Company offers remodel and construction guidance

The Reflector - Clark County Washington

Ever look at a piece of property and wonder what it could be like with the right house on it? The UBuildIt construction consultant company can help.

Meg Jaquay is the president/owner of the branch of UBuildIt near Hazel Dell. The company is part of a national franchise with some 89 branch offices.

UBuildIt has helped build about 58 area homes in the past four years. This year they have 24 active projects in southwest Washington. Nationwide, the company keeps a growth rate of about 50 percent annually, Jaquay said.

The company helps people act as their own general contractors for residential remodels and new construction projects.

"We are your experience," Jaquay said "We help you feel confident at every step of the way to make projects happen."

Jaquay said three types of clients generally partner with the company: people with full-time jobs who have time to make calls, pay bills and check work on a regular basis; people with light trade skills who want to work to a point and hire someone else to do the rest; and more serious tradespeople who can do roofing, framing, etc., but need a bit of support.

The advantage of a partnership with UBuildIt, Jaquay said, is that homeowners can control their home-building or remodeling projects. Costs are often reduced 15-20 percent because homeowners pay actual costs for materials and subcontractors. The company charges a fixed fee depending on the size of the project.

The company offers construction planning, site preparation, cost estimating, permit application help, on-site consultations and more.

A free, "no-stress" meeting is set up in the beginning to find out about a homeowner’s goals, project ideas and budget. UBuildIt representatives make sure a project is feasible, Jaquay said.

Sometimes company representatives will talk a client out of doing something when it just won’t work. Once a project direction is determined, UBuildIt representatives work with homeowners to develop plans and prepare specifications for each phase of the project. Detailed construction calendars are developed that outline each task needed.

UBuildIt will help clients work with lenders to get a loan. Sometimes the cost savings of a project can be used as a down payment, Jaquay said. A list of qualified, reliable subcontractors is offered, or customers can use any subcontractor they wish.

Throughout the project, UBuildIt representatives check in on the project, offering advice and direction as needed. The company also maintains a 24-hour question and answer line.

Jaquay knows firsthand how beneficial the company can be. She started out as a UBuildIt client a few years ago while remodeling an 1896 Victorian house in Portland.

Along the way, she married her lumber delivery guy and didn’t need her house anymore, she said. She joined the company first as a consultant, and then bought it this year.

Jaquay appears serious about any project she tackles. She has a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Boston University and a master’s degree in business administration from San Jose State University. She worked for 15 years as a project manager for a software company and then for IBM before moving to southwest Washington where she worked in design consulting.

Jaquay said about one-half of UBuildIt’s customers are women. The company also promotes conservation when building.

For more information about UBuildIt, contact the company at:
UBuildIt
260-0290
4420 NE St. John’s Rd., Suite F

Reprinted with permission of The Reflector - Clark County Washington
Article Run Date: April 21, 2004 - Page B2
Author: Marcus Brotherton