We have recently been contacted by a couple of people who have made the mistake of hiring the wrong people. This trend is a direct result of the tough economy. People do not follow their instincts that if it’s too good to be true it probably isn’t good. Many contractors are suffering and taking on work that they cannot properly do either from a quality standpoint or worse a financial one. They often are cutting back on insurance, licensing, quality of the materials provided, or just taking money up front for other bills.

Three things make us different. One is the money, our invoices always trail the work completed. We take no money up front. The second reason—and I think it’s the best—is that at GL Perry you are dealing with the same people who were here years ago. When the economy turned we all elected to sacrifice as opposed to cutting back employees. The third thing is we still have excellent credit and a solid relationship with all our subcontractors and suppliers.

If you have friends planning any type of construction, help them out by recommending GL Perry Construction. You can be assured we will always respond and even if it is not our main area of expertise, we try to help. We steer people in a good direction and we know a lot of reputable, responsible people in the business.

Your phone call to a friend can make a difference in their lives. We want to be that difference.

This does not mean I’ll remodel my son’s house (again) in Olympia, Washington. But for the right clients we have recently gone to San Francisco and La Selva Beach (near Santa Cruz). We are currently bidding a project in Pacific Grove for Rich Salice, a general contractor we provide labor for. In the past, we have built three spec houses, one in Grass Valley, and two in Valley Springs.

So don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have a project that’s not in Silicon Valley. We do have some contacts out of the area as well. In fact if you want to build a log home in the Northwest we know a former employee who can design and arrange to have your dream built. We’re just a phone call away even if your construction needs are pretty far away. We can often help and it never hurts to ask.

It looks like we’re going to fix another sagging roof. This is a type of repair that could have been avoided, and these are common enough I want to alert our valued client base about some of the causes.

In a nutshell, homeowners make changes that the original construction is not equipped to handle or neglect simple preventative measures. Here are some that come to mind:

1. Replacing a roof with a tile roof.
2. Adding storage in an attic or garage area.
3. Putting planters against a house or on a deck, or watering too much near the house without proper drainage, causing the ground under the house to settle.
4. Installing patios or sidewalks that are not sloped properly away from the structure.
5. Neglecting to paint or caulk before the damage is done.
6. Not wiping water off the floor especially near a tub or shower pan.
7. Adding too much load on a circuit or trying to use 3 prong plugs where there isn’t really a ground.
8. Forgetting to clean gutters until water backs up and damages the overhangs.
9. Forgetting to clean fireplaces.
10. Leaning objects against or letting plants and trees overgrow and destroy fences.
11. Planting trees w/big roots too close to fences, decks, and even houses.
12. Neglecting to change filters on your furnace and occasionally drain your water heater.

Yes, the "American Dream" is a lot of work. And although our core business is in bigger residential and commercial projects, we’re happy to help with the small stuff for our clients. Sometimes it's just a pay-it-forward type of project but we’re here for the long term. Thank you for your business and loyalty and I hope these "tips" help.