most
         enjoyable.

     3.  The quality of finishing, both by you and Tom Carkin, is
         excellent.  In addition to obvious casing and thresholds, we
         especially appreciate the visibly high quality of the pantry,
         beam, and bookshelves.  And everybody comments about the
         deck!

     4.  Some of your subcontractors are exceptionally good.  In
         particular, your brother George was able to clean up some
         particularly messy plumbing problems already existing in the
         house while he was doing his "textbook quality plumbing" of
         water and heating in the addition.  Your backhoe operator was
         able to leave the terraced garden entirely intact when
         digging the upper foundation.  We are also very satisfied
         with the masonry work.

If there was one complaint, it was that we did not always have a full
understanding of how long things would take, or what the probability
was that you would be here during a given week.  With that
information, we could have better understood how urgent a given
request actually was.  We are aware that almost no contractor can be
precise about what will happen when, due in part to the variables in
the schedules of subcontractors, the weather, deliveries, etc.  But
for us, more knowledge, even of a negative sort, might have helped us
better plan our activities around your work.

The point is, however, that you were worth waiting for, and that we
will recommend you to anyone who is contemplating an addition --
especially one that is of a difficult nature that requires more
creativity and skill than the standard box.  You are welcome to use us
as a reference and occasionally to arrange to show a potential
customer our addition as an example of your handiwork.

Thank you for a job well done and best of luck in the future.

    I would highly recommend Dave Sargent of Sargent's Construction Company
    to do any kind of remodeling, additions, replacement windows, roofs,
    decks, etc. They're great at adding second stories to existing houses.
    They are very professional and reasonably priced, and the work is
    excellent. Dave is located in Lunenburg, Mass. but will travel in the
    Mass./New Hampshire area (and possibly Maine).
    
    Give him a call at 508-582-9575.
    
    Dave Sargent
    Island Road
    Lunenburg, Mass.
    

	    	-< R.J. MORSE Contractor, Milford,Mass. >-
    
    	I hired Dick Morse to construct an addition to my house this
    summer and is HIGHLY recommended. He showed up as promissed with
    a hard working crew (8:00 am - 6:00 PM). He put up a weather tight
    structure for me in 4 weeks. Showed up every day except Sunday.
    He is willing to work around route 495 and 128 area. Quality work
    and reasonable price.  
    
    	R.J. MORSE contractor
    	(508)478-0244
                          
    =Joe=

    Try Keith Adamyk out of Brookline, NH, he is execllent, he does
    framing, finish work and is also a general contractor, he did my
    framing and it was an elcellent job. Most important he is great to 
    work with, he spends the extra time going over things, he pretty much 
    designed my house, seeing that the plans I gave him were drawn up by 
    the wife and myself and full of many many mistakes. He can be reached 
    at 672-4802.
    
    Peter Stopera
    dtn 264-6483
    

      This  is a positive recommendation for Brad Gay, doing business as
      S & B ENTERPRISES.  His business card reads:
      
                              S & B ENTERPRISES
                Commercial/Residential Building and Remodeling
                               9 Adams Pond Rd.
                              Derry, N.H. 03038
                                 603 434-9516
      
      Mr. Gay recently completed the construction of a Sun Room addition
      to our home.  We are very pleased.  Some specifics:
          
          -  Mr.  Gay  spent spend considerable time planing the project
          with us to ensure that we understood what we were getting  and
          that we got what we wanted.
          
          -  Work  began when promised, continued uninterrupted, and was
          finished within the expected time.
          
          -  All  materials  met  our specifications and met or exceeded
          generally accepted norms for the construction industry.
          
          -  The crew worked cooperatively with us to coordinate several
          related items of work that we were performing.
          
          - The quality of workmanship and attention to details exceeded
          our  expectations  and,  in  my  opinion,  exceeded  generally
          accepted norms for the construction industry.

      I would be pleased to act as a reference if you wish to contact me
      for additional information.

    
    	BMH CONSTRUCTION - NASHUA NH
    
    	Bruce Hanson is excellent - he is putting in a breakfast bar and
        opening up a staircase for us. He is full of wonderful ideas...
    	He is honest and believes in things being done right and looking
        like they were part of the original design...
    
    	He is also great to work with.... extremely flexible...
    
        He specializes in indoor remodeling - he has references, pictures
    and  actual places to see his work and he is insured... his prices
    aren't bad either.... excellent....
    
    	Give Bruce Hanson a call and let him do an estimate for you..
            886-6510... BMH Construction.... Nashua, NH.
    
    Toni
    

John Bourque of "Bourque's Construction & Remodeling" does superb work.
I was skeptical at first since I did not know this person, but he turned
out to be very honest and hardworking. 

John put a deck on our house and also remodeled a kitchen for a friend of mine.
Both jobs ended up costing LESS than originally estimated. Yes folks, LESS,
not MORE like I am sure you are used to hearing!!  Excellent work too, I found
John and his partner to be very professional.

Right now John is building a new house in Marston Mills.  He can do almost
any sort of work from remodeling to additions to complete houses.  If you have 
any questions you can call me at DTN:297-7556 (Kris), or call John directly at
(508) 362-8596.

    
    This is a very positive recomendation for Micky Connearney who is
    doing business as:
    
    	Conn-Long Construction Co.
    	35 Main Street
    	Hopkinton MA
    	508-435-4229
    
    He also has 
    	Whitewood Dev Corp
    	West Street
    	Milford MA
    	508-473-9610.
    
    I had Micky build me my new house. I told im what I wanted and also
    what I would like to do.  He worked with me every step of the way,
    offering advice and assistance on the projects I had undertaken
    to accomplish.
    
    He has many homes being built and they are all high quality.  
    
    I was able to contact Micky anytime I had a question, and was treated
    extreemly well. 
    
    His office manager and Project coordinator, Bev, is one amazing
    person.
    
    I am very please with the entire project and the results of the
    house, all on time.
    
    I move in the first.
    
    Cal.
     

	Another good general contractor in the Maynard area is:   

                                           Ron Bergstrom
					 
                                              897-2973  


        Ron did my roof a few weeks ago.  He was very organized and 
        efficient and did an excellent job.  There were torrential 
        downpours a day after it was done and no leaks.   

    

    
    John Marchesi
    Renovation Plus
    Littleton,MA.
    
    John will travel to the Sudbury area.  He is very customer oriented,
    great to work with, runs a single crew with his father so you get his
    personalized attention.  Excellent design work and quality
    craftmanship........is quite willing to do just framing and exterior
    shell additions.
    

    RE.94..Give Bill Grimes of Golden Oak Remodeling a call...He's from
    Hudson and will travel just about anywhere...Prices are reasonable and
    he's very good with wood...
    
    			He can be reached at 562-7598
    
    
    								john

    There is a contractor based in Stow, David Schroeder, who is really
    good. He builds primarily around Stow, Sudbury, Carlisle, Concord.
    He is very professional, efficient, and his crew does excellent work.
    He works along with them too.  He does custom houses as well as smaller
    jobs.  If you don't want any headaches, call him!
    
    

    The folks at Poirier Contractor Company are quite good. They really
    care a lot about their work and customers. We've recently bought
    a house and plan on using them for some stuff (gutters) once we
    recover financially ;-).

    They specialize in Termite & water damage, roofs & gutters, remodeling 
    & renovations.

    Also, floor sanding, sheet rock, & insulation

    For further information call (508) 481-4646. Ask for Bob or Mark.

    < Finley Perry - [Additions/Remodeling] Greater Boston Area>
    < Fin can be reached at 508-435-3062 in Hopkinton, Mass.   >
    
    Finley Perry put on a major addition to our house this summer.
    We found Fin to be easy to work with, his crew punctual and hard
    working, and the quality excellent.
    
    Some of the things we liked:
    
    -	Fin returns all phone calls promptly (same night or next morning).
    	He admits when he's made a mistake and will fix it.  I understand
    	from other clients, that Fin has done warranty work as much as a
    	year after the job was finished! 
    
    -	We felt comfortable having Fin's crew in our house when we weren't
    	around.  They cleaned up the site, locked the house and
    	did whatever else was requested before leaving.
    
    -	Suggestions were offered where Fin or his crew thought a change
    	might make for a better end product.
    
    -	Fin prides himself on doing a quality job.  He has a large crew of
    	around 15 -20 people, and can keep the job moving along fairly
    	quickly.
    
    A few things to know:
    
    -	Fin is not cheap.  He wants to do a quality job and maintains the
    	crew to do it.  This translates to higher costs all around.  Fin
    	is willing to negotiate, as long as he feels he can still make 
    	money.  
    
    -	Fin does not do a good job estimating allowances.  If you decide
    	to work with Fin, make sure you clearly define allowances.
    
    -	Fin's first pass estimates tend to be low.  He usually doesn't get
    	down to detailed estimating until he's sure you want to work
    	with him.  If you ask him for a ballpark first estimate, be aware
    	it may have a 25% swing.  Just try to be clear about what level of
    	estimate you really need.
    
    
    
    	

	
	D & D Carpentry 	897-3287 (Mike) or 897-7945 (Steve)

	- they do general contracting (siding, roofing, plastering, 
	  kitchen floors, etc.)  Free estimates.

	They put some ceilings in, tiled a floor and did some finish
	carpentry for me.  Did a great job.

	And if any of you are wondering why I use so many different 
	contractors, it's because after I enter them in here, they are
	too busy to schedule me right away and most of the work I
	have is for the second floor rental unit  (tenants DON'T 
	like to wait!)

	- Linda
	

    Has anyone used a company called ADD TEC? They specialize in additions.
    They are based in Conn. and just recently started working in Mass. I am 
    looking for any possible recomendations.
    
    tom
    

I want to second the recommendation in reply .46 and strongly recommend

       Bruce Hanson
       B M H  Construction
       Nashua/Amherst 
       (603) 886-6510

He works in south NH and north Mass, but I believe he'll travel further.
Bruce just completed remodeling my basement, converting it from a
literally "junk room" to a lovely play room, office/extra guest room,
storage room, and a wall-to-wall closet.  I highly recommend him for
any remodeling project you might have for these reasons:

   -  He's very very professional.  He knows his craft very well and
      will find the best solution for any demand you might have or
      any problem your home builder may have left.  (In my basement,
      for instance, the builder made a couple of mistakes that Bruce
      had to correct).
   -  He's very honest.  He'll use the best materials for the job, and
      will charge you fairly.  He doesn't try to make a quick buck, but
      rather to make a job you will be satisfied with (and recommend to
      your friends).
   -  He's very dedicated.  In several cases he came to work on
      weekends, in particular to solve some problems (low pipes, low
      ceiling, no room for windows, etc.) that disturbed us.
   -  He's very flexible.  Although we went over the details several
      times before signing the contract, as the job progressed I wanted
      a few changes and he made them for free.
   -  He's a very good person.  For example, before the job started
      he came one day to take some measurements.  I was out of town
      for a few days and my wife had problems with our 2nd car.
      She asked his opinion for the source of the problem, and he
      worked 3 hours to find the problem and went to buy a
      replacement part, just because he didn't want to leave her
      with only one car (and 3 children, one of whom was a 3 months
      baby).  The other day we had leakage from the ceiling, and he
      came short after we left him a message asking his advice.
      Needless to say, he refused payment in both cases.
   -  He's not the cheapest contractor, but his price was not that far
      from the lowest I got (but in contrast, it was by far lower than
      some other offers I got).
   -  He has excellent references, some of which I checked before
      signing the contract with him and found very impressive.
   -  He does most of the work himself.  As reply .46 noted, he's certified
      carpenter and plumber, and does excellent job in everything.
      He gets sometime help, but supervises his employees.  His
      electrician (Tony Lemire of City Wide Electric, 4 Jackson Drive,
      Hudson, NH (603) 886-9640 -- cf my recommendation in the
      "electricians" section) is an excellent professional and very good
      person too.  Sometimes Bruce's father comes to give him a hand,
      and he is a very nice, humorous person.

