Articles

How to Select a Ceiling Contractor

It’s no secret that everyone’s labor costs are about the same in our industry.  Also, it’s no secret that materials are generally available to all contractors for fairly similar prices.

So what makes the difference when choosing a Ceiling or Drywall Contractor?  Most will agree that the difference is in the company itself.  A major factor is the company’s people.  How easy are they to work with?   What about the skills of the installers?  Is there an effective safety program?  Does the company executive staff, and do the employees, take safety-on-the-job seriously?  Is the company prompt with its services and call-backs?  Does the company have an ability to be “on time”,  and to do what they say it will do?  Is the company responsive to each project’s problems?  What level of safety training do their employees receive?

Getting a Bid from us is EASY!  You may use our special “Invitation to Bid” form right now.  Click on the following link to open the form, print it out, fill it out, and FAX it to us!  Just click on Houston Acoustics & Drywall “Invitation to Bid”.

Additionally, you will want to :  

• Get some References on the company, and call them
• Ask for Projects you can go examine
• Determine that the company is financially Stable
• Find out from customers and other professionals if the company provides service after the project is completed
• Inquire about the company’s safety record and conditon of its equipment
• What kind of litigation has the company experienced in the past, or currently
• Get a feel for the expertise of the company’s installers
• Can the company offer you or the site owner constulative services to give project “advice” to help cut costs

There are many companies to select from.  Your project will benefit from your careful scrutiny before selecting a contractor– and so will your owner– and so will you!

Tips on Preparing a Bid for Your Customer

It’s no secret that construction costs have been on the rise over the past few years; however, now is the time to get back into the pool, as competition has pushed us all to higher standards of excellence.  This is an example of an Article page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or anything about your site.  This is an example of an Article page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or anything about your site. 

 WANT US TO GIVE YOU A QUOTE?  GET OUR BID FORM NOW.

• The most important thing about your bid is laying the ground-work with the customer and the relationship you develop.  Get with your customer, and ask lots of questions about the job.
• Put your ego to the side and don’t be afraid to ask a dumb question.  The best professionals are those who are confident in their need to know.  Most drawings are incomplete, so get over the fear of asking the question.  Customers are just like you, they are struggling each day to find business and to learn what they don’t know. 
• Walk the customer’s job site and get very familiar with the existing buildings and how they are being used.  See how the people are making use of the buildings and why the new building is being planned.
• Respect the customer’s time.  Just like you, they need to get on with other things.  Organize your questions and present them clearly and concisely, and let the customer know that you want to move efficiently through your session, in respect of their time.

Contractors: How to Avoid Do-It-Yourself Mistakes

We have all been “penny-wise and pound-foolish.”  Meaning, we try to save a little money by doing a job ourselves, with unskilled labor, instead of spending a little more for professional labor.  We later find out  that we have used more materials (unskilled labor makes mistakes that have to be re-done); taken more time (unskilled labor doesn’t have a methodology developed, and so they are slower); had more injuries (unskilled labor is more accident prone); and spent more money (because all of the foregoing drain the cash very quickly). 

Professional installers like Houston Acoustics & Drywall will use less construction materials; we will do the job faster; we will be safer because our workforce is trained; we will be safer because we have regular safety training; and having less injuries means more up-time on the job.  Specialized installers like us use specialized equipment, like lasers and our own scaffolding.  This brings up the question of your increased liability on the project when the do-it-yourself approach is chosen.  Unskilled installers are unschooled in the safety courses that a team of professional installers will be exposed to– especially in firms like ours.  In today’s lawsuit-prone society, it’s not good business to increase the risk of an accident by compromising safety standards to be “penny-wise.”

Houston Acoustics & Drywall would like to be your team of professional installers of your acoustical ceilings and  drywall installations.  Whether remodeling or doing a site construction job, we can save you money over the do-it-yourself approach, and we offer service after the sale!  Oh, and did we mention we’re easy to work with?

———-David Tyson, Director of Safety & Training

How to Submit a Request for Quote

It’s easy to get the ball rolling with us.  We’d like to know about the projects you are working on, where you need ceilings and/or drywall installaton.  Just send us a fax or email and give us the following information:

Job name, Job Address, type of construction (new or remodel); approximate square feet; General Description of the job to be done, Date and Time when the bid is due; Site-Visit Instructions; Location and Time of the Pre-Bid Meeting (when the Architect convenes the meeting for the invited contractors). 

Want to access our handy Bid Form?  Click here for  Houston Acoustics & Drywall Bid Form. When you are ready, submit the Bid to the following FAX:  281-346-1425.