Straight answers before you sign anything.

From a real walkthrough or plan review — scope, materials, current LA labor rates, and permit/engineering costs where they apply — then broken into line items. We don't give per-square-foot ballpark numbers over the phone; too many jobsite variables (soil, access, existing framing condition) make that number meaningless.

Usually one of three things: licensing/insurance overhead a lower bid is skipping, subcontractor markup versus an in-house crew (we self-perform foundations, framing, retaining walls, and steel — no markup layer), or a scope gap that shows up as a change order later. Ask any bid for the same itemized breakdown we give you.

Payment is tied to milestones, not a lump sum up front — a project start deposit, then draws released at inspection gates (foundation pour, framing sign-off, final). The exact schedule is written into your contract before anything begins, so you always know what's due and when.

Foundations alone: commonly 2-4 weeks once permits are in hand. A remodel with structural work: 6-12 weeks depending on scope. Ground-up construction: several months, driven mostly by plan-check and inspection scheduling, not our crew's pace. Your written estimate includes a real stage-by-stage timeline, not a single guess-number.

Daily site-log photos, a weekly progress call or text update, a status check at every stage gate, and an immediate call for anything that affects scope or cost — never a surprise on the final invoice.

Bad soil, old undersized framing, unpermitted prior work — it happens. We stop, document it with photos, and send a written change order with the cost and schedule impact before doing anything about it. Nothing gets added to your bill without your sign-off first.

We pull permits under our own license for any work that requires one. An owner-pulled permit puts the liability and inspection responsibility on you — we don't recommend it, and we don't ask you to do it.

The 2022 California Building Code / Residential Code as adopted by LADBS, plus your project engineer's stamped plans where structural work requires them — foundations, shear walls, moment frames, and retaining walls over 4 ft all fall under engineered review here.

Yes, always — we send copies of our license, bond, and current insurance certificate as part of every contract package, before any deposit is due.

Once your contract is signed and permits are submitted, crew start dates are typically set 2-4 weeks out. Permit review timing (which we don't control) is usually the longer lead item — we'll give you a realistic start window in your estimate, not just a project-length estimate.

Depends on scope. Bearing-wall removal or a second-story addition usually requires vacating the affected area while shoring is in place; a foundation, framing, or retaining-wall job on its own generally doesn't require you to leave. We'll tell you plainly during the walkthrough, not after work has started.

We follow LA's standard construction-noise hours (generally 8am-6pm weekdays, shorter Saturday hours, no Sunday work) unless your specific city/permit allows otherwise — we'll confirm the exact local ordinance for your address.

A specialty contractor is licensed for one trade; a general building contractor (what we are) can run the full structural scope — foundations, framing, retaining walls, steel — under one license, without subbing those trades out. If your project touches more than one of those, a GC saves you from coordinating separate contracts yourself.

Both work. We regularly build from third-party architect/engineer plans as-is, and we can also coordinate structural engineering for you when a project needs it. Bring whatever you have — we'll tell you what's missing.

Normal, and expected — pick "Not Sure Yet" on the estimate form or just call. Most projects touch more than one of our services anyway, and sorting that out is part of the free walkthrough, not something you need to arrive knowing.