Sample Scenarios

Some Owners find it difficult to take antagonistic positions with their builder. Owners Construction Advocate will step in to deal with the contractor on the owners behalf.

REMEMBER: Throughout the construction process, the builder will, first and foremost, act as its own advocate by representing his company’s interests over an owner’s or construction lender’s interests. Don’t be the last to learn of a problem. Team up with an ADVOCATE! Our loyalties are with the owner!

DON’T LET THESE SITUATIONS HAPPEN TO YOU:

SCENARIO #1: Good Builder at Beginning to Bad Builder

Mr. and Mrs. Owner, recently retired, are looking forward to building their new dream home using all the current technology, materials and quality finishes. They have accumulated the funds to proceed with construction from hard earned savings, which they cannot afford to lose. With the decision to build decided, the Owners select Mr. Builder and proceed knowing they would rely exclusively on what and how Mr. Builder says and does: Will invoices submitted for progress payment applications match the work completed? Will Mr. Builder deliver the quality the Owners bargained for? Will Mr. Builder follow the Construction Documents? Soon the Owners realize that all the oversight and compliance issues are too overwhelming to monitor and become uncertain and unwilling to question Mr. Builder, believing that life is easier for them to simply go along with whatever Mr. Builder says and does. HERE COMES THE PROBLEM!

As construction progresses, Mr. Builder submits his progress invoice to Mr. and Mrs. Owner for payment. They do not understand exactly what the billing covers or even if the work billed matches work completed, but they make full payment anyway, only to discover later that Mr. Builder’s invoice was for more than actual progress. Mr. Builder is having some financial problems and, after receiving the funds, does not pay subcontractors and suppliers, liens are filed, and Mr. Builder leaves the area. Mr. and Mrs. Owner are now forced to deal with a project for which they have advanced funds for more than the actual progress and not only lose those funds, but now must pay a new Mr. Builder to complete work already supposedly completed and paid for. This scenario unfortunately happens over and over in the industry but could have been avoided by having a third-party OWNERS ADVOCATE TO REPRESENT THE OWNER.

SCENARIO #2: Good Builder

Scenario #1 describes perhaps the worst scenario. Fortunately, the clear majority of builders are honest and operate a professional company. But oversight of the project is still required to bridge the knowledge gap.

In Scenario #2, Mr. and Mrs. Owner simply want to have their dream home built or perhaps renovate their current home. Mr. and Mrs. Owner have an honest Mr. Builder who pays its subcontractors and suppliers and has a reputation of building a quality home. Mr. and Mrs. Owner still need an ADVOCATE to monitor compliance with the Construction Documents, quality and approve progress payment invoices among other services. Additionally, since Mr. Builder knows Mr. and Mrs. Owner have a professional advocate representing their interests, Mr. Builder, by human nature, will want to satisfy both Mr. and Mrs. Owner and their ADVOCATE.

SCENARIO #3: Construction Lending

Lenders that extend construction loan credit to their builder clients or to non-builder general customers are under continuous Federal and State regulatory and compliance scrutiny and as such cannot expose their real estate portfolios to loan-to-value ratios that fall below regulatory guidelines. Should there be another 2008 real estate downturn, the banks whose construction inspections are done by us substantially reduce their exposure to monetary loss and thus regulatory scrutiny.

To learn more about Owner’s Construction Advocate, call 704-575-5154 or send an email to charlie@ownersconstructionadvocate.com.