Bottom line: I invited about a dozen contractors to give me an estimate,
selected about half-a-dozen estimates to consider, and finally
negotiated with the 4 I considered the best (wrt quality of work,
references, availability, and price).  I chose Bruce because I thought
he's the best, and I have never changed my opinion of him.

Shaike Artsy

    I'd like to recommend John Aucoin of Stow. He did an excellent job
    replacing our front door this Winter. He does a wide variety of work
    including bathrooms, decks, wallpapering, window replacements, and
    house additions. He did a major barn-into-house renovation in Concord
    last year and has some excellent pictures to show of it. He is
    reliable, professional, does high quality work, cleans up the work
    area, gives good suggestions, and is a pleasure to work with. We won't
    hesitate to request his services again. His number is 508-897-8649.
    

    Has anyone had any experiences, good or bad with Great Woods
    construction in Beverly and Newburyport MASS?  I had one of the reps
    over yesterday to talk about building a house.  He seemed very
    professional and willing to work with us.
    
    Thanks,
    Mike
    

    I need some references for a builder in Salem NH -- can anyone
    help?
    
    Thanks
    
    Debra
    

    I would like to recommend Woodside Builders out of Townsend, MA.
    Paul Glover of Woodside Builders has done an excellent job around our
    house.  He is a general contractor and has done everything from
    building houses, to additions, to decks, to redoing bathrooms.
    His prices are average and his quality is exceptional.  Paul will
    travel around a 50 mile radius of Townsend.  He is licensed and insured
    also.  His address and telephone number is:
    
    Paul Glover
    Woodside Builders
    24 Clement Road
    Townsend, MA 01469
    (508)597-6656
    
    If you like, Paul can give you a list of other references too.
    
    
    Don Carkeek
    244-7279
    

    
    Has anyone used, or know of anyone who has used, PERSUNAL? They 
    design and build sun spaces and additions. Are based in Concord,
    Groton, Andover and Milton, MA.  I am considering using them for
    an addition. Any information would be very helpful.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Kathy
    

The Coffin brothers of CB Contracting don't seem to be in Marlboro anymore.  
The telephone number (460-0477) is no longer theirs.  Do you know where they are?

Thanks,

Marilyn

    WE are considering a major renovation to our house in Stow, Ma. Extend
    rear wall 10' and add bigger kitchen and new study.  Cost approx $50k
    We have rough dwgs and need final dwgs plus a good contractor.  Here
    are 2 we have spoken with:
    J & D builders of Stow [general contractors]
    RAS Industries of Burlington MA [a design and build company]
    
    Any suggestions about dealing with these companies? I would be happy to
    share more details of my project with those interested. THanks/chris

I recently had a two story garage built by Bill Henderson (B & D Builders,
Boylston).  I picked him based on a local recommendation, plus the fact
that he seemed very knowledgable when I discussed my plans with him, plus
the fact that his estimate was dramatically lower than the other I got.

I was *very* pleased with his work.  For one thing, as far as I can tell,
he did a high quality job.  But more than that, he was very careful to
do things the way I wanted them done, whenever possible.  I don't know
if he does this with everyone, or if he simply recognized that I was
going to be very picky, but he made a habit of coming up to check with
me on details like exact door & window positions, shingle color & type,
etc.  Sure, we discussed most of that stuff before he started, but I
found it hard to make final decisions that far in advance, and really
appreciated the opportunities to confirm or change decisions as the
time came to commit to each step.  In my experience, it is rare for
a contractor to work this closely with a homeowner to get the details
just right.  It shouldn't be, but for me it has been.

Unfortunately, the project went over budget, partly because of extra
work I asked to have done, and partly because the site proved much
more difficult to work on than Bill had expected.  Perhaps he also
has the engineer's problem of underestimating the time it will take
to do something right.  In any case, I didn't sign a fixed price contract 
with Bill, so he could have held me to paying his full materials and 
labor charge, but he didn't.  I was so impressed with Bill's work (and 
his integrity) that I paid him more than he asked for.  Even at that, 
it still came out lower than the other estimate I got.

In my project, Bill did just the rough carpentry and roofing, but he
also handles much larger projects.  For example, he acted as general
contractor to convert a single family house into a two family house
just down the street from me.  It now looks like it always was a
two family house.  Apparently, that's what the owner wanted.

One more thing.  Bill did the final drawings that I turned in to the
building inspector, since I wanted him to, but he insisted that the
ones I had done really were good enough.  As it turns out, he was
right -- our building inspector didn't want detailed joist plans,
just enough detail to let him check on support beam sizes, stairway
placement and the like.  

	Enjoy,
	Larry

    I was wondering if anybody has heard of Joe Pittorino as 
    a builder and if so, would you recommend him?  Why, why not?
    
    He is from the Acton area but has done a number of houses
    all over the eastern part of the state.
    
    Thank you
    
    -John

This is a strong recommendation for:

		   Rich Blanchette	(508) 870-5757
		   7 Cedar Street
		   Westborough, MA

Rich Blanchette is a very talented and honest builder. He will take on any
size project from minor renovations, to additions, to new home construction.

Rich just completed a major addition for us. We are very pleased with
the quality of everything he's done. Rich is skilled in all aspects of home
building/repair. He frames, installs doors/windows, does siding, insulation,
roofing, and very nice finish work. He usually chooses to contract out
hardwood flooring and blueboard/plastering, although he is skilled in these
areas as well and will do that work when things are slow.

We found Rich to be very competitive in price. We received fixed price bids
from three contractors, and Rich's was the only one that even came close to
our budget. This is due in part to the fact that many general contractors
farm out most of the work and are paid mainly for co-ordinating the whole
effort. Rich, on the other hand, does most of the work himself.

Rich gave us two price options. One was fixed price for the whole deal.
This figure included a (very reasonable) 5% mark-up for "profit and overhead".
The second option was for us to pay an hourly rate plus materials, assuming
the risk of over-runs ourselves (thus avoiding the 5% mark-up). I would
recommend going with a fixed price as Rich is an optimist and tends to
estimate on the low side.

We are extremely pleased with the work Rich has done for us. We were even
happy living through the construction period. Rich is very neat, and would
always sweep the place up at the end of the day. He was also very easy to
work with and helpful in making the inevitable last-minute decisions that
somehow aren't covered in the plans. For example we weren't sure what size
window to put in the room over our garage -- so Rich framed the area for
one size, then tacked the plywood over for the other size so we could get
an idea of what it would actually look like.

We had heard those horror stories about builders who never show up and
week-long projects that turn into months. We did not run into this problem
with Rich. Every once in a while he'd take a few days off to do an odd job
for someone else. But all it took was a phone call, and he'd be (cheerfully)
back on the job in the morning. 

Feel free to contact me via mail if you would like any more information.

- Christa Oriol

    I would like to recommend
    
            J.M.M. Construction Co.
    
    John Mixon is the owner.  He just finished a fairly major
    addition on our house and it all went amazingly smoothly.
    He was easy to talk to and very attentive to our needs. He
    is also a framing sub-contractor.  He does additions,
    new construction, and remodeling.  
    
    For me, he proved his worth when we had a problem with one of
    the sub-contractors.  The plumber put several very-visible
    scratches in our new one-piece tub/shower and didn't mention
    it to anyone.  He even denied doing it.  John arranged for
    him to come back and we had a meeting.  The plumber balked
    at taking responsibility at first but John insisted that our
    satisfaction came first and that whatever needed to be done
    would be done until we were satisfied.  
    
    John made a very professional bid/proposal.  His price was among
    the two lowest of the 4 we received.  We went with John because
    we trusted him and felt he would be easy to work with.  
    
    His firm is fully insured and bonded.  He works in the eastern
    Massachusetts area (headquarters: Billerica).  He can be
    reached at (508) 667-8740.

    For the worlds best contractor in the Metro West
    Mass area....Call 
    
    		J and Sons,Inc.
    		46 Courtland Street
    		Marlboro, Mass.
    		01752
    
    Phone: (508) 485-3104
    
    No job is to small or to large...
    and they do excellent work for excellent prices!

    Has anyone heard anything or had experience with Tim Boudreau, Boudreau
    Construction, in Groton, MA??  I am ready to hire a G.C. to build my house 
    and have narrowed the choice down to him and one other.  The other is
    Ken Marston mentioned earlier here.
    
    thanks,
    Mike                                

Has anyone heard of an outfit from Manchester, NH called 
"$AVE ON STRUCTURES"?  I think they're connected to Mapletree Builders, Inc.

They install vinyl siding and replacement windows as well as build additions 
and decks.

The windows are manufactured by Gordon. Has anyone installed these? (I 
checked note 3791).

They quoted me a price of $2700 for 10 windows. Four were large (40 x 53). The
others were small to medium sized. The windows have welded sashes, mechanical
(screwed together) frames, 7/8" glass spacing, double paned, low-e and 
argon filled. Installation included.

Sounds like a good deal (comments?). They came to my house for measurements
and demo but had no product fliers or info of any kind about the windows or
their company. Just a demo window and some cutaway parts. I'm not from their 
area (I'm in Leominster, Ma.) and have no idea who they are, if they're 
reputable...

Any info about them or Gordon windows would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

    
    Another recommendation for Paul Glover of Woodside Builders, Townsend (see 
    note 2012.62).  We called Paul because of note .62 Paul just completed a 
    12x18 3 season room and did an excellent job. We had 3 or 4 quotes and Paul
    was lowest, but that wasn't the sole reason we went with him.  The other 
    quotes were outrageous and one place just never followed up.  We had good 
    vibes about Paul right away. We did inspect a few jobs he did and the 
    people raved about the work and ease of working with him.
    
    Throughout the work Paul was a joy to work with. He always kept us
    informed of what was going on and when he'd be there. We easily
    resolved any conflicts. A few minor things we caught and requested he
    change, he did without question. We weren't exactly in a rush for the
    room but it did take longer than anticipated or quoted.  In a few areas
    we miscommunicated which caused some minor hassles, but they could have
    been our fault.   We plan on using Paul for a few more projects.  We
    feel his quality is very good and his personality is so easy to work
    with that it made the experience rather enjoyable.
    
    More info or inspection (in Carlisle, MA) available on request.
    
    Kathy                                     

    
    I'm just trying to get some/any input on a contractor.  His name is
    Tony DeMarco and he works in the Acton/Boxboro area.  If you know
    anything about him/his work, pro/con; please respond.
    
    thank you
    
    	-John

    Michael Santora and Steve Moreati are remodeling my living room and
    doing a terrific job.  They are very reasonable cost wise.  Michael's
    number is (508)365-2043.  I live in the Lancaster, MA area...
    
      

    
    I'm not sure if this should go here but I'll ask anyway.
    
