When we started this project, one of our primary goals was to learn as much as we could about the entire renovation process and develop the skills necessary to do much of the work ourselves. We knew that to really achieve that goal, and ensure the work is done safely and with high quality, we needed help.
We both don't mind rolling up our sleeves and we have some basic handyman and carpentry skills, but realized early in our planning that the scope of work we were taking on would require much more know-how. We have a few friends in the construction industry, and know that we could ask any of them for help. But we were worried about how that might affect our friendships.
Todd Whetten is someone I’ve known for several years from church, we attend together each Sunday and I’ve been on a few scout camps with him. I am also teaching his son this year in early-morning seminary, so I get to know his family a little better through that. Beyond that, however, our paths haven't crossed much and we’ve never had the chance to work together. As we pondered who to ask this favor from, we felt like we should ask Todd to see if he was interested in helping out.
On a soggy January evening Todd came over to our house and was the first person to learn about this crazy project. He played the perfect diplomat, however, and I never saw his eyes roll back in his head as I expected when we told him we were going to try to renovate a house - mostly with our own hands. Nor did he laugh when we asked if he would please help to coach and mentor us through the process. In fact, he did the opposite.
He sat back in the couch and told his story. Todd has worked in this industry all his life. He took on the same kind of challenge we're doing now back in his twenties when he was newly married, and has since renovated many homes since. He also worked for a large construction company where he was a project manager for big projects, working through long priority lists and managing subcontractors to pull off some amazing projects. A few years ago, he got the itch to start his own company, and now he balances his life so that he can spend quality time with his family and church as well as run his company. Impressively, he likes to take on a variety of projects where he can still stay hands on in the trade with smaller projects, and bigger renovations where he manages subcontractors to do the work. Our instincts were right, Todd was the perfect mentor and we are so thrilled he enthusiastically agreed to join the project.
We have already benefited many times from Todd's help. We've asked him over to consult with us on our priority list several times as we've worked to figure out how to stage the work as there are always multiple streams of work items underway while we wait for one thing or another. We have asked his advice on the best way to do certain tasks, and we've asked him to inspect our work and give us feedback. He has also shared with us the subcontractors he works with and helped us understand how pricing works in the various trades.
The thing I've really valued about Todd is his willingness to not only share all of this with us, but to also provide context on why and how he is recommending certain things so that we can learn the reasons behind his recommendations. The more we get into this project, the more I realize that we really would be flying blind without him.
When we did the french doors a few weeks ago, I knew we were in for some big challenges, given the condition of the exterior wall, so I was very glad when he agreed to come join me and work together as we replaced all the damaged wood. Todd is a lot of fun to be around, he has an awesome sense of humor and works efficiently and hard.
If you’re ever in need of an honest, hard working general contractor for your home, I can whole heartedly recommend Todd Whetten and his company Sound Contracting here in Duvall, WA.
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