When I chose an architect I found one whose work I liked immediately, and I hired him without looking further. In looking for a suitable contractor I had the opposite experience. I contacted every contractor who seemed like a good match, got a response from very few of them, interviewed all who responded, hired one who turned out to be a terrible match, and two years after I arrived in the Pacific Northwest, I finally found the right contractor for my project.
People suggested that my best bet would be to work with a young, artisanal builder who was working on his or her own and was interested in new building methods. But the contractors who were most interested in my project were people who had been in the construction industry for decades and were looking for something new and interesting to do. And, they all worked for established construction companies. Large construction companies generally cost more than a solo builder, but they have the advantage of being able to cover crew absences in the case of illness or injury and being able to call on subcontractors on short notice. And, importantly, they are unlikely to go out of business in the middle of the project. In the end, the right choice for me was the special services office of Fairbank Construction, an established company.
When the project manager and I negotiated the construction contract I went through much the same process with him that I did with the architect. I gave him a copy of “Prescriptions for a Healthy House; A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders and Homeowners,” by Paula Baker-Laporte et al., and I discussed my personal history. I introduced him to Paula Baker-Laporte, whom I had hired as a consultant, and to the Faswall representative, who was also acting as a consultant. I offered him a waiver similar to the one I offered the architect.
The project manager and I also negotiated a contract addendum that dealt with issues related to chemical sensitivity. Here is the text of the addendum:
CONTRACT ADDENDUM
This supplemental agreement is entered into between __________(Contractor) and _________(Owner) on ______ , 20__.
This home is being built as a house that is safe for a chemically sensitive person. Selection of building materials to which Owner does not have an adverse reaction is therefore critical. Owner agrees to provide Contractor with a list of construction materials that are safe for use in construction of the home. Contractor agrees to use only materials that have been approved by Owner in writing.
Materials that have been tested and approved by Owner at the time the contract is signed are noted in the Specifications document. For materials that have not yet been identified at the time the contract is signed the parties confirm that the testing process will continue to be as follows: Owner will present Contractor with a list of potentially safe choices, in the form of suggestions from the chemical sensitivity consultant retained for this project. Contractor will select the preferred item or items to be tested, based upon Contractor’s experience and expertise with construction industry products. Contractor may present other options to be tested as well. If Owner is not able to identify a safe product another round of selection will be conducted, until a safe material is identified. Both parties desire identification of a product that is safe for Owner and that meets the industry’s performance standards. It is the Owner’s responsibility to identify materials that are safe for her and it is the Contractor’s responsibility to identify materials that are likely to meet the construction industry’s performance standards. The parties acknowledge that selecting appropriate materials may impact budget and schedule.
It is acknowledged that during the construction process equipment may be used that will trigger an adverse reaction by Owner. The architect is therefore authorized to act as Owner’s representative when Owner cannot be physically present on the job site. However, no substitution of materials will be made without Owner’s approval; the architect is not authorized to approve substitution of materials.
It is acknowledged that accidents may occur. Contractor agrees to notify Owner of any spills and to remediate the spills in a manner approved by Owner.
Contractor will ensure that workers at the property and visitors invited to the property by Contractor do not smoke tobacco or marijuana products on the property as some of the building materials are porous and will absorb the smoke residue, triggering an adverse reaction by Owner. A smoking area near the edge of the property will be identified. Smoking and vaping are permitted only in that area, and all butts will be removed by the persons using that area.
Contractor will ensure that workers at the property and visitors invited to the property by Contractor do not wear obvious fragrance as some of the building materials are porous and will absorb the fragrance residue, triggering an adverse reaction by Owner.
Day-to-day supervision of the construction crew was handled by the site supervisor, not the project manager. The site supervisor did not take my concerns as seriously as the project manager had, but he did follow the contract agreement.
The process of testing building materials was time consuming. It can also be expensive, but testing samples is less expensive than having to undo a bad choice and start over. I believe obtaining samples is critical, and it is important to ask for new samples, not samples that are several years old and have already offgassed.