    I am curious if anyone has dealt with William Lastowka.
    He is a contractor out of Merrimack N.H.
    
    If this is in the wrong place please direct me as to where
    it should go.
    
    		Bob
    

        I would like to second the recommendation of Dave Sargent.  He
        just completed finishing my basement and did a wonderful job,
        as well as providing useful comments on the design.

        When I mentioned to Dave where I found his name, his reply was
        `I was wondering why I was getting calls from so many people who
        work for Digital'.

        					B.J.

                     <<< Note 2012.42 by SARAH::FOSKETT >>>
                    -< Sargent's Construction - Lunenburg >-

    I would highly recommend Dave Sargent of Sargent's Construction Company
    to do any kind of remodeling, additions, replacement windows, roofs,
    decks, etc. They're great at adding second stories to existing houses.
    They are very professional and reasonably priced, and the work is
    excellent. Dave is located in Lunenburg, Mass. but will travel in the
    Mass./New Hampshire area (and possibly Maine).
    
    Give him a call at 508-582-9575.
    
    Dave Sargent
    Island Road
    Lunenburg, Mass.
    

    For high quality inexpensive work. I would recommend Andy Deveau of
    Creative Designs and Additions, the company he and his partner own. 
    Andy lives across the street from me in the home he designed and built.
    He's one of those super nice guys who will bend over backwards for
    folks.
    
    I worked with him during the construction of our local playground,
    his work was fast and top notch. I have seen pictures of some of his
    other work which included an octagon addition. I must say the wood
    paneled ceiling was very impressive. He has been working jobs
    in eastern and central Mass as well as  southern New Hampshire. 
    Give him a call and tell him I sent you. 
    
    	Andy Deveau
    	Whitney Rd
    	Shirley Ma 
    	(508) 425-9130
    
    Don

My wife and I want to build in Brookline NH and we are looking for 
a good general contractor.  We have several names but I'd like to 
get more if at all possible.   I would appreciate mail with any 
information on any builder/gc that works in this area.   
This includes anything negative you might have to say.   

Thanks in advance.

-Rob

    I've been planning to put in this recommedation for a while now..
    
    I've known Jim for a long time, and he's done several projects for me. 
    His work is top notch, and he's the type of guy that will show up when
    he says he will.  He started work as a framer, then took over his
    father's business and is now a general contractor.  He's good, and one
    of the very few people in the business that I trust implicitly.  One
    possible problem is that he's usually busy, even in very slow times.
    
    Tell him I sent you.
    
    /Don

    I'm also looking for a Brookline, NH builder.  I met a builder from
    Mason NH, Joseph Iodice of JFI General Contracting.  He works out of
    both Lexington MA and Mason NH.  Does anyone know anything about him?
    Any other reccomendations for this area would be appreciated.
    
    Thanks!  
    
    ps-Rob, where are you building?  I've got a lot in Bear Hill.

    
    I'm checking for any experiences with North Star Construction of
    Auburn, NH.  We've gotten quotes from several GC's, and have been
    narrowing the field.  They seem to be competent as far as plumbing
    and heating; I'd like to get feedback re their construction expertise.
    
    -- John

    
    Norman Leblanc
    86 Exchange Street
    Leominster,Mass
    (508)537-1881
    
    He did an excellant job on our shed dormer that we just had done. Very
    reasonable and comes on time. And he always keeps you informed of what
    he is doing during the course of his work. It is just him and his son,
    but on larger jobs they bring in another person to help them
    Ed
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

	Can anyone provide any information regarding Coven Builders in
Hubbardston? 



Thanks,
Larry Herman

    
    Another positive word for Creative Designs and Additions. Andy and Leo
    are close to finishing an addition for us -- extension of one room
    connected to a new 16x20 family room. They are doing the outside
    work; I will finish the interior.
    
    These guys do excellent work, on time, very neatly, and perhaps most
    important, with a good sense of humor. Andy was very helpful in the
    initial planning, and even went toe to toe with a picky BOH person
    over our septic system. His bid was pretty close to lowest.
    
    They've taken great care to to match details to the existing structure.
    to have minimal impact on our landscaping, and to leave things neat
    and safe every day (important with kids running around).
    
        Creative Designs and Additions
    	Andy Deveau
    	508-425-9130
    

    Looking for info. on builder Jim Craven out of Townsend.  (Homes by
    Craven)
    
    
    Thanks, Kumar

       We hired Brad Gay to build a screened-in porch for our house in
       Nashua, and we're very pleased with his work. 
       
       Based on recommendations from this conference and neighbors, we
       asked four contractors to give us proposals.  We chose Brad
       because he seemed experienced, knowledgeable, and willing to
       listen to the type of addition that we wanted. 
       
       He took no shortcuts that we could see in his work: materials were
       high quality, and the craftsmanship of Brad and his crew resulted
       in a finished product that exceeded our expectations.  When we
       requested some additional work related to the construction, the
       charges were fair.
       
       Brad lives in Derry; his phone number is 434-9516. 
       
       --Don Topaz

		Creative Builders
		Greg Gravel

		Stow, MA  508-897-8236

Creative Builders has just completed an addition (1 BR, 1 bath, garage), for us.
Greg is an excellent carpenter, and hires good subs.  But anything I write here
could not give the whole scoop... call me if you are interested.

                 --Tom Porcher
                   DTN 235-8441, home 508-897-4225
                   ROYALT::PORCHER

JEC Contracting
Mason, NH
603-878-3388

Paul and Diane Knisley, of JEC Contracting, built our addition for us.  Our 
addition was a big project consisting of a two-car garage with two bedrooms 
over it, and a connector piece that has basement-to-second-floor stairs, a 
laundry room, and a full bathroom.  They also re-sided the original house, 
adding house-wrap and rigid insulation under the new clapboards.

Paul and Diane can keep their prices down because they do much of the work 
themselves, with an additional ~2 person crew, instead of subcontracting it 
out.  Paul did the framing, shingling, siding, wallboard installation, and 
finish carpentry.  Diane takes care the ordering and does staining/painting.  
The foundation, taping and jointing, popcorn ceilings, plumbing, and 
electrical, were subcontracted out.

Although it took awhile to complete, the addition has turned out really nice.  
Paul creatively coped with quite a few errors in our architected building 
plans.  They are very pleasant and out-going people.  We are going to hire
them again to do some remodeling in the original part of the house later on.

Geri and Sean Davidson
Dunstable, MA

    I would like to put in a 3rd recommendation for BMH Construction.  I
    echo the positive comments of .46 and .58.  Bruce is everything that
    they describe.
    
    He just finished putting a pressure-treated 12 x 14 deck on our house. 
    He did a real nice job and completed the job in just under 2 days. 
    He's very conscientious and WANTS to do a good job.  I highly recommend
    him for any job you may have.
    
    Brian 

    This is an update to the note I wrote (2012.59) after John Aucoin
    replaced our front door. 
    
    John has just finished a 24 by 24 attached garage addition for us and
    we are thrilled with his work. He is attentive to details, flexible
    with our mind changes, and very easy to get along with. I think that
    good communication is essential between the homeowners and the
    contractor--we certainly had that with John. I recommend him highly for
    any size project.
    
    Our addition included a garage, family room, mud room, and two gabled
    bedrooms on the top floor. John also built a large deck off the back of
    the existing house and a pressure-treated wall where the garage door
    comes out.
    
    John is a carpenter, so he did most of the work alone, only getting
    help for some of the wall raising and roofing where another set of
    hands was essential. He got subs for the specialized work (plastering,
    wood floors, electrical, etc.) His skills range all the way from the
    framing of the building to finished work on a built-in entertainment
    center. John had excellent suggestions for things we wouldn't have even
    thought of (like better windowsills that those on the existing house)
    but really appreciate.
    
    
    
    
    

Very high recommendation for Bruce Hanson of BMH Construction in Nashua.



Bruce has done 2 things for us - 

1.  Built a foundation (pressure treated 2 x 10's) inside of our existing 
    foundation.  This was much more work than he bargained for and he worked 
    lots of extra hours (along with his father and son) to get the job done on 
    time - without charging us extra.  

    One of the reasons that we chose him for the job is because he took the
    specs that a structural engineer had done for us, went over them with a
    fine tooth comb, and made suggestions/improvements which the structural
    engineer readily agreed to.  All the other contractors that we got estimates
    from barely looked at the specs before estimating the job.   Bruces extra
    dedication to making sure the job was done right was apparant through the
    entire job.


2.  Ripped the brick off the front of our house and replaced it with shakes.
    This was also done to our full satisfaction.  Bruce had to take off an 
    extra row of shakes and even battle the wasps (which he hates) and he did it
    all with a smile.  For this job we didn't even  call other contractors.  
    We new that we would be happy with Bruces work and price.


We would not hesitate to call Bruce back for any jobs that we just don't feel like 
tackling ourselves.

    I will "third" the recommendation for Dave Sargeant (see reply .78).
    He put a second
    floor on our house last summer.  We were very happy with his work.  He
    was also conciencious about putting plans and agreements into writing. 
    He did a great job, at what we felt was a good price.  He minimized the
    disruption to the living space (made the opening to the stairs last -
    after the upstairs was finished).  He also was very neat and cleaned up
    the yard every night.  Important if you have small children around.
    
    If anyone would like more informations or would like to look at the
    work he has done at our house, feel free to give me a call (229-7965).
    
    Sheila
    

    I am looking for GOOD gc's in the Gardner, Westminster, Southern NH
    area that have insurance and liability and are reasonable.  Also, has
    anyone heard anything good or bad about Alfred Cormier out of Gardner.
    He seems to have a pretty good reputation in the area.
    
    Thanks, Kumar

    We also used Paul Glover of Woodside Builders, Townsend after reading
    notes 2012.62 and 2012.74).  Paul built a 14x14 screen porch on our 
    house in Westford.  He really did an outstanding job building the
    porch.  He does very high quality work, and pays attention to detail.
    He also cleans up the mess that he makes after he is done.
    His price was also quite reasonable.  
    
    After giving us the estimate, it took him a few weeks to start, and
    took him about 3 weeks to finish.  But, this probably just depends
    on how busy he is with other jobs.
    
    I would highly recommend him.  Bill Spencer (netrix::spencer)
    

    
    RE: .95
    
    My sister hired Alfred Cormier to do the rough framing, windows, etc.
    for their house.  They were very satisfied.  Work was done on time, on
    budget.  If you have any other questions, you can send mail.
    
    Phil

                               In/Ex-Terior Co.
                            Remodeling Specialists
                           Derry, NH (603)432-1935

                                  Rich Hill

    Rich has just finished framing a master bath and workshop for me (I am 
    finishing the rest). He is a a very precise worker, will work with you
    to make your addition (remodeling job) go well with your existing
    house. He also does kitchens, roofing, decks, siding, tile work etc....

    He will travel to Mass. (including the Cape) or most of NH (as times are
    bad) or even Maine, and his $$ are very reasonable. 

    For more detail, send me mail.....

