About Seth

I came up on job sites, not in an office

I have a degree in Sustainable Construction, but the education that stuck happened on site.

I started as a laborer. Carrying material.

Cleaning up. Doing what I was told.

Over the years, I worked up to project manager on historic renovations and custom homes, including timber-frame projects. After that, I spent three and a half years in service and estimating before moving into sales.

That's where you learn what goes wrong on a job. You also see how homeowners hear about it.

When a contractor says his crew can start Monday and finish in six weeks, I can tell whether that sounds true. I can spot what's missing from a quote.

And when a homeowner tells me what they want to build and spend, I usually need only a few minutes to tell whether those numbers belong in the same sentence.

That's the basis of what I do now.

Why I started doing this

I watched it go wrong too many times from the inside.

The pattern barely changes. A homeowner calls six contractors.

Two call back. One shows up and gives them a number.

With nothing to compare it against, they sign. Six weeks later, the crew is working another job.

Change orders pile up while their calls go to voicemail.

Homeowners aren't careless. There's simply no good way to distinguish a serious builder from a convincing one before the contract is signed.

I know the difference. I've worked with both.

So I started making introductions. I learn what you're building and tell you honestly whether the budget is real.

Then I introduce three contractors who do that kind of work in your town. With three quotes side by side, you can finally see what the job costs.

I'd rather tell you something you don't want to hear

The most useful part often happens on the first call. It's not always what people hope to hear.

Sometimes it's "your budget is about half of what that project costs, and here's why." Other times, it's "what you want is a kitchen, not an addition." Occasionally, I'll say, "the contractor you already have sounds fine. Keep him."

I won't tell you a number works when it doesn't. You'd find out later, at a much worse time.

I'd rather tell you early than drag you through three quotes for a project that was never going to happen.

How I get paid, in plain terms

The contractor pays me a commission when they close work with you. You pay me nothing.

Depending on my arrangement with the brokerage, I'm sometimes paid in connection with a real estate referral. It varies and doesn't apply to every introduction.

I'm putting that in plain type because you should be able to weigh it. I benefit when a project happens.

You benefit when the right project happens with the right builder. Those interests usually line up.

When they don't, you deserve enough information to recognize it.

If you want to know whether I'm being paid in connection with your specific referral, ask me. I'll tell you straight.

You're never obligated to hire anyone I introduce.

What I'm not

This matters. I'm not burying it.

I'm not a general contractor. I don't build, supervise, estimate, permit, inspect, or guarantee anyone's work. I don't attend your site visits. I don't sign your contract. I never handle money between you and your builder.

Your contract is with the contractor. The work and the responsibility for it belong to them.

I know the difference between builders and make the introduction. I also stay reachable while your project runs.

That's the service. It's useful, but it isn't the same as being your contractor.

I've seen enough disputes to know that line matters.

One more thing worth saying plainly: Maine does not license general contractors or builders. Only plumbers and electricians are licensed in this state. So nobody, including me, can "verify a builder's license" here, because there isn't one to verify. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know the law or is counting on you not knowing it.

Instead, I verify work history and references. I also check insurance and financial stability, then look at reputation and communication.

That's the 10-step process, and it's harder to fake than a license number.

I'm on the homeowner's side, and I say that carefully

Contractors pay me. I've said it plainly.

Take "on your side" for exactly what it's worth and no more.

Here's what that means in practice. Contractors in my network know that treating a homeowner badly costs them future introductions.

That's the entire enforcement mechanism. It's a real one because referrals are worth more to a good builder than any single job.

I'm also reachable during your project. I'm not the supervisor.

That isn't my role. But I know both parties, and I can pick up the phone when communication breaks down.

Plenty of construction disputes are communication failures that nobody caught early.

Tell me what you're building

The first call is a conversation, not a pitch. If it's not a fit, I'll say so.