Client Reviews

"I’ve had enough experience with residential construction disputes to know that almost all of them would probably have been avoided if there had been early and consistent inspections and communication as the work progressed. Charlie’s been doing high-end residential development and construction in Charlotte since I met him in the early 1990’s, and I know him to be smart, diligent and have the eye for quality and detail that is required."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Prominent Attorney in a National Law Firm
Charlotte, NC
"We chose OCA after seeing the quality of their work and how they set expectations for all workmen to perform in compliance with plans, specifications, and schedules. Unless someone is a licensed contractor with a great deal of experience, it is essential to have someone like OCA to oversee the work to make sure it is executed in a professional and timely manner. We could not have overseen our project ourselves without perhaps getting something less than what we paid for. Ours was a relatively small job, but OCA treated it as if it were the most important work on their schedule. We will recommend them to our friends and neighbours, and I would say that when OCA is on the job, builders and subcontractors be advised that accountability for quality and timely work is job one."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Fred and Sandy Bright
Charlotte, NC
"I selected OCA due to Charlie’s extensive construction experience and my personal knowledge of his work and ethics. We were living out of town during the construction process and Charlie’s frequent communications and visits to the job site were invaluable in advising us on various issues and providing updates which alleviated stress. Also, he recommended several vendors to use after our original contractor was not able to move forward and in so doing, I was able to save a substantial amount of money. I happened to have had two projects going on at the same time and OCA was indispensable to me in both. At our second home, we hired a contractor to tear out and completely install a new shower. The contractor was not going to test the shower pan for leaks prior to setting the tile and I talked to Charlie about this and he was able to advise that testing for leaks was a must and told me how to handle this. As it was, the new pan did in fact leak and I was able to rectify it prior to the final tile installation that would have covered it up. This saved lots of potential headaches and money. I highly recommend OCA and would use them again."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Fred and Gloria Walton
Charlotte, NC
"My husband and I contacted Owners Construction Advocate from an advertisement, and, by the luck of the draw, we got Charlie Strickland to supervise and advocate for our interests in the renovation of our master bath. There were mold issues behind the walls and new fixtures were needed to update the look of our bathrooms and both were taken care of immediately and professionally. With both of us being over 80 years old, this could have been a very stressful endeavor, but the knowledge and care Owners Construction Advocate exhibited on our behalf made it very easy for us. We highly recommend Owners Construction Advocate."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Dr. Richard Wing
Charlotte, NC
"I chose OCA because as a developer, I rely on general contractors to create and build my product. Unfortunately, I’d run into a situation with a general contractor that was misappropriating funds and I was left scrambling to finish the project on my own. OCA stepped in and immediately helped me fill in gaps and ultimately finish the project. Charlie’s multiple years in the business and over 4000 homes built were evidenced every time we ran into an issue because odds are, he has seen and dealt with it before. OCA was invaluable in navigating the ins and outs of the permitting process and other county related restrictions and protocols and met with County Building Inspectors and City Engineering Inspectors to approve and remove project holds and went the extra mile to ultimately get us our C/O. It is money well spent. Even the most trustworthy and honest general contractors have their own personal and company interests and agendas. You need someone who is going to advocate for your interests while also working with your contractors in an amicable way that keeps the project moving forward. The value of having someone on your side looking out for your interests is immeasurable. "

5 STAR REVIEW

- Shaun Sanders
Jameston Development & Capital LLC
"Owners Construction Advocate was strongly recommended to us by a prior client. One of our greatest benefits was the lowering of our anxiety by having a local expert monitor the process from ground breaking to completion and providing peace of mind when we couldn’t be there (lived out of state in New York). Charlie kept our builder honest with his knowledge and of the building process."

5 STAR REVIEW

- John Schlitz and Kim Hicks
Indian Land, SC
"I chose Owners Construction Advocate because of its reputation and I would use them again. Once the design process and estimate were given, I didn’t have anything else to worry about and my schedule was taken into consideration when construction was planned. They were prompt, courteous, knowledgeable and professional, and I would use them again."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Dr. Richard Wing
Charlotte, NC
"Owners Construction Advocate has performed 14 site inspections for us, all with 100% correct completion for a five star rating. And due to this performance record, we would continue to use Owners Construction Advocate’s inspection services for future orders as they may become available."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Trinity Inspection Services LLC
Dallas, TX
"OCA’s sense of timing and sequencing of managing sub-contractors cut wasted time to an absolute minimum. OCA understood all aspects of the project. When there were issues, they had already anticipated them and had options for a solution. I was very pleased at how well thought-out our construction schedule was and so well executed. Their understanding of the technical and construction methods were apparent in their sequencing of subs. In addition, their communication skills -- coupled with construction and technical knowledge -- always putting our interests first, allowing us to achieve the best results. I wouldn’t hesitate to turn to OCA again to assure myself the best result in a seamless and efficiently run project with good value for the money spent."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Jim & Terry Huntley
Charlotte, NC
"OCA provides invaluable insight with regard to the costs from initial budgeting to the construction contract and any overruns along the way. The benefits of OCA’s services far exceed the costs. In fact, the money they saved us by catching certain builder errors more than paid for their services and allowed us to feel confident and comfortable throughout the building process. In our case, OCA made periodic visits to the site to visually inspect construction and double check the plans for any possible errors or omissions. This was invaluable to us and OCA did in fact find some corrections along the way that had to be made. OCA would present their findings to the builder who would agree to the same or discuss possible alternative solutions with OCA and then to us. We would have never had a clue as to these "oversights". The process and this team approach worked extremely well. OCA was our advocate, but they were also a team player, with the builder and sub-contractors as well."

5 STAR REVIEW

- Bill & Susanne Hawthorne
Lake Wylie, SC

RATING SNAPSHOT

Average Customer Rating
Overall

Sample Scenarios

Contact us

Client Reviews

RATING SNAPSHOT