I am looking for information on Donnell who is currently building homes in 
the Fitchburg/Leominster/Lunenberg and Central Mass. area.  Anyone have had a 
home built by him?  Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you, Judy

I have cross-posted this in Real_Estate conference also

       <<< SERENA::SERENA$DUA2:[000000.NOTES$LIBRARY]HOME_WORK.NOTE;1 >>>
                         -< Better living through DIY >-
================================================================================
Note 4552.0            Alfred Cormier - HIGHLY recommended            No replies
KALVIN::CHINNASWAMY                                  21 lines  13-MAR-1992 09:03
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I wanted to wait to write this note until I payed our builder the 
    final payment.  After getting bids from 10 different contractors
    we finally went with Alfred Cormier out of Gardner.  We went with
    him because of his PRICE ( 15% cheaper than the nearest builder )
    and his experience ( around 30 years, tons of homes ).  He has 
    been busy with 2-3 homes at a time for the last few years.  We got
    our house for 52 dollars a sq. foot.  This did not include the 
    land. This included a 7K cabinet and vanity allowance and 20 ft. carpet 
    allowance, Anderson windows, six panel doors, brick fireplace with 
    flagstone hearth, plywood sheathing, etc...  Since we just moved in 
    and had NO problems, I wanted to put this recommendation for him.
    He was very easy to work with and he did not nickel and dime us one
    penny.  Our final bill was exactly what he said plus the options
    that we added.  If anyone is interested send me mail and I will give
    more info.  His number is 632-6582 in Gardner, MA.  He has built
    houses as far as Andover so travel is no problem.  He did take 
    4 1/2 months to finish our house, this is probably a little slower
    than most builders.
    
    
    Kumar
    

Hi All,

I have the names of a couple GCs/architects that I was hoping you
people could give me some information on.  I checked, and did not
see these people already mentioned.  They are:

	Design, Build Sollutions out of Woburn
			and
	The Great Room Co. of Reading

If anybody has used these people and had success (or not), then 
I would like to hear from you.  Thank you very much.

-David

                              Tim Dopson
                                 Quality Interiors
                                 Ridgewood Dr
                                 Goffstown, N.H. 03045
                                 (603) 497-3956
    
        A first-class recommendation for Tim Dopson. I had my kitchen
        completely remodeled, including the installation of an island.
        Also I had a deck installed to replace an existing one.
        Plus, he built a 3-season porch onto the house for the previous
        owners.
    
        All three, are top quality work. I was extremely impressed by his
        attention to detail; and his price was very reasonable. (I had 
        estimates from three other contractors.)
    
        Also, he did exactly what he said he was going to do, on the day 
        he said he was going to do it.
     
        He is honest, friendly, and very conscientious about his work. He
        definitely takes pride in doing a job well.
    
    
        Based in Manchester, he covers southern N.H.
     

    
    I'm looking for any information anyone might have on builder/contractor
    Jim Crave (Homes by Craven) in Dunstable/Groton MA.
    
    Thanks.
    
    Kurt
    

    
    I'm looking for information on builder/contractor Keith Adamyk of
    Hollis, NH.
    
    Any information would be appreciated.
    
    Thanks.
    
    Kurt
    

        Hi,
        
        We had  some ceiling damage following recent high winds forcing
        water through the roof (somehow!) - the water then dripped from
        a ceiling "seam" in the living room.
        
        Need a Manchester NH  referral  for  someone good with exterior
        and interior roofing/ceilings.
        
                Thanks,
        
                Andy
            

 
 Paul Glover
 Woodside Builders
 24 Clement Rd
 Townsend, MA 01474
  508-597-6656

 Paul Glover is in the process of finishing up a project for us that involved 
  gutting and remodeling two bathrooms and replacing a number of windows
  and interior doors at our home in Groton.

 Paul has been great to deal with.  He is very quality conscious, makes
  sure he knows exactly what you want, keeps you well informed, and
  gives you a real sense of confidence that he will make sure things
  will get done right the first time.  He is the first contractor I've
  ever dealt with who didn't make me feel like I had to be there all the
  time to make sure something didn't slip through the cracks.  Paul
  and his crew were also very conscientious about cleaning up before
  leaving every day.

 The project is on schedule (except for a door that is on backorder) and
  has gone without a hitch.  Everything came out exactly the way we wanted
  it, and the workmanship is excellent (Paul did the tiling himself and
  it looks wonderful).  All of this was done at a reasonable price.

 His plumbing subcontractor, Pete Penniman, was superb.  I've posted a 
  recommendation for him in the plumber references.

 Overall, I highly recommend Paul if you're looking for a very dependable
  general contractor at a reasonable price.
 
                                                      Joe Marconis

    I am looking at a house made my Richard Hoag of Clinton... it is the
    Kingsbury "kit" house.  Anyone with experience with him or the house?
    
    Bob

                                                                     
I recently finished building a house in Brookline N.H. and would like to 
recommend my general contractor:

		Lance T. Johnson   603-673-0319

Lance is a small local craftsman who is primarily a finish carpenter
and framer who also general contracts a house or two a year in the
Hollis/Brookline/Amherst/Milford area.   The reasons I highly recommend
Lance are:

1. Integrity and honesty:  Lance is an extremely honest and reputable
   person.  Whenever one is involved in such a large complex endeavor
   as building a house you will run into a few problems.  For the
   few problems we had Lance always solved them to my satisfaction.  

2. Quality and Craftsmanship:  He's an excellent craftsman who will take
   whatever time necessary to do it right.  There were many areas
   where Lance could have substituted inferior materials (and I wouldn't 
   have known the difference) or taken some shortcuts but didn't. He
   has a lot of pride in his work and isn't out just to make a buck.
           
3. Cost:  Lance's prices are extremely reasonable.  
                             
4. Flexibility: As I said, Lance is a small time builder not a big
   building company.  This means he usually works with folks with
   construction loans and acts as their GC or construction mgr.  He allowed 
   us to use any of our own subs (we didn't - thank goodness!) if we wanted.
   I did some of the work myself (tiling bathrooms, some painting),
   and also saved some money by buying some of the materials myself
   (got a bunch of stuff at an auction, and discount places).
           
   Lance is also flexible on what you want to build.  I designed the
   house myself, drew the floorplan to scale, and Lance turned it into
   a set of blueprints and we built it!  No hassles, no "oh - we don't
   do that."   FWIW Lance has a degree in building construction from 
   a local vocational college.   He's  very willing and able to 
   guide the inexperienced in construction issues in helping you 
   make the right choices for you.


If your looking for a finish carpenter, framer, or  general contractor consider
giving Lance a call.  If you'd like to see his work or want more info, feel
free to give me a call.  _Mark

x-posted in REAL_ESTATE, CONSUMER, and HOME_WORK

I'm looking for information pro or con than anyone may have on Okerman
Construction out of Westminster MA.  You can reply here or mail me.

thanks,
-will white

I'd like to recommend Jeff Brown of Groton as a general contractor, he's 
located at 448-3043.  I've seen his work and he did an excellent job!

Debbi

    
    
         I'd like to recommend Michael Connolley (Pepperell, Ma. 433-9018)
    for anything to do with building with wood, cabinetry to house framing,
    soup to nuts!
         Michael and a helper (and what little I could do) built an
    addition to my house that amounted to tripling the original size,
    during which time there were MANY changes to the less than workable
    blueprints. (inside suggestion: make sure you have an architect
    that's worth his salt!) The house came out fine and within budget.
    
                                 Dana

A local realtor told me about an outfit out of Nashua, NH which is trying
to move into this area (Littleton, MA).  The name is Preston Homes, and
she said they've already built a few in this area and are aggressively
trying to book more business.  According to her, their prices are reasonable
and their work is very good.

Has anyone ever heard of these people.  Do you have a phone number and/or
an address for them?

Thanks for any information.

Jim

    I'm looking for info on Bob Peterson constr. I'm thinking about
    buying house thats he's going to be building in Pelham N.H.,
    feel free to send me mail if its not right to post info in here.
    
    
    

Can anyone give me any more info on Keith Adamyk of  Brookline, NH?
The job would be an attic conversion to master bedroom and bath, involving
raising a dormer and then finishing off the area.  If you're not comfortable
with posting your recommendation, either good or bad, please send mail to
KAYAK::GROSSO.

Thanks,
Bob

I'm looking for additional recommendations for a general contractor in the
Nashua vacinity.

The job would be an attic conversion to master bedroom and bath, involving
raising a dormer and then finishing off the area.  If you're not comfortable
with posting your recommendation, please send mail to KAYAK::GROSSO.

Thanks,
Bob

I'm looking for comments on a general contractor, Jeff Ela of Wilton, NH.

The job will be an attic conversion to master bedroom and bath, involving
raising a dormer and then finishing off the area.  If you're not comfortable
with posting your recommendation, please send mail to KAYAK::GROSSO.

Thanks,
Bob

>I'm looking for comments on a general contractor, Jeff Ela of Wilton, NH.

>The job will be an attic conversion to master bedroom and bath, involving
>raising a dormer and then finishing off the area.  If you're not comfortable
>with posting your recommendation, please send mail to KAYAK::GROSSO.


	Bob,

	I know Jeff very well and his work/reputation is impeccable. I would
	highly recommend him especially for finish work and custom building
	as he is very easy to work with and very flexible.

	Re,

	Chuck

  This note is to highly recommend a carpenter/general contractor named
  Mike Percoco out of Stoneham, MA. His telephone number is 617-665-3145. 

  I have used Mike to build a large and reasonably complex deck, build a bath 
  from scratch, totally renovate a kitchen, build a sunroom from scratch and 
  do other miscellaneous jobs. I not only had him do the work, but worked
  with him. So I've not only seen that his work is excellent when completed,
  but that he gets it right the first time.

  Mike has a wide variety of skills including having built entire houses. 
  Aside from his skills, he is very nice and easy to deal with. He is also 
  totally trustworthy (eg. can be left alone in the house; very honest about 
  hours worked).

  He will work on an hourly or fixed bid basis and has very, very competitive
  rates.

  As an aside, he was recommended to me by the local hardware store and the
  local lumberyard. They have both used him for years and been very happy.
  

					good luck,
					jp

    	I've had good luck with Ken Blomquist as a contractor. He's based 
    out of Marlboro, and does nice work at a reasonable price.  You can use 
    my name if you like when you talk to him, he likes referral business rather 
    than from ads in the local papers or an ad from the Yellow Pages.

       His number is 508-481-6953.
       
       Mike B.

    

I'd like to recommend Chris Tofte of SC National Construction 
as an excellent general contractor. Chris has built a home for 
friends of ours, and is in the process of building our home.
Our friends were very pleased, and he has done a great job so far
with our home. Prior to building, we received bids from about 
10 builders in the area, and he gave us the most reasonable price.
We checked several of the homes he had built, and we were impressed.
He has given us some good ideas about altering our floor plan
so as to get more square footage, and the added cost was minimal.
Our house is totally framed, and we are now beginning the interior
work. He's honest, friendly and very knowledgeable. Chris builds 
mostly in the Nashua, Hollis, Amherst area, but he is willing to 
travel. If I can answer any questions on him, or any of the other
builders in the area (I think we met with just about everyone else)
then please send mail. 

Chris's number is 603-882-9055.

Ronnie

	We have been extremely pleased with Mark Twardoski, owner of MET
	contracting in Nashua, NH. His phone number is (603) 595-1540. He
	has about 5 guys who work for him as well.

