It’s been a very busy week. On Saturday, Agent Smith took a load of stuff down and met with the Wall Guy again to talk scope and costs and such. To be certain, we will also obtain bids from a couple other construction companies.
Then on Tuesday, the plumbers were supposed to finish the drain replacement project, but called to reschedule 15 minutes before the appointed time. I was not amused. They wanted to come down yesterday, but that wouldn’t work, so now they’re scheduled for tomorrow, and if they fail again I have a verbal promise they will do the work for half the signed contract amount. Considering this is a five-thousand-dollar project and these same folks are bidding on the septic replacement, I do hope for their sake that there are no more hiccups.
Other projects are moving along more smoothly. The rusting well tank is scheduled to be replaced in early July. It will be quite a task, as it requires a crane to lift the old one out and put the new one in place. It will also mean blocking the road that leads up the hill to six other houses, so a letter will go out explaining the situation. I do hope our new neighbors are not terribly put out by the inconvenience. The work is being done by Bruce Barton Pump, the same people who handled the initial well tests during escrow. I really liked Bob and the company is well-reviewed in the Bay Area, so it’s the one project for which I didn’t seek multiple quotes.
In addition to the well tank, we signed with Armstrong Roofing to put new foam roofs over the Great Room, Studio, and entry/linen bath area. This milestone means I can start getting quotes for gutters to be installed on the main house. Who knew there were so many options available–from ones that are very rigid and will eventually rust, to ones that are squishier, seamless and won’t rust. If nothing else, I’m learning more than I ever thought I would about construction.
Another large project waiting for a work date is the driveway repair. Brad Butcher of Asphalt & Concrete Repair came by last week, and of course he visited during what I thought was a free hour and so I’d rushed off to the Apple Store in Los Gatos to get a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet Cable. Thankfully he didn’t actually need me there to assess the state of things. If the work turns out well, I may ask them to quote working on a section of the private road leading up to our house.
Things are moving along so well that I am now working on finding a contractor to replace our old oil-burning furnaces; I have Pool Covers Inc. coming out to start the process of replacing the pool cover; and since the contact for the initial/existing pool maintenance company flaked on me, I have Corby Gould Pools (who did our initial inspection) coming out to do some work and quote out a new solar panel for the Studio roof once it’s completed.
I am a contractor-calling fiend.