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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A To Z Construction
Receives 2009 Best of Walla Walla Award
U.S. Commerce
Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement
WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- A To Z Construction has been
selected for the 2009 Best of Walla Walla Award in the
Nonresidential Construction category by the U.S. Commerce
Association (USCA).
The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes
outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the
USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved
exceptional marketing success in their local community and business
category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image
of small business through service to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to
choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program
focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on
the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data
provided by third parties.
About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)
U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based
organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large
and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local
business through public relations, marketing and advertising.
The USCA was established to recognize the best of local
businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively
with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations,
chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing
groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size
businesses and business
entrepreneurs across America.
SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association
CONTACT: U.S.
Commerce Association Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org URL: http://www.us-ca.org
The CSLB urges senior homeowners to beware of solicitors and to
follow these tips before hiring a contractor to perform any kind of
work around their house or yard:
- Hire only licensed contractors
- Don't be rushed or pressured into making a decision to hire a
contractor
- Check the contractor's license on CSLB's Web site at http://www.cslb.ca.gov/
- Get a written contract and don't sign it until you understand
the terms
- Review the contractor's offer and contract with a neighbor,
friend, or relative
- Do not pay more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is
less
- Do not let payments get ahead of the work
- Get three bids and check references
- Do not pay cash
- Order free consumer publications on CSLB's Web
site
The Contractors State License Board, which operates
under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs,
licenses 278,000 contractors in California and investigates 25,000
complaints against licensed and unlicensed contractors annually.
REPORT UNLISENCED CONTRACTORS
TO:
http://www.cslb.ca.gov/forms/hotleadref.pdf
HIRING A GENERAL BUILDING
CONTRACTOR
When you hire a
contractor to repair, rebuild, or improve your home, the Better
Business Bureau urges you to take the time to choose and hire the
contractor who can perform work you'll be well satisfied with on
terms you've agreed upon in advance.
What Contractor
Does What
California
licenses general building contractors, as well as contractors in
more than 40 specialty fields. A general building contractor is the
person you would hire for a job that requires three or more
unrelated building trades or crafts. The general contractor might
bid on a job to, say, remodel a kitchen. If his bid is accepted, he
will hire specialty contractors to do, in this case, the flooring,
cabinet, electrical, and perhaps other work. The general contractor
doesn't do all the work himself but is responsible for seeing that
the required building permits are obtained and that the job is done
according to building code standards.
Requirement and
Importance of License
In California,
a general or specialty contractor--and this includes even a handyman
you may hire--is required to hold a valid contractor's license in
the license category in which he or she will be working in order to
perform any work valued at $500 or more. This $500 includes the cost
of both labor and materials.
In choosing a contractor, it is
extremely important that the contractor be licensed. This means not
automatically accepting the lowest bid for the work. Unlicensed
contractors can underbid licensed contractors because often they
don't have the expenses of a contractor's license, a city license,
workers' compensation, and other insurance and expenses licensed
contractors have. However, their workmanship is often inadequate and
their materials inferior. They may also dis-appear as soon as
they've been paid, leaving the homeowner with no address for them
and no recourse.
How to Hire a
Contractor
The Better
Business Bureau recommends taking these steps before hiring a
contractor:
Getting
Bids
• Obtain bids
from at least three licensed contractors. The estimates should all
be based on the same building specifications, quality of materials,
labor and time needed to complete the project.
• Discuss
bids in detail with each contractor to make sure you understand the
variations in price.
• Ask for customer references and, if
possible, take a look at some of the contractor's previous
work.
Checking out
the Contractor
• Call the
Better Business Bureau for a report on the contractor.
• Ask
to see the contractor's pocket license and another form of
identification. (The name on the pocket license should be the same
as the name of the contractor or the business under which he or she
is working.) Note the license number.
• Call the Contractors
State License Board to inquire about whether a particular license is
valid. (Many Bureau reliability reports contain license information.
Our reports also contain a link to the CSLB’s website.) Don't assume
that a license number appearing on a bid or contract necessarily
means the license is valid. Call the CSLB in Sacramento at 1 (800)
321-CSLB or access their website,www.cslb.ca.gov, to check. You may
also obtain complaint information by calling this number.
•
It’s very important that your contractor have property damage and
personal liability insurance coverage, as well as workers’
compensation if the contractor has any employees. In the case of
workers’ compensation, if the contractor does not have it, you would
be held responsible for the medical expenses of an injured worker.
You should insist that the contractor have his/her insurance
broker or agent send you certificates of insurance. If these
coverages are later canceled for any reason, the insurance company
will notify you 30 days in advance of the cancellation. Remember,
the certificate must come from the insurance company, not the
contractor. Do not accept a copy the contractor may provide
you.
• Contractors are required to main-tain a bond, which
gives you some protection, if only minimal, against any willful
violations on the part of the contractor. If the bond is not
currently in force, the Contractors State License Board will tell
you that when you call about licensing. More important, though, is
to make sure the contractor is reputable and performs quality
work.