	Mark was recommended to us as a house inspector by our lawyer when
	we purchased our house, and did an outstanding job. So far Mark as
	done the following for us:

	- Re-sided and repainted a portion of an outisde wall, that had
	  formerly held a built-in air conditioner. The new siding was
	  isntalled so that the patch is absolutely invisible.
	- Fixed the flue damper in the fire place
	- Installed a new gas water heater, to replace the former electric
	  one. This included moving the water heater to another room, with
	  the plumbing that involved, plus adding exterior exhaust for the
	  gas unit and adding a GFCI exterior outlet.
	- Installed a new toilet, including dealing with a flange on which
	  one of the "ears" was broken and an uneven floor.
	- Brought the clearances on the furnace vents up to code.
	- Took out an exterior door in the kitchen and replaced it with a
	  pantry closet, including moving a few outlets, switches, and a phone.
	- Added a corner post to our front porch overhang, and jacked up the
	  roof to level; removed the wrought iron railing and ground it down
	  flush with the concrete stoop.
	- Took down two trees - a 30' pine and a 50+' oak.

	We will shortly be having Mark do some extensive grading in our
	yard, and are planning on eventually having him build a two-car
	garage. By the variety of work he has done for us, you can tell that
	there is very little he doesn't do.

	Mark is a licensed electrician, plumber, inspector, and possibly a
	few other things by the state of NH (I believe that he's licensed in
	MA, too, but I'm not sure). He knows all the relevant codes, and
	does work by the book, using the right materials for the job and the
	right techniques so that the work will last. He is very neat, and
	pays attention to the details - things like raking up the leaves and
	twigs after taking down the trees, or adding a little plate that
	makes an exterior light mount plumb on clapboard siding. He and his
	men have always been courteous and polite, too.

	The other quality I'd like to mention is that Mark will listen to
	what you have to say, and also make suggestions as to how to handle
	a situation. This was the deciding factor in choosing Mark to do our
	pantry closet - there were a few things (like, the fact that it had
	to meet upper and lower cabinets that do not extend to the same
	point on the wall) that required some thought and design to reach an
	optimal solution, and Mark came up with the best idea out of the 4
	contractors we called.

	Also, Mark knows when it pays to put money into materials or
	techniques, and when it doesn't. He's very honest about whether you
	really need to go all the way in a particular case, or whether a
	less expensive alternative will be just as good. He is also quite
	willing to do only certain parts of a job - for example, we will be
	priming and painting the closet ourselves, and rather than cut our
	downed trees into firewood length he was more than willing to cut
	them into 3-4' lengths, and let me deal with them from there. I am
	quite aware of what I can handle and what I'd rather leave to the
	professionals, and Mark lets me save a few bucks here and there by
	doing it myself.

	I guess this is getting long enough. Feel free to contact me if you
	have any questions (e-mail, please).

	Roy

    
    Another recommendation (see .62, .74, .96, .107) for Paul Glover
    of Woodside Builders, Townsend MA, (508) 597-6656.  Paul built a
    20x16 family room on our house in Wellesely.
    
    We were actually the general contractor, but Paul did all of the
    framing, roofing, etc.  We also used Paul as a consultant since this
    was the first time we had tried to do anything like this and because
    we ran into a major problem (granite ledge about a foot below grade).
    
    Paul does quality work at a fair price.  He and the people who worked
    for him were always very polite and took the time to clean up any mess
    that was made.  Perhaps the best part of working with Paul was that
    I felt I could trust him and he was excellent at returning calls and
    showing up on time (unlike some of the other subs).  He was also very
    understanding of the fact that we were trying to GC the project
    ourselves and took the time to explain what various things meant.
    
    I highly recommend him.
    
                   Dan Hansen  (sise::hansen)
    
    

    
    I can recommend on the north shore (though he does work all over the
    Boston area) :-
    
    Dick Yandell - telephone 532-1588 8 Shore Dr, Peabody, MA 01960.
    
    He's quick, reasonable and does quality work. He's also been around for
    quite a while. Does general contracting, floors, wallpaper, painting - 
    pretty much everything. We've used him extensively for renovation work
    on our Victorian.
    

    I am looking for a contractor in the Chelmsford/Westford/Lowell area to
    finish off a basement.

    I'd strongly recommend (see earlier replies.... .29 & .50)
    
    John Marchesi
    Littleton, MA.
    486-0110
    
    He's an absolute perfectionist, extremely easy to work with, and
    very fairly priced. I have also found that the subcontractors
    that he uses (plumber, electrician, plasterer) are all top-notch 
    too. John works on the job himself so there's never a "communication"
    problem.
    
    You can tell him I referred you......he's done work for me as well
    as lots of friends/neighbors.
    
    Jonathan
    not just a contrctor/supervisor. 

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a house in Groton from a builder named
Gary Grantz. Has anyone of you heard of him or even bought a house
from him? 
I would really appreciate any comments on his work or reputation.
Thank you for any help.

Cecile.

    There's one minor comment about him in TALLIS::REAL_ESTATE note 3229.
    

>    There's one minor comment about him in TALLIS::REAL_ESTATE note 3229.

... which is the usual venue for this type of question.

Thanks for the pointers. I will re-post my note in 
TALLIS::REAL_ESTATE.

Cecile.

    
  	Designs Unlimited - Eric Benjaminsen
    			    Office: 508 393-7717
    			    Northboro, MA
    
    	General Contracting
        Finish Work
    	Remodeling
    	Framing
    	Roofing
    	Etc...
    
    	

    Re:  2012.109
    
    I had a completely different experience with Lance Johnson.  If you
    would like the details contact me.
    
    Gina Marksteiner
    Nodex::marksteiner
    DTN: 296-5287

    I am going to remodel my bathroom.  This means ripping out everything
    (fixtures, wallpaper, floor and wall tile) except, perhaps, the
    window, and installing new.
    
    I have gotten several possibilities for a general contractor from this
    conference (Thank you.), but I wondered about one other, whom I have
    used before, once to replace a window, and once a door.  This is
    Tom Antonelli of Framingham.  He seems workmanlike to me -- but I
    could have been lucky, or just hit his strength, and I have no idea
    how his prices compare.
    
    Any comments?
    
    						Ann B.

Call him and at least 2 of your other leads to come in and do a 
full, written estimate.  Compare the way the treat the project 
(some don't like to do small projects), their time and attention 
to detail during the estimate, does he give you ideas, make references
to building codes, etc.  By the third estimate you'll have a good idea of 
what you want and what you'll get for your dollar.  Then decide who
to go with.  

Your estimate should look something like:

Job Description:

	Description of site/work to be done...

Scope of Work:
	Demolition			$x
	Plumbing			$x
	Electrical
	Sheetrook, tape, and prime
	Install Flooring, Vanity, etc
	Finish work

You'll be given allowances for any fixtures such as the
vanity, toilet, fan, lights, window etc.	 	

I hope you have two baths...it'll take a week or two.

Greg

BTW, I had some estimates done for completely remodeling our bathroom
(same as you, demolish and start from scratch) and based on the 
amount (~$3000) decided to do it myself.  I saved over
50% and although it has taken longer than expected (it always does)
I don't regret it.   

    I'd strongly recommend Caira Home Remodeling Building Contractors out
    of Northboro, Massachusetts.
    
    The Caira brothers, Bill and Tom, replaced our entire second floor
    ceiling, using blueboard with a plaster finish.  They were neat (good,
    solid cleanup after the job), meticulous (they were careful about
    existing furniture, walls, and floors), personable, and did a great 
    job.  They also had a very reasonable price.
    
    This is the first time I've been 100% satisfied with any home
    contractor I've used.  
    
    You can call the Cairas at:
    
    Tom: 	508-393-7437
    Bill:	508-393-8279
    
    They are licensed, insured, and are willing to travel to a job.
    
    Bo

    
    
            Now that my house is nearing completion I figured it was time
    to put in a recommendation for my builder, Sun Comfort from Bolton, MA.  I
    believe Sun Comfort officially consists of Carl Warren and Bruce Wilson but
    they have a couple other guys (Chris and Eric) who work with them as well.
    I am building a large colonial for which I drew up floor plans and 
    elevations.  I worked with Carl who turned my drawings into "real" plans. 
    He was fantastic to work with. He paid attention to all the little details 
    and completed the plans in a timely manner.  I had actually begun working 
    on the plans with another builder who I eventually gave up on because he 
    would just draw things the way HE thought they should be without even 
    asking me and also took months to get the plans only half finished.  So, I 
    have seen both extremes which makes me appreciate even more the job which 
    Carl did.  Carl would explain the different options on how things could be 
    designed and give me information on how much each option would cost, etc.  
    Then he would let ME decide which way I wanted to do things. Also, whenever
    I had any questions I could call him and he always got back to
    me right away.  Once the plans were drawn up, Carl, Bruce, Chris and Eric
    framed the house, installed all the windows and doors, put on the roofing 
    and siding, built the deck and installed the vapor barrier.  I am the
    general contractor and Carl was available as sort of a construction
    consultant (at $25 per hour).  They have done a fantastic job building
    the house. There were hardly any mistakes (and the couple that showed
    up were mainly because the plans got rained on and were hard to read and 
    they were fixed immediately with no problems) and they showed up at the
    job every day and I never had to worry about a thing.  They are very 
    honest and the couple change orders I had were handled verbally and they 
    charged me very fairly.  Most of the smallchanges they did for free. I
    could call them any time and they always got back to me right away and
    I never felt I was being a pain by asking them questions.  They are
    concerned with doing things the right way and don't mind spending time
    talking about how things could be done. They definately did more than
    was required of them.  They also always clean up after themselves.
         They usually general contract the houses they build but allowed me
    to act as general contractor.  I'm sure they would be great as general
    contractors also.  I've never built a house before so I've really 
    appreciated having someone who was willing to help me along in the
    process and who didn't mind answering all the questions I had.
         Sun Comfort will also be doing all the finish work on the house. 
    They will be starting this next week.
         So, if you need a general contractor, framer or finish carpenter
    Iwould definately recommend Sun Comfort.  They have made my building
    experience a very enjoyable one and I'm sure you'll be happy with them
    too. If you have any questions or would like to see their work, please
    give me a call.
    
    You can reach Carl Warren at  779-6193.
                                             
    Gina Marksteiner
    
    NODEX::MARKSTEINER
    DTN: 296-5287
    Home:  365-2535  (635-9531 once I move to my new house - hopefully
    11/1/93)                  

    I'd like to give a recommendation to Rich Frank/ Frank Exteriors of
Nashua NH.  Rich has always been honest about assessments and he's done great
work at very reasonable prices.  I know of at least 3 other DEC-folks who
rely on Rich to do most of their "outside" work.  He's done a couple of jobs
for me.

Frank Exteriors
886-6466

    	
    	I would like to recommend Weismann Contracting Inc. out of
    Boxboro MA.  Don does mostly remodelling work: additions,
    decks/porches, roofing, windows and skylights.  He is fully liscenced
    and insured and does very good work.
    
    He can be reached at 1-800-281-2805
    

    Has anyone used the following for their bathroom remodeling? They are
    all located in the Nashua, NH area.  I have 3 estimates so far, I will
    ask for references and want to see at least their 2nd to last job.
    
    Masi
    
    Kitchens-N-More
    
    GM Roth
    
    Fern & Son
    
    If you prefer send mail at SOLVIT::TRUBACZ.  Thanks in advance.
    
