Hi Again, Andy.
I'm one of those who does only the frame. It's what we're best at. One issue with doing a turnkey is the travel. We often work on job sites that are many hours from home, and commuting just isn't an option. So we do stay near the site for a week or two for the raising, but then we typically turn the job back over to a local general contractor, who has local subs, etc.
I can only speak for myself here about who I look for when I'm hiring. I look for enthusiasm above experience. I can provide the training and experience myself. Timber framing is labor-intensive, and that shows up in our bottom line. When I don't get a job that I've bid on, it's rarely because I was underbid by another timber framer - it's because I was underbid by a stick framer. In other words, the client decided they did not want to pay the extra cost to get a timber frame. (of course if they ask their stick framer for open floor plans, vaulted ceiling and lots of woodwork, well.... but that's another topic). My point is that I'm not in this business to get rich. And it's sometimes a struggle just to make ends meet. So I try to pay my guys a decent wage, but I know it's not what union carpenters are getting. They know that too. They choose to work for me because they share my passion for the work, and because of the work enviornment I provide. That probably does not completely answer your questions, but that's what I have to offer on the topic. CB.
