3 - 5 business days

So you think you may have mold,   then it a fairly simply solution....bring in the best people you can find and be on site when they do their walk thorugh and walk around with a pad of paper.  They are some of the best people in the industry. 

Philip Anderson

Berkeley Ca

Mark I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your contractor.  I certainly wouldn't understand all of your situation, but I'll try to offer some general advise.

First and foremost you should try to resolve any disputes with your contractor directly.  (I assume you may have already taken this step)  Sometimes it is best to think about listing the reasons for your concerns out in written form and what resolutions you would like.  While you shouldn't expect everything to end up perfectly, knowing what you are looking for is a good start and as a contractor it gives them a place to start working toward a resolution with you.

Second you should work with CCB for your state to resolve your dispute if the first step does not work out.  The CCB is an independent party and will work in the best interest of both parties to try to find a mutually agreeable resolution to the concerns.  Knowing the reasons for your dispute and the resolutions you are seeking will help both the CCB and your contractor in working with you towards a resolution.

Third, if you are unsuccessful in those endeavors you can explore further action based upon the contract you and your contractor signed at the oustet of your project.

Again, I'm sorry to hear of your situation and wish you the best of luck in finding a resolution.

I guess it would really depend on what type of home, the age of it and where it's located. Most of your older homes (prior to 1940) have a lot custom details you want to keep intact. If it's really old, and hasn't been maintained, then restoring may not be an economical solution. A lot of the homes in our area (DC Metro) are being torn down because the lots are so valuable.

Solatubes to brighten any dark area, like a garage or hallway where no windows are. 500-700 and will easily increase value of house plus save energy. go to

www. Solatube.com for hundreds of pictures and how to plan on new builds or find local dealer

Set up a time with him on a day that works best for you each week, or how often you'd prefer to be updated. You should have an idea of or a clear timeframe for the progress of the home, but if you don't it'll be helpful to get an email from the Builder with a general timeframe and you can work from that when you have your scheduled calls about Job Completion. If they’re professional then they'll explain reasons for any setbacks, the resolutions and the new dates of completion.

Along with this, I would have them first send you a set of photos of the job currently at each angle and in each room and then going forward have him send you photos of the updates. Whether you use Dropbox or anything else to share photos, it's easier to text if both parties don't have an account yet, as there's no limit on the amount files you can text and you don't have to sign up for anything just to get photos. I also wish you luck on the new Home.

Greg

Congrats on the new home! I think you have started off on a really good foundation with open dialog with your new neighbors. A few suggestions. 

Make sure you communicate with your neighbors about you project and how long it will last. Let them know that if there is any concern that they can talk to you about it. Give them an easy way to contact you. 

Have your contractors be respectful. There will obviously be early mornings or late nights for work to be done, but be respectful of your neighbors. Maybe offer some earplugs for them to block out the unwanted noises or ask the guys to start later on a Saturday or Sunday so your neighbors can sleep in. 

Clean up.... Make sure that anyone who is building and installing cleans up after themselves. Cigarette butts, trash, cursing, loud music and loose nails are only some of the concerns of an active work sight. And those concerns grow for neighbors with children.

My biggest suggestion, at the completion of the job have an open house. Invite your neighbors to come see your new house and the project that was goign on next door. It will offer you a time to get to know one another better. Use it as a way to say thanks for dealing with the last few months.Good luck!! 

Yes you can get custom closets installed without breaking the bank. Basic orgnaizing systems designed and installed by a closet organizing specialist will utilize all of the space in the closet, increase the amount of hanging space and will be built using quality materials. In my research, I have found that our proffssionallly designed and installed closet systems are about double the cost of what it would cost you for a system at the DIY box store BUT, with our system not only do we do all the work and guarantee it for a lifetime , the quality of the materials are far superionr to the junk they sell at the big box sotres. The design is a huge part, and I will put my  qualified designers against any help that you might get at the big box sotre. Things that affect pricing are the size of the closet, number of drawers in the system and how detailed we get with accessories. Prices for a medium sized walkin closet can very greatly, you can see some examples on my website here: http://www.closet-doctor.com/closet/classic/closet-organizer-system

While there are pros to the Nest, there are other options out there that offer more features and better home comfort control.  The Prestige IAQ from Honeywell is a fantastic option. 

The Prestige is a feature rich, internet capable thermostat.  It has a large, full color touchscreen display.  Homeowners have the option of downloading the Comfort Control App from Honeywell at no charge; so it can be controlled from any phone, computer, or tablet.

The Prestige can also eliminate the need for a seperate humidistat to control the humidifier.  It has wireless outdoor sensors, so the temperature and humidity is monitored indoors and out. 

The Prestige has built-in Delta T Sensors.  These sensors monitor the temperature rise and drop of the HVAC system and will alert the homeowner with an email if there is a need for a service call.  Service reminders can also be programmed in to email the homeowner when it is time for annual maintenance, filter changes, and humidifier pad changes.

The Prestige IAQ is the choice for our company when a homeowner wants to upgrade to an internet capable, smart thermostat.

The materials are just 30% of the cost.  They are labor intensive and if you are fairly handy you can save a bundle of money doing it yourself.  However, this is not a task for the average DYI.  If you hire someone to supply and install the system you can plan on spending $3,000 and up depending on the size of your closet.  

Abe has given you a great answer.

Emails (for documentation) and photos.

Interior chimneys are at least 4" larger in all four directions than the flue they contain. A chimney containing a 12"x12" clay flue liner must be at least 20" by 20". Combustible materials must be kept at least 2" away from the outside of the chimney walls. Exterior chimneys only need to be 1" away from the exterior combustible wall of the house.

By code the chimney must extend at least three feet above the roof and two feet above any part of the roof within ten feet. Cast in place or use a pre-cast concrete chimney cap with a drip edge and caulk the joint between the cap and the top flue liner with a silicon sealant.

In Seismic areas place a #4 steel reinforcing bar in each corner of the chimney, preferrably in the cells of the brick or block, and grout solid. If you must place the reinforcing steel between the flue liner and the surrounding masonry we recommend wrapping the flues with 1/8" ceramic fiber paper "socks" before placing the grout to allow the flue liners a lttle room to expand without cracking the exterior masonry. Tie the surrounding masonry horizontally every 18" with steel ladder or K-web, or pencil rod in the bed joints. Exterior chimneys must be anchored at each floor and roof.

The surround (the area at least 6" wide around the fireplace opening) can be finished with brick, stone, tile, terra cotta, slate, marble - almost any decorative masonry material. 100 years ago fireplace surrounds were often finished with ordinary plaster and sometimes painted black. The surround should not be used to lower the opening of the fireplace. The part of the surround over the fireplace opening should be just low enough to cover the edge of the rounded Rumford throat and not so low that it might cause unwanted turbulence.

Caulking and proper drilling and spacing of nails