    

    I'm looking for someone to install blown-in insulation in my attic.  I
    live in Clinton, MA.  Any recommendations?
    
    Karen
    

    Has any one had any experience with the Gattett Construction Company
    out of Sharon, Mass.  I am considering a sub-division he is planning
    and want to know if any one has delt with him before.  He had done some
    other development in the Concord area and serounding towns as well as
    in the Sharon area.
    
    Paul Caldera
    DTN:297-9361
    REFER1::CALDERA
    
    Thanks,
    
    Paul

    Re: 138  The builders name David Einis.
    

    Still searching for a contractor to finish off my basement. I live in
    Chelmsford, MA. Know of anyone who does suspended ceilings, recessed
    lighting, partitions who's DEPENDABLE ? Much appreciated

I am having a 2800 sf. brick-faced hipped-roof colonial built by Bob. I asked
for 6 quotes from other builders and after calling on 6-8 of Bob's references, we
asked Bob to start building. You wouldn't believe his allowances or referred 
associates. Most homes built in our area are $70 - $100 sf. Bob was the best
price. Now we are seeing the quality.

Bob is a one man operation (one salary) with excellent subs you can talk to with 
no problems. His price beat many buy 30-60K. No one came close to his allowances.
We are putting in quality cabinettes in our kitchen with NO additional costs. I
am a carpenter's son and an engineer and he tolerates me. Please call him if you
need a home built, land to build on or any kitchen or bath remodeling.

Bob lives in Grafton, MA and travels throughout New England.

Dave

    Had my sun porch done by Arthur Magazu of Bolton, which entailed 
    making new windows, building a floor, closing in the room, leveling,
    light fixture and fan and such.  Arthur did a great job, kept the place
    very clean and clear.  Would certainly ask him to do more work for me. 
    The price was competitive, the work excellent and he is someone I trust
    to be in the house when I am working.  I think you would find him good
    to work with - particularly since he helped me change some designs on
    the fly to the better fit.  
    
    Call me if you have questions.

Bruce Hanson
BMH Construction - Nashua 
(603) 886-6510 

I hired Bruce to do quite a bit of renovation work around my house about a year
ago.  I found him to be thorough in his work, plus he guarantees all that 
he does.  He relies on referrals for much of the work he does and I think 
that's a pretty good indication of the quality of his work.

His rates are very reasonable and he also is very helpful in other ways 
to keeping remodeling costs down.  I enjoyed working with him because 
he is knowledgeable and has the experience to know how different options
will come out.  I used him quite a bit for recommending what to do and
what not to do.

I have an older house which presented quite an array of remodeling 
challenges.  Bruce gutted and redid a bathroom, replaced several windows, 
put in new ceilings, and did many other jobs throughout the house.  
If you have any questions about Bruce or want to see some samples of his
work just let me know.  I also recommended him to a friend and she was
very happy with the work he did in refinishing her basement.

		Bob		

If anyone has any experiences with Bob MacLean of Brookline, NH,
please let me know via mail (NETRIX::DAN, dan@lkg.dec.com) or
via this notesfile.  Thank you.

Dan

P.S. This request can be expired/deleted in three weeks.

    My fiancee and I are building a new house in Leominster. Our builder
    has been so nice to work with, I wanted to add his name to this file.
    
    He is Alfred Cormier of Alfred J. Cormier Construction, Gardner MA,
    508-632-6582.
    
    He has spent at least 10 hours with us going over plans, prices, making
    trips out to houses he is building now, etc. He is also allowing us to 
    work on the house while he is building as a way for us to save money.
    
    He has met with us during the evening and has shown alot of patience as 
    I am a first time home buyer.
    
    If anyone wants to ask me questions, just call.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Donna
    
    
    
    
    

I highly recommend Tony Catalli from Catalli and Son.  He works out of
northern Mass (Groveland, if I remember), but worked on my house in
Watertown.  We have an old (1910) house and did some MAJOR rennovations to
it.  Tony brought in all of the tradesmen except the electrician - whom I
hired.  He supervised everybody.   His number is (508) 372-3555

There are a couple of reasons that I really liked him:

- He was able to make a couple of suggestions that made major improvements 
in the overall project and were things that I'd never have thought of.  For
example, he suggested we force-vent the new furnace and remove the old 
chimney - all 4 stories of it.  This made a big difference in the floor 
plan in the kitchen and on the third floor.

- He was very willing to do things the way I wanted them done, and was able
to do some things that the other contractors thought they couldn't do.  
Specifically, we had a room that was all windows and that had a bow in one 
of the window walls because it was improperly structured in the first 
place.  The other contractors wanted to take down the whole wall and start 
over.  Tony was able to jack up the ceiling, carve a "L" shaped groove in 
the supports and insert some angle iron which was screwed in place after 
the wall was pulled back in.  The wall is fine now and not a window was 
broken in the process.

- You can ALWAYS get ahold of him on the phone.  His secret weapon is his 
wife, Lori, who runs the office out of their home.  You can call any time 
of the day or up to 10-11 PM and either get them or have her page Tony.  I 
don't think I waited longer than 20 minutes to talk to him over the whole 4
month effort.

If you want to ask questions, I'd be happy to answer them.  Just call me at 
home at (617) 924-0532.

Sally

I recently hired Bruce Hanson of BMH Construction/Remodeling to rebuild my front
porch.  All that has been previously said about him in this notesfile is
true.

When he came to asses the job, I brought him by my own handy work (Kitchen
cabinets built from scratch, Computer room, bathroom, etc) to boost his
confidence in my ability to do carpentry.  I did this because I wanted him
to only tear the porch down and put up the frame, so I can save money by 
finishing it myself.    It's a rare treat to find someone that is as willing
to work with you as much as Bruce is.  Contracters are reluctant to do this
because the quality of the final product is out of their control.  In this 
situation it's the homeowner that makes the contracter look good or bad.

Bruce finished the frame work in a couple of days and I have been slowly 
finishing of the job.  Bruce has stopped by to see how things are going which
gives me very convenient opportunities to get advice.  He also got me a discount
at Holt Lumber for the rest of the materials.

You can take a look at his handywork at 216 Pine Street, Nashua.  At this point
The upstairs is almost ready for stain, steps are built, and downstairs boxes
are around the posts.  Still have downstairs rails and lattice work yet to go.

Phil

    Susan Beals
    DTN: 264-9209
    Node: MKOTS3::beals  (Preferred)
    
    Anyone have any references on Marlowe Building Associates, Inc? They
    are located in Lowell, Ma, and are general contractors. Says he has
    been in business 20 years. Owner's name is Peter Marlowe.
    
    Thanks!
    
    [Cross posted in Massachusetts note file]

    I highly recommend Jeff Brown of Jeff Brown Construction in
    Groton/Concord (448-3511).  He does a high quality job and gets most 
    (if not all) of his work from referals.
    
    Debbi

I'd like to recommend George Hayeck of Framingham as a general contractor.
He's located at:

	George E. Hayeck, President
	Hayeck Building Corporation
	22 Bosworth Road
	Framingham, MA 01701
	(508) 628-9355

I've seen his work and he did an excellent job!

George offers complete supervision of every aspect of home building from
the customer service side and he pays close attention to details including:

	- 2x6 construction
	- usage of plywood and not particle board
	- usage of FELT paper underneath roof shingles
	- wraps entire house in Tyvek
	- installation of full perimeter drains around foundation
	- coat the foundation with tar
	- usage of 3000 psi concrete for foundation whereas the building
	  code requires only 2000 psi
	- usage of reinforcement bars in foundation concrete where necessary

He also provides Consultation for Construction Management (if you're 
planning to build yourself).

We just had our roof replaced by Bill Mass of Amherst
NH.  He was easy to deal with, prompt about phone calls,
and checked regularly to see that we were happy. He did
an excellent job. His price was good too!

He also does remodeling and other contracting.

Maas and Son
603 672 5759

    
    We just had a porch conversion from an open porch to a closed in 
    3 season porch.  We took several estimates and went with 
    G.P. Builders from Sutton Ma.  G.P. is actually Gordon Peters, and 
    his price was the lowest, and the quality of his work is superb.
    He's a very conscientious & honest individual, and easy to work with.
    
    He does work over a wide geographical area:
    
    G.P. Builders, Sutton Ma.   (508)865-6858
    
     Larry

    I hope this is the proper place to write this note, if not, moderator
    please feel free to move it to the appropriate note.
    
    I just want to tell of my experience as a first time home buyer of a
    new construction.
    
    When I first decided to build a home as opposed to buying an already
    constructed one, I heard more "DON'T'S" then I did "DO'S". Everyone I
    spoke to had a nightmare story to share. In spite of that I decided
    that building was the best option for me since I was looking for a
    specific layout. Let me just share that experience with you:
    
    I did alot of research before I began and I met with several builders
    in the town I was building to do a comparison of prices, quality and
    the type of person who I felt would be easy to deal with.
    
    Well, as luck would have it I hit the jackpot! I went totally on
    instinct and found that the builder I selected far exceeded my
    expectations. This project went smoothly and in a timely fashion. The
    builder was ALWAYS available to answer any and all questions and to be
    there to give guidance with an EXTREME amount of patience. There were
    times, before construction began, that I literally called him on a
    daily basis. He was always kind, understanding and above all
    professional. He took the time, as general contractor, to study my
    floor plans and always called me to suggest and alternative if he
    thought that something else would work better. He always worked very
    hard to make sure that I stayed within the budget I had set for myself.
    
    
    The project is over now and I will be closing tomorrow and moving in. I
    have a beautiful home in a beautiful development and everyone at work
    is AMAZED that things went so smoothly. People have told me that they
    have never seen anyone go through this experience without encountering
    any major issues. I must say that this was actually a pleasurable
    experience and I would not hesitate to do it again!
    
    Now I am sure you all want to know which builder I used. His name is
    Ralph Meissner and he is with DHB Builders in Londonderry, New
    Hampshire. You can reach him at (603)437-3772.
    
    Just my two cents worth.

That's great.

Now that you are moving in, lets hope he is as responsive with problems
that come up AFTER the money has changed hands.

    
    I did contact this builder just recently about building a house in 
    the Nashua/Hollis area.  He basically indicated that he wasn't 
    interested both because it was west of rt 3 and because they'd 
    prefer to build homes in the low 2000 sq ft range (I'm looking
    for 2800-3200).
    

I'd appreciate any referrals to general contractors in the Ware, MA. area 
(Belchertown, Pelham, Palmer, Monson, Brimfield, Brookfield, Sturbridge, 
Hardwick, Barre,.....)   Any professional associations that I could contact to 
get a list of general contractors for a given area.......?


I'd appreciate e-mail as I don't get into this conf. too often but by all 
means post-at-will for the benefit of all!

Thanks in advance..............
--
                             busy::jwhittemore
                       jwhittemore@busy.enet.dec.com
                        ( 16-MAR-1995 03:34 pm EST )

    
    Anyobdy know someone or recommend someone whom might be interested in the 
    following job in Chelmsford, MA area ?  Any Deccies interested ?
    
    I need the following done (labor only) ... I got ALL needed
    parts/hardware -
    
    1. Front and Back STORM door
    2. Shower stall door
    3. Dryer vent 
    
    note:  The house is brand new so it should be a straightforward job.
    
    If interested, PLEASE send mail to CSCMA::BALICH.
    
    Thanks in advance!

