Image Up Advertising & Design

28 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2018 CONTRACTOR GUIDELINES This article provides some suggestions when hiring a contractor. Many homeowners at Four Seasons have had work completed by contractors. By and large most of the work has been professional and quite good. However sometimes the process has not gone smoothly. There are several contractors here at Four Seasons that do most of the work. The process could be improved upon if the homeowners would be more involved. While the "contractor base" here at Four Seasons is well-versed in most of the policies to follow when performing work. They do not always know all of the policies and could inadvertently build or do something that may not be approved. For this reason, it is imperative to verify what you as a homeowner are being told. Read the HOA guidelines for your particular project or check with the Architectural Review Committee for more information. For example, all homeowners must have two trees in their front yard. This is a city requirement and must be observed. In some cases, homeowners have wanted to remove a tree and the contractor did so without question. The tree had to be re-planted in order, to be approved. The Community Planning and Transition Committee is striving to meet objectives for the HOA takeover from K. Hovnanian which is anticipated to occur at the conclusion of 2019. The committee expects final gas company approval for the dog park anytime now, Eric is in weekly contact with them. Research continues for additional storage and amphitheater modifications. Pat Wayne compiled the Master Plan Survey findings: On behalf of the Board and the Community Planning and Transition Committee, we thank each of you for taking the time to complete this survey which provides valuable input on proposed improvement projects. We are pleased to report that a record number of homeowners (563) participated in the survey offering 1044 responses (the survey allowed up to three responses per homeowner) to the questions posed therein. This degree of participation is exactly the kind of engagement desired to enable the HOA to effectively meet the needs of our lovely community. Some of the projects identified in the survey findings have been assumed under the mantle of the Community Planning and Transition Committee while others fell within the scope of specific committees and were referred to them, accordingly. Indeed, there were some needs mentioned which were already subject to review/ evaluation by the appropriate HOA committee. You may peruse an overview of the results by visiting: www.fourseasonsbeaumont.org website drop-down menu "HOA" and scroll down to "Surveys." Updates will be forthcoming in future articles in the Breeze. Thanks again for participating! We welcome homeowners' interest. Our meetings are at 9 am usually on the fourth Thursday of the month in the RCN conference room but no meeting will occur in December. Please come visit us. ~ Johanna Ballard, classicalharmonies@gmail.com Community Planning & Transition Committee Before you hire a contractor: • Get written estimates and a contract from the contractor(s) you are considering. • Be aware that automatically choosing the lowest bidder may not be to your advantage. • How many other projects does the contractor have going on at the same time? The contract should be clear and concise and should detail every step of the project. Make sure it includes: • The cost of the project. • The contractor's name, address, phone, and license number (if required). • An estimated start and completion date. • The payment schedule for the contractor. • The contractor's obligation to get all necessary permits. Ask questions such as: • How many projects like mine have you completed in this complex? • Do you have locations that I can see or clients here I can speak to? Lastly, be aware that independent contractors who are working on multiple jobs may not call you to inform you that they will not be showing up. Sometimes they show up and sometimes they don't. Often it is up to you the homeowner to call them to get things done. This is but a small sampling of things to be aware of. Hopefully, it provides you with information that will be helpful when you decide to hire your contractor. ~ Alex Luna Architectural review Committee

• Cover