Birmingham's Twin Construction: FAQ's

What should a homeowner look for in a general contractor?
A homeowner should look for a solid reputation, previous customers who were satisfied and references from the contractor. We provide a reference list specific to the type of project you are considering and can even provide references for the actual superintendent that will be assigned to your project. Twin Construction has established a network of proven subcontractors, vendors and employees to ensure that your most valuable investment is protected.

How does the bid process work?
Different jobs require different processes. Twin recommends a team aspect to the bid process, in which the builder, homeowner and architect all work together. A typical job would begin with Twin Construction’s input on your ideas, resulting in a ballpark estimate. At that time, we might recommend architects to develop preliminary drawings. Twin can then take these drawings and generate a more accurate preliminary estimate. Depending on the size and scope of the project, additional drawings and specifications may be called for to complete the final bid.

What are the next steps?
After you have selected Twin for your project, we will draw up our standard contracts for your review and set a start date and job schedule. The project will move to the operation stage and you will meet with David and your project manager.

What types of Contracts are there?
A fixed price contract gives a firm price, defining the scope of work to be performed and giving a budget for any allowance items to be selected by the homeowner. A cost plus contract will result in all job-related costs being billed to the homeowner with an agreed upon markup for the contractor’s management and services. A fixed price contract provides peace of mind to the homeowner due to the guaranteed price.

Who will be managing my project?
Prior to the start date, a Project Manager will be assigned to the job. Our Project Manager will be your contact person throughout the project. He will provide you with a project schedule and decision schedule, and also answer any questions that you may have. In addition, David Siegel and our Senior Operations Manager are actively involved with managing all projects. The Project Manager will oversee the project and be responsible for the job progress. He is the link between the contractor, the homeowner, all vendors and subcontractors working on the project.

How do allowances work?
Your contract includes a budgeted amount for each allowance item that you need to select. Since we don’t know your taste, this amount is our estimate of typical amounts that are spent in these categories. You will only be charged for what you actually spend, so if you spend less than the budget, you will save money on your contract price. If you spend more than the allowance, we will charge you for that. You will always receive copies of every allowance bill so that you know exactly what you are being charged for.

Where do I shop?
You may purchase your allowances wherever you would like. Twin Construction will also provide you a list of recommended vendors that we have established relationships with. We can recommend certain vendors because we know they have competitive pricing, good scheduling, are reliable and easy to work with.

You may have your allowances billed to Twin and we will be happy to pick them up and have them delivered to the jobsite as well.

Will I be able to use your builders discount on allowance items?
Absolutely!! Yes, we provide our builder’s discount to our homeowners. Again, we provide a copy of each allowance bill we receive with your invoice.

How do you bill a client?
We invoice every two weeks for work completed.

What if we need to make a change to the scope of work during the project?
Homeowners always have the option to add, subtract or change any aspect of their project. We will work with you to define the change and price appropriately. You will receive a Change Order form to sign before we start on the work to be performed. Twin will also notify you in writing if the change affects the job schedule.

Does Twin Construction warranty their work?
Yes we do. We provide a one year warranty for your new space.

Frequently Asked Questions