    I'd like to recommend
    
            Bob Hohmann
            154 Graniteville Rd.
            Chelmsford, MA
            1-508-251-7124
    
        Bob is a first-rate contractor. When he's done work for me it was
        prompt, on-time, reliable, thorough, and reasonable. He does it all
        from framing, sheetrock, roofs, screen porches, fencing, foundations
        etc.

    
    I recently hired Buce Hanson of BMH Construction/Remodeling to do
    various door replacements, trim, fix a ceiling, etc.  At this time 
    I cannot recommend his services.  There have been and still are 
    numerous problems and issues with the work performed.
    
    Most recently I found upon inspecting the stair rail installed that
    they had cut up one of my son's hard wood maple blocks (you know, the
    Childcraft stuff) because they needed a standoff block for one end 
    of the rail.
    

I was wondering if anyone had dealt with Kriad Construction
in Pepperell, MA.  The company used to be called New England
Building and Remodeling a while back.  We are considering
putting in a dormer on our house and the person we spoke
with (Brian) seemed very professional.

If anyone has had any experiences with this builder please
send me mail to NAC::SPOONER.

Thanks,
Peter

I'd appreciate any recommendations for general contractors or design/build 
firms in the greater Concord, NH area (Concord, Warner, Henniker, Sunapee).
We're planning on putting a 2 or 3 room addition onto our home in Bradford NH.

Thanks!
  Dave

  Cobb Hill Builders
  Concord, NH

  We've heard good things about them and they've also done
  good work for us. Knowledgeable, predictable, responsible,
  clean, insured, etc. All the characteristics we wanted for
  our projects.

  Give Tom Avalone a call to find out if there's a fit and
  feel free to mention my name, Jerry Cummings, from Tahanto
  Street, Concord.

  I'm sure he could give you some other references as well.

  Jerry

    Dave,

    I've been interviewing design/build firms for the past month or so.  At
    the present time I'm heavily leaning towards using a firm called Northcape 
    Designs (603-763-2477 / 800-732-1244) out of Sunapee.  The owner, Everett
    Pollard, is pleasant to work with, uses high quality materials, produces
    extremely thorough specifications, plans, and prints for his designs.
    He is also very punctual in meeting appointments and returning calls!

    From the work he showed us and the long list of references he provided, I
    don't think I (or you) would be disappointed in choosing him for a project.

    He seems to be well regarded in the Sunapee area in that people I spoke
    with knew his last name before I had time to finish saying his first 
    name.

    Kevin

    
    
    	I'm looking at having a house built and have been given the names
    of a couple of contractors.  If anyone has information (good or bad)
    on RD&R Builders or M.F. Albert, please let me know (SCOMAN::KATTAU).
    	I've never owned a house before, let alone built one, so any bits
    of advice would be appreciated also.  I've been reading the notes
    in this conference, when time permits, and find them very helpful. 
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    Gary

    It would help to know where you are from.
    

    
    	I'm from Leominster, Ma.
    
    	M.F. Albert works out of Leominster and RD$R Builders are out of
    Hubbardston-Westminster.
    
    
    Gary

    Anyone have any experience with Ayotte Remodelling of Chelmsford, MA?
    
    We're looking into having a bathroom extended.
    
    John

If you are considering Jeff Ela of Wilton, NH, I would encourage you to 
give me a call, and I will tell you about my recent experience with him.

Ray Fusci
dtn-381-6136

  (Not sure where to ask this ...)  What's the "going rate" to
  build a home these days. I'm referring to New England. A few
  years ago, a builder quoted me about $80.00 square ft. Is that
  still a fair price ?

  Also, does anyone know of any publications on "how to be your own
  general contractor" ?  It seems that the "GC" fee is about %25 of
  the cost of the house.

  thanks much,
  Paul
 

    
    There are several std cost books available that deal with anything and
    everything from trade specific costs to aggregated sqft costs over
    several building types and "trim levels".  Standard costs per sqft 
    can range from $55 sqft to $125 sqft or more depending on type of building,
    size, types of materials, etc.  A range of 70-80$ is probably a 
    good median range, but is highly dependent upon the factors mentioned.
    
    Barnes and Noble have some of the std cost books, also check out the
    library.
    
    On being your own GC.... Good luck.  I'm in the process of building 
    a house myself right now.  I own the land, cleared it, put in the 500'
    driveway, had it surveyed, had the ceptic planned and approved,
    installed the utilities, ceptic, foundation, passed all inspections to
    date, have 1/2 the exterior framing completed, have a GC/design firm on
    the side to review my actions and progress, and still I've been unable 
    to find a bank that will lend me money directly.  
    
    Without a GC that the bank specifically approves of (which means I can't 
    go out and get licenced and try to circumvent the "rules" that way...), 
    none of the banks I've tried will close on a construction loan.  But to 
    cover themselves, they will only release money to you, so if the GC
    messes up, you are still liable for the GC's action (or inaction).  So
    just because they approve of the GC doesn't mean squat as far as
    protection for you in any way shape or form.  Choose well.  Any you
    are correct, although if you do a moderate amount of the work yourself, 
    you could see upwards of a 40% savings (as reflected in the final
    mortgage vs using a GC for all work).

    	I haven't had too much trouble in southern NH finding banks that
    will let me act as my own GC....  Some want more money up front
    (20-30%).  Its a real pain given that they take your downpayment right
    up front and then you still have to deal with limited pay-out schedules
    that leave you either stringing out your subs or needing a pretty big
    pot of money to pay for materials and people before the bank will do a
    pay-out.  Biggest problem is windows and kitchens.  The places with the
    best prices want 100% up front, with with an 8 week lead time and
    another 2-4 to install and get the $$$ back from the bank, you're left
    with no cash for a very long time.
    
    	I question the overall savings potential unless you're doing alot
    of the work yourself.  A reasonable GC may make 10% on a house, but
    then they may get better prices out of their subs than you can get. 
    Another factor to consider is the time to get the place complete.  If
    it takes you 9 months and the GC 4, you're paying interest on all that
    money for an extra 5 months.
    
    	Also make sure you've got real detailed plans (esp materials and
    trim details), before asking for bids.  Its real hard to compare the
    bids if you leave much up for interpertation.
    
    Brian
    

>    	I question the overall savings potential unless you're doing alot
>    of the work yourself.  A reasonable GC may make 10% on a house, but
>    then they may get better prices out of their subs than you can get. 


     One (former) GC I spoke with mentioned a typical scenario. He
     quoted a job (not a house BTW - it was commerical property) 
     at $150K!  He factored 100K to do the job. The remainder was
     allocated for "the always unexpected cost overruns" and his profit.
     I was floored!. (pun intended) He said that was very typical.
     Perhaps that was typical on commerical contracts but a ~50% markup
     just seems unimageable. Oh, and he DID get the job but I'm not
     sure if he was the lowest bid.

     fwiw.
  
    

    re .167
    
    which banks?  I've tried 6-8 in southern nh and everyone has the same
    forms and stuff and have required a GC before they will even talk to
    me.  Is there a secondary market for this stuff?  If so, then that
    may be an issue.  They will only pre-qualify me so far.  I've about 
    35+% of the project that I'll be personally doing done (finished first 
    floor exterior framing this weekend, onto the 2nd floor!)
    
    I've a window contract where the order has already been placed (after
    a 20% down payment, plus its c.o.d. and they won't deliver the
    windows until both I and they are ready), I've the materials contracts
    for all basic framing, roofing, shingles and other components for
    a weather tight shell of which 50% is on site and/or installed.  I submitted 
    a 30 page materials specification including lighting, plumbing, heating, 
    interior finish, flooring, window, interior door, exterior door, etc. 
    etc. schedules, estimated budgets for the different trades and paid off 
    the various design trades (architect, surveyor, heating, etc.), have 
    scheduled the well to be drilled and the underground propane tank 
    isn't far behind that.  The electric bids should come in this week.
    Yet still no bank that I've talked to will even consider letting
    me be the GC.  Right now the money is on a credit line, savings, 
    401K, and credit cards.  Even the credit cards are a point or two
    under a construction loan rate (lots of special deals at 5.9% and
    6.9% for 12 months).  So as far as I see it the longer I can hold
    out the better.  Still I was sorta counting on getting the money
    from the first payout point (I'm less than two weeks from passing 
    all the requirements of the first payout point in terms of completed
    work) to pay for the windows in order to get to the 2nd payout 
    point.
    

    	CFX mortgage doesn't require a GC and will finance up to 90% of the
    proposed / appraised value of the project (land and buildings).  They
    claim a "free" conversion to a conventional mortgage in 6 months, but
    if you check closely, they are putting you into a 0 points type loan
    and just eating the other costs (also note they hit you for 1.5 points
    for the basic construction loan).
    
    	Bank of NH doesn't require a GC either, but they want 25% equity in
    the project.  They charge 2 points for the construction loan, but those
    points are applied to the final mortgage, so you end up with a much
    lower rate than CFX...  Good deal if you can give them the 25%, plus
    still be able to manage the transient construction costs.
    
    	All of the banks want construction complete in 180 days...  This
    can be a constraint if you're doing alot of the work yourself.
    
    	I doubt that very many GCs are getting 50+% on their jobs. 
    Certainly not the residential jobs.  Its a pretty cut throat business
    in the real estate market these days and there is no way to add that
    much GC cost and still get a building to appraise.  I have heard that
    GCs often build 100% into a commercial bid though.  Sounds like good
    work if you can get it.
    
    	I bid my house project through a GC and then priced it out
    myself...  Either the GC can get labor alot cheaper than I can, or he
    isn't making much more than 10%.  Still 10% is 10%, so I'm doing it
    myself.  
    
    Brian
    

    
    I'll try Bank of NH again, they were one of the banks that told me
    they only deal with licenced and approved (several years in
    business,etc.) GCs....
    
    Thanks.

    	Talk to Edie Stewart @577-5063...  Bank of NH wants 25% down if you
    want to be your own GC and work must be complete within 180 days of
    when you sign the loan.  They are by far the easiest bank I've found to
    deal with for construction loans and their rates are pretty good too.
    
    Brian
    

    
    Talked to Bank of NH, play telco tag with CFX.  Bank of NH won't
    allow me to act as my own GC unless I have two years of full time
    experience as a GC -- comes down to same thing.  If I have two years 
    of full time GC experience, I'm likely to be a GC in everything 
    except maybe license.  This is same thing I got last time I talked 
    to them, so at least they are consistent.  I believe I was talking 
    to Edie Stewart, but will verify.  I suppose I could lie and say, 
    "oh yeah, yup" as they didn't give a strong impression that they'd
    perform any type of checking.... but still lying is lying so I'm
    not going to play that game.  
    
    The 180 day limit on construction loan is an interesting one since
    the GCs that have looked at it so far have given ballpark figures
    in excess of 6-8 months to do the job from start to finish.  (Of 
    course at least 2 months of this work has since been performed...)
    
    

    	Donno what to say about Bank of NH...  They said fine to me as long
    as there was 25% down.  Talk to Lynn Christensen 673-6333 at CFX.  She
    knows what she is doing and is an ex-DECie (don't know if that helps). 
    The only hitch at CFX is they want written quotes for everything from
    the foundation to the front door knob, but they will let you be your
    own GC.
    
