We GC almost everything we build.

I'm amazed at what some people can get paid for. Some of the projects that have come across my desk or we have been called to "fix" just leave me shaking my head. The best one was a $9000.00 set of drawings for a "timberframe" (I'm using that term loosely since most of us wouldn't have called it that)and it couldn't be built. The house had a 3.5/12 valley that ran for 37 ft on the South east side of the house. I asked the homeowner if he had a snow shovel to get the snow off the roof in the winter

The architect told the customer to "follow the blueprints".

Architects can get between 6 - 10 % of the total project even though many of them don't have a clue how to build a timber frame house. And I'm not just talking about joinery, I'm talking about HOW TO BUILD A TIMBER FRAME HOUSE.

The part thats hardest for me to swallow is we do the same thing everyday on every project we have built. The concept drawings, blueprints, mechanical and electrical drawings, footing, foundations and we actually have built a timber frame before. Yet when we ask for just a small charge for our drawings people think we should "throw" it in with the project.

Then at the end of the job after everybody else gets paid in full we have to "negotiate" a final price. Usually for thousands less than what we have in it. Plus according to state law as a GC we have to warranty it for 25 years.

I'm really thinking we just want to cut frames LOL.