Quality Contractors needed for community, NeighborWorks

April 2023

Plumbers, roofers, painters, electricians, carpenters, are you reading today?

In our blogs, we tend to address the homeowner. But, after years of talking to homeowners about contractors, today we want to talk to the contractors. (With a few special words to homeowners too.)

In our work at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor, we strive to create safe and affordable housing opportunities for all residents of Grays Harbor.

To do this, we rely on local general contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters and roofers to perform quality repairs and remodels of the housing we own as well as those projects we oversee for others.

So today we are extending an opportunity for local contractors.

Becoming an NWGHC contractor

We always welcome quality, licensed, bonded and insured contractors to our approved bidder pool.

We promise you one thing up front: We won’t waste your time bidding on jobs that may or may not happen. If we ask you to bid on a job you can generally rest assured that the job will be done. Maybe or maybe not by you, but it will be done.

In order to represent both you and our clients best, we carefully research each construction company’s application, which includes reviewing every work-related reference you provide and your financial status with your material suppliers. We also investigate your contractor status through the Labor and Industries website for license and bonding compliance as well as for any legal or financial issues. When possible, we visit any job sites made available on the application.

Your compiled information is then submitted to our Contractor Review committee, currently comprised of a local building official and an architect. The timeframe, from application to being ready to bid a project, can be as little as two days!

The actual bidding and contracting steps in our process contain good news and even better news. (We hate to brag, but we really are great to work for!)

The good news is that we thoroughly document each job from start to finish. We try to do this in writing and with pictures. This helps guarantee protection for both sides in the unlikely event of a dispute.

The better news is that our contractors and homeowners, entering the sometimes difficult and lawsuit-prone construction arena, will be equipped with some of the best legal protection possible: Our written contracts and procedures.

Our process reviews your work for the homeowner from a quality standpoint as well as monitors prompt payment for the contractor. Generally, contractor checks are produced once a week.

In our opinion, the best news about our process is the clear, written job descriptions and computer- generated design prints.

First, we inspect our projects thoroughly. Then, we develop a detailed “Scope of Work” and easy-to-understand prints from which to bid. All potential bidders are invited to the job site for a “walk-through” and discussion of the work.

Next, we assimilate the returned bids and present them to the homeowner so they can choose a contractor. The homeowner always has final say on their choice of contractor.

We then generate a very comprehensive contract, which includes the scope of work, any prints, additional information, etc. for all to sign.

As the work progresses, we make interim inspections and also attend those inspections required by the local building department. We gather material suppliers’ lien waivers and process any progress payments submitted by the contractor.

We also help to negotiate change orders for unknown additional work as well as help to keep relations between owners and contractors on an even keel.

Homeowners benefit from our list

It’s not just quality contractors that benefit from being on our contractor list, our approved list can be a benefit to homeowners too.

Everyone knows the best way to get a good contractor is through word-of-mouth references. But, what if you don’t have family or friends who have needed an electrician or a roofer lately? You can’t always trust social media to steer you in the right direction!

Let us be your trusted neighbor at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor. While we don’t make specific recommendations, we often give out names from our list of qualified contractors to homeowners who ask.

After all, we want all the homeowners and contractors in our Grays Harbor neighborhoods to benefit from, and share in, the pride of quality work.

Contractors: Please give us a call!

So, if you’re a contractor who does quality work and doesn’t mind jumping through some small application hoops, please come join us. We would love to add you to our NWGH contractor list!

Eric Bjella is the executive director of NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor, where Pat Beaty is the construction manager. This is a nonprofit organization committed to creating safe and affordable housing opportunities for all residents of Grays Harbor County. For questions about home repair, housing counseling for homebuyers, renters and landlords, homebuyer education and financing, call 360-533-7828, and choose from the extension picks that will best help you. Our office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.