Precautions
• Be
wary if you're asked to pay for the entire job in advance. A
contractor may not ask for more than ten percent of the total
contract price, or $1,000 (or two percent or $200 in the case of
swimming pools), whichever is less, as a down payment.
• If
you're rebuilding after a fire or other disaster, don't abandon your
former prudence for the sake of rapid rebuilding. A disaster brings
out unscrupulous contractors and repairmen who seize the opportunity
to con victims caught with their guard down.
Signing the
Contract
First, realize
that anything you sign may constitute a contract, so be sure you
know what you are signing. Before you sign a final contract, be sure
it includes the following information and provisions:
• the
name, street address (not just a post office box), and local
telephone number (not just a toll-free number) of the
contractor;
• if you must obtain a loan to pay for the
project, that the agreement is valid only if you obtain financing at
given rate;
• a written description of all work to be done,
including a detailed description of the kind and quality of
materials to be used;
• a bid based on the job, not by the
unit (hour, gallon, board, etc.)
• a price breakdown for both
labor and materials;
• starting and completion dates;
• the schedule for releasing payments to the contractor;
• a written statement reiterating any oral promises made by
the contractor or sales representa-tive, including any warranties on
materials or labor.
• that the contractor will obtain the
necessary building permits.
A building permit is generally
required whenever structural work is involved or when the basic
living area of a home is to be changed. If your contract does not
provide that the contractor will obtain the permits and he doesn't,
you may be held legally responsible.
Do not get any permit
yourself. If you do, you will be considered to be the contractor,
and you could be held liable if the work does not comply with the
building codes.
Also, if you want changes after you’ve signed
the contract, be sure they are spelled out in a signed "change
order."
If you Change
your Mind
If your
contract was solicited at your home or some other place that is not
the contractor's place of business or appropriate trade premises,
you have the legal right to cancel your contract within three
business days after you sign it. Your contractor is required to
notify you of this right. Use those three days to review the
contract again, and if you should cancel, do it in writing and send
your notice of cancellation by certified mail. Keep a return
receipt.
Protect
Yourself Against Liens and Dissatisfaction
Once
the work begins, if your contractor will have to use subcontractors,
you should protect yourself from liens against your home in the
event the primary contractor doesn't pay the subcontractors or
suppliers. You can do this by insisting upon a lien release from all
subcontractors and suppliers before you pay for any work. Or, you
can use the services of a construction control company. For a small
percentage of your contract price, you may deposit your payments
with them and they will disburse the funds and secure the lien
releases for you. Although they are not required to inspect the
work, they generally do.
Finally, don't sign a completion
certificate until you're satisfied that the job has been properly
completed according to the contract and until inspection has been
completed by local building authorities.
IN SHORT
Warning Issued on
Chinese Drywall A forensic expert on building
envelope, water intrusion, toxic mold and Chinese drywall, Spiderman
S. Mulholland, senior forensic investigator and national consultant
with U.S. Building Consultants and U.S. Building Laboratories Inc.,
is issuing a warning to those conducting Chinese drywall remediation
that incorrect procedures could worsen the problem.
New Tax Deductions and Credits Proposed for
Green Products
A
proposed law would grant tax deductions up to $4,000 to homeowners
installing green cabinetry and other building products. Dealers and
contractors could benefit, too.
Government Rebates Will Soon be Available
for Appliances
DOE
announced that $300 million of stimulus money will go to state
rebate programs for Energy Star appliances.
Legislation
Bill Has Billions for Green
Building,
Energy Efficiency
Following weeks of negotiations in Congress
and the Administration, and in the face of continuing job losses
nationwide, President Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic
recovery bill that includes billions of dollars that may be used for
green building, retrofitting, energy efficiency and renewable energy
projects.
Energy
Star
Water Heaters Expected to Save
Millions
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced
the availability of Energy Star® residential water heaters. Using
one of five specified water heating technologies, Energy Star®
qualified water heaters can reduce water heating bills from 7.5
percent to as much as 55 percent.
Green
Building
Materials
U.S. Market Seen
Outpacing Construction Growth
The U.S. market for "green" building
materials generated sales of almost $57 billion in 2008 and is
projected to grow 7.2% annually, to more than $80 billion, in 2013,
outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures over that
period, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a
Cleveland, OH-based industry research firm.
Solar
Market
Record Growth Despite Economic
Crisis
The Solar Energy Industries Association
released its 2008 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review, highlighting a
third year of record growth. SEIA reports 1,265 megawatts of solar
power of all types were installed in 2008, raising total capacity 17
percent to 8,775 MW.
Energy
Initiatives
National Standard Could Save
Billions
Energy efficiency initiatives that reward
consumers and businesses for reducing electricity and gas usage
could result in utility bill savings of $168.6 billion, according to
a report released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy (ACEEE).
Photovoltaics
Cost of Solar Power Systems
Drop
A new study on the installed costs of solar
photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S.
shows that the average cost of these systems declined significantly
from 1998 to 2007, but remained relatively flat during the last two
years of this period. |