There is nothing more frustrating than purchasing a new house, or finishing a remodeling job to your house, only to be dissatisfied with the work the contractor or builder performed. Workmanship issues are the most common complaints builders and contractors receive, and sometimes the hardest issues for a consumer to resolve. The reason is that there has never been a single source or specific guide stating what acceptable standards for workmanship actually are. Up until now, a builder or contractor could merely state that the work did reflect acceptable standards of workmanship, and it would be up to the home owner to prove them wrong. Well, this is all going to change with the recent publication of a new book called, “The Handbook of Specifications and Scopes of Work for Trade Contractors”.
The handbook is the third part of a trilogy of books created and published by MacLellan Wolfson and Associates, a Bay Area firm that specializes in construction consultations, and expert witness testimony. The authors of the books, Dave MacLellan and George Wolfson have been actively involved in the construction industry for over 40 years, and have seen almost every problem a builder and homeowner can encounter when dealing with residential construction. Based on their experience of dealing with construction defects and unacceptable workmanship, they decided to do produce a set of documents that would clearly establish acceptable standards for workmanship.
The first two books they published were called, “California Building Performance Guidelines for Residential Construction”, and “The National Home Maintenance Manual”. Both of these manuals were designed to provide homeowners and the industry with standards and guidelines for the performance and maintenance of new homes. However, their third book, “The Handbook of Specifications and Scopes of Work for Trade Contractors”, is by far the most detailed and relevant book on workmanship standards the construction industry has ever seen.
I asked Dave MacLellan to describe how the handbook was developed, and he stated, “Most builders do not have a comprehensive set of specifications for each trade involved in construction, so they rely on the subcontractor to practice ‘best trade practices’. The problem is that most sub contractors do not fully know what the best trade practices are. Now, homebuilders, contractors, and consumers have a valuable resource to gage and establish what the industry considers acceptable standards of workmanship.”
Dave went on to explain, “The resource material for the handbook came from many sources in addition to our own experiences. We consulted with over 70 industry experts, 25 trade associations and specialty contractors nationwide, and the Contractors State License Board. We wanted to make sure that these standards were thoroughly researched, and that there was agreement in the industry as to what was acceptable.”
Although, specifically written for builders and contractors, the book is so easy to read and to the point, that any homeowner could use it. The handbook starts with standards for site preparation, foundations, concrete, exterior framing and carpentry, to roofing, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical, to interior and exterior components of a building.
Let me give you an example of some of the trade standards. Under “painting” the Handbook states, “All cracks, holes, nail holes, or defects are to be filled and caulked prior to painting. Paint or stain shall completely cover the intended surfaces. There shall be no visible drips, streaks, spots, marks, or visible color variation on paint surfaces.” Deviations in the painted surface shall not be visible at a distance of 6 feet when viewed in normal light.
For sheetrock surfaces, the ceiling sheetrock shall not have crowns (humps) that exceed ¼” over a 32 inch distance, and bows (valleys) in sheetrock on walls shall not exceed 3/16” over a 32 inch distance. There shall be no visible nail pops, or cracking at corners of walls that can be seen from a distance of 6’ under normal lighting. The handbook further states that floating and retexturing of the sheetrock are acceptable repairs to correct the deviations.
There are specific standards for installing windows and doors, wood trim and casing, cabinets, countertops, tub surrounds, decks, skylights, and floor coverings. The Handbook even includes standards for installation of finished landscaping, plants, retaining walls. Finally, there is a publication for the industry that specifically addresses the workmanship standards of all the various aspects of construction.
This document will become a valuable resource that will be relied upon by builders, contractors, attorneys, and home owners wanting to know what the acceptable standards of workmanship are. In addition to being a resource guide, the Handbook (as a reference) may be incorporated into a contract between a builder and trade contractor, or between a contractor and a homeowner on a remodeling project. This would contractually require the contractor to perform the work to these standards.
To order “The Handbook of Specifications and Scopes of Work for Trade Contractors”, you can call (800) 247-6553, or visit the Builder’s Booksource in Berkeley or San Francisco. The Handbook sells for $19.95 (plus tax, shipping and handling). If you would like to get more information on all three books published by MacLellan Wolfson and Associates, you can visit our website at www.allabouthomes.com, and click on “Books and Publications”
John R. Schneider is a licensed general building contractor and an ICBO certified residential code specialist. He is president of All About Homes, a residential inspection company, and has been performing code and construction consultations since 1985. Readers may address their comments to John Schneider, 24326 Mission Blvd., Suite 7, Hayward, CA 94544, Fax number: 510-537-8666, or on the web at www.allabouthomes.com . Schneider will answer questions of general interest in the paper. He reserves the right to edit the letter for brevity and clarity. Readers are encouraged to contact a competent contractor or code consultant for specific information regarding questions they may have about their home.
Copyright 2005, John R. Schneider, all rights reserved.