    	Almost all banks have the 180 day limit...  Serious contractors
    with staff seem to get it done in 3 months.  180 days seems a little
    tight, but probably doable assuming you don't sign on the dotted line
    until the day before the foundation goes in.
    
    	I don't know why you're having so many problems.  I must have
    called every bank on the Nashua phone book and I don't think any of
    them out and out said no (except BayBank who don't know which way the
    bathroom is in the Nashua branch) .  I assume you're building a "normal"
    house?
    

    
    I'll keep pluggin'.  As far as "normal", define normal?  For example
    its a difficult site and after taking 12' off the top of the hill, 
    and building up 2' at the bottom of the hill we still have 10'+ 
    basement walls.  Gives us a walk-out though.  Basic shape is two
    rectangles offset at 30 degree angle, the garage and breezeway are 
    pushed/angled back the 30 degrees on the east side of house from
    the main part of the house...  I've a line drawing of the south
    face of the house on the outside of my cubical (ZKO1-1, 
    Pole C/C.12) if your really curious.
    
    Bud
    
    
    Bud

    	Sounds normal enough...  Banks like resellable and appraisable
    property.  They made me include the $$$ to finish 2 extra bedrooms that I
    don't need and don't want to pay the taxes on.  They were in the plan
    from the start, but the bank insisted on having them finished so the
    house would be more "typical".  All I know is it will add $1000 a year
    to my tax bill for ever and ever.  Banks hate domes and underground
    houses and essentially everything except 3-4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath houses.
    Maybe they don't like you doing much of the work yourself.  At least
    one I talked to wasn't crazy about me doing the wiring myself (despite
    the fact that the town doesn't care as long as its to code).
    
    	Another bank to try if you're to the west of Nashua is Primary
    Bank.  They were real reasonable when they were Peterboro Savings Bank. 
    I think they want 30% down for owner/builders, so I dropped them early
    on in my search.  Milford Co-op is pretty friendly too.
    
    

We're thinking of doing an addition to our house.  Has anyone had experience
with Jan-Michaels Construction in Worcester.  Mike Maneggio and his wife Jan
Maury do the design and contract the building.

If you have any feedback on them, please let me know.  

Thanks,

Sheryl Caissie
DTN 225-5878
FUNIES::CAISSIE

    re -1
    
    Please post any info on Jan-Michaels Construction here as I am also
    interested. We saw them at a home show at the Centrum about a month
    ago. I have checked the BBB and AG offices and they have no info on
    them. ( neither good nor bad ). Thanks
    
    Mike

    
    General Contractors; looking for experience with any of the following:
    
    1. Keith Adamyk
    2. Kevin Fair
    3. McKay (Construction?)
    
    All are local to S. NH area.  I thought I'd seen something on Kevin
    Fair but can't find it.  Please post notes, pointers to notes (I tried,
    I really really did), or send email to HYLNDR::BROWN. 
    
    Thanks in advance.
    Bud
    

    
    re .174 & Bank of NH
    
    Thanks Brian, we're working with Edie on the construction loan (still
    need a GC) and a Durant fellow at bank of nh for some bridge financing 
    in the meantime.  It has been a relative pleasure working with this bank 
    vs Fleet.
    
    After Fleece, oops, I mean Fleet canceled our approved loan, we had the
    task of shopping again for financing.  We're now working with Bank of 
    NH on 90 day bridge financing by taking a 1st mortgage out against the land
    which we own free & clear.  This will give us some breathing room to
    try and line up GCs or contractors in general, it won't get us over 
    the hump of having a totally enclosed frame but it will help us get the roof
    on.  We've now broken up the full package to be "get roof on" and then
    everything else as the GCs have had the plans/specs for 4-6 weeks and
    still I haven't heard peep one from most of them (although we keep
    calling).  I'd be interested in any reliable framers that people have
    used recently. [The one bid we did get back was about 2x higher than
    expected vis-a-vis published cost tables, etc.  About 25-35$/sqft of
    the total building to just finish the framing (which at this point is 
    mainly the roof).  This is labor only, I provide all materials which
    will run about 6-8$/sqft.  One line item, putting down the 2nd floor 
    subflooring was tagged as $2500 - it took us about 12 man-hours this
    last weekend to do this ourselves and I'm being generous because 
    during that time we were also putting in floor joists and some other 
    things, but still that puts the cost for this line item at about $200 
    per man-hour!  Damn good work if you can get it! ...And yes, it is 
    quite specific that I'd provide all materials for all line items -- 
    that is the way I requested it since I have a contract with a local
    lumber company (Currier) to supply all my lumber and I'm happy with 
    both the service and quality of materials.]  According to the GCs 
    I've talked to, this is their busiest time in regards to framing
    as "everyone" is trying to start new houses and beat the winter.
    
    I've been thinking that outside of the frame, the following are the
    trades I'll need - did I miss any?
    
    	. Insulation 
    	. Electric
     	. HVAC
    	. Plumber
    	. Masons (stone veneer, fireplaces, slab floors)
    	. Drywaller
    	. Painter
    	. Floor Installers (carpet/tile)
    	. Finish Carpenters (trim, stairs, cabinetry)
    
    This is in addition to the site trades:
    	. Landscapers
    	. Pavers
    
    I have one or more tradesmen in mind for most of these fields, I'm
    wondering if I should go ahead and get bids for the work directly
    from the individual trade contractors; especially the ones that
    I'd like to use.  The way things are going,  I think I could get 
    the project done more quickly than someone else, especially if I
    have to wait 60-90 days to get an initial bid back.  I expect a GC 
    would be better at finding a trade at a cheaper price and being 
    more efficient at coordination, but I'm not sure I should wait.
    It was always my intent to contract the house from roof onward with
    a GC and we initially qualified them on this point.  Its making
    me crazy not having a total bid and wondering how far off my
    estimates are.

    	I suspect that GCs are not crazy about about doing 1/2 of the job. 
    They especially hate people that get their own materials because they
    then can't control the quality or quantity of the materials.  Its not
    clear to me that GCs get better labor rates (at least not the small
    ones that don't have full time staff working for them).  They do get
    better response from the subs since there is future business on the
    line.
    
    	You didn't say where you were building, but if you're close to
    Amherst, you might call Keith Carmen about framing/roofing/siding/
    interior work.  I'm not sure how useful the standard construction costs
    manuals really are.  Most of the 1995 estimators are way high on lumber
    prices (prices are way down in the past 9 months for some things like
    cedar siding).  Keith did come in pretty close once I got him to
    properly count the square footage of several things.
    
    	New construction does seem to be going through a mini-boom in the
    west of Nashua area.  Subs aren't real hungry now and many are very
    busy trying to get projects underway before winter.  All the rain in
    the past 2 months is driving them all nuts.  I never even got return
    calls from 1/2 of the plumbers I called.
    
    	Contact me off line and I'll tell you who I've gotten quotes from
    and who seems the most reasonable.  About all I have so far is
    footings, so I can't comment much about the work quality from any of
    these guys.

    
    We are looking for recommendations for contractors/builders in the
    Exeter NH area. This would be for an addition to our house (including
    kitchen).
    
    Any input would be greatly appreciated.
    
    Camie
    LEVELC::EATON

Looking for GC recommendations in the general Barre, MA area. We're planning
to build a house there soon on land that we own.

-Tom Randolph
 EST::RANDOLPH
 

Hi,

We recently had a large 4-room addition built onto our home by 
C J Burgess Builders of Dracut.

At this time, I would not recommend him.

Please contact me off-line if you would like more information.

Mary Kulis
RICKS::KULIS

    I wanted to put in a strong recommendation for Jeff Chabot of Jeff
    and Sons in Pepperell, MA (508)433-9942. He has just completed a 2
    story extra large garage for us. We are very pleased with the
    workmanship, price and Jeff in general. He was always very patient with
    our questions. Listened to our concerns. Immediately fixed any little
    items we noticed. Most importantly, he kept us up to date on the
    progress - what would happen when. As is usual with these projects,
    schedules change, sub contractors get behind. But Jeff kept on top of
    it. If he didn't like the way something was done, (like our automatic
    garage doors), he'll get the sub back to fix. He had no problem
    discussing different options, repeatedly coming back with new estimates
    as we changed our minds. We threw in a couple of last minute changes
    which he handled with no problem.
    
    Vicky
    
    We hope to use Jeff on a number of other house projects in the future.

    I *think* I'm looking for a general contractor -- someone that would
    look into some problems in a Hudson, NH house.  The biggest problem is
    an occasional leak into a kitchen area if there's a heavy rain.  I
    don't know if it'll be a roofing problem or not.  The roof is only
    about 7 or 8 years old on that side of the house (even newer on the
    other side because of an expansion done).
    
    The other problem I have is an electrical problem in a bathroom -- an
    electrician already looked at it and said to have the light restored
    some walls may have to be torn down to get to the problem.  This could
    be even more involved that the leak problem, in other words.  Any
    recommendations on either a contractor or a more appropriate note
    number to post to would be most appreciated.  I don't know if I should
    just start with a roofer for the leak. 
    
    -- brandon

Hi all,

	My wife and I are hoping to build a timberframe home in southern NH
(Brookline) next spring and are looking for general contractor familar with or
willing to learn about timberframe, post and beam, or log home construction.  We
also need a contractor who will be willing to allow us to do some of the work
ourselves.  Please send me mail at SYSMGT::JOLY.  Thanks.

                                    dana

We are considering having a home built in Westboro, MA. Any recommendations (or
cautions) for a builder/general contractor doing work in this town?

I'm looking for feedback, positive or not, on Apple Country Contractors or 
Bill Goddard.   This is for an addition.    

I can be reached on vaxmail, or Karen Dunn on exchange. 

Thank you

    Well, just for grins, I checked the Mass. BBB Website (www.bosbbb.org)
    and they had 3 Apple Country Contractors in MA:
    
    1) Apple Country Contractors, PO Box H, Maynard
    They have one unanswered complaint and have not responded to the 3 
    requests for basic information that the BBB has sent them.
    
    2) Apple Country Contractors on 25 Stow Rd in Boxboro:
    One unanswered complaint and mail sent to this business on 8/26/96 was
    returned by the Post Office stating, attempted not known.
    
    3)Apple Country Contractors, Inc at 25 Stow Rd in Boxboro:

     According to information in the Better Business Bureau file:
     Apple Country Contractors is engaged in general contracting services,
     including new construction, renovation, design and work. They also also
     offer full excavating services, and are a kitchen cabinet dealer. They do
     mostly residential work, but also have commercial building experience.

    The business was established in Massachusetts in 1989 and incorporated in
    1992.

    Mr. William O. Goddard is the President of the business. Ms. Judi Donovan
    is the Office Manager, any questions or problems should be directed to her
    attention.

    This company has one unanswered complaint.
    
    
    Hope this helps.

    I'd like to add my strongest recommendation for M.E.J. Construction in
    Milford NH. 
    
    Mike Joyce is the owner.  He can be reached at (603)672-4972.
    
    He does the following;
    Additions
    Decks
    Finished Basements
    General Carpentry
    Painting
    
    Mike just finished my basement and did a tremendous job.  His prices
    were extremely competitive and the quality of his work far exceeded my
    wife's and my expectations.  His attention to detail is great and he is
    very flexible. He does not cut corners and does not sacrifice quality.
    
    I will not have anyone else do any work on my house.  I was that
    impressed.