Following are the questions we are asked most frequently by our clients.

How are you different from other builders in this area?

• Experienced: The Conrado Company has been building exclusive, luxury homes in the Silicon Valley for more than twenty years.

• Integrated: Our system for building and managing projects is rooted in organizational integrity. All of the components of construction, from bidding, to scheduling, to building, to accounting, to billing, fit together seamlessly so our clients can trust our process.

• Ongoing: The Conrado HomeCare program is a tool for new homeowners, offering support for ongoing maintenance and renovation needs.

I understand that you sub out all of your work. What does that mean?

We use independent subcontractors for construction, our Conrado personnel for project management, and the best craftsman in the area for detail work.

Why is this good for me?

• This system allows us to hire the best subcontractors in the area for your project.

• Our ability to secure competitive bids ensures that you’ll receive the best pricing available.

What is your warranty?

We are well known for standing behind our work. Our contract warranty is one year from the certificate of occupancy. If there are any issues with your home, we will repair or replace any item that does not meet our standards for quality and longevity.Conrado Company homes are not just built to be beautiful today, but for many, many years to come.

How do you ensure your quality?

Paul Conrado visits each Conrado job site regularly, often for the site meetings or to confirm that The Conrado Company’s standard of quality is met in every aspect of your project.

What other services does Conrado Company provide?

• Landscaping: We build most of the site work for our projects. This includes landscaping, pools, walls, decking, driveways, etc.

• Home Care: We service and maintain the homes we build for as long as you need.

How many projects do you have under construction at any one time?

We typically have four to eight projects under way at all times.The projects range from new estate homes to whole house renovations. Our Home Care division typically has an additional three to six projects in progress at any time.

How experienced are your project managers?

Our project managers and field staff have a cumulative total of nearly a century of home building experience. Our skilled professionals know how to build houses, keep projects on schedule, and ensure that you are getting the best value for your money.

How accurate are your schedules?

Barring unforeseen weather issues or significant modifications to the original design, our schedules are very accurate. We use scheduling software to plot the critical path, evaluate task interdependencies and analyze all of the building steps to create an efficient schedule.

How can we be sure your final budget is correct?

The cost of a home is primarily determined by its design and its finishes. The Conrado Company is competitively priced among other luxury custom homebuilders. We use a very thorough system to ensure our budgets are accurate. It is the most extensive system of any general contractor in our area. Here’s how it works:

• We analyze your plans and specifications in detail.

• We ask questions and obtain answers to gather missing information.

• We write detailed scopes of work for all trades so that everyone is bidding on the same information. You are given those scopes of work with our final budget.

• We obtain fixed price bids from our subcontractors.

• We get two to three bids for most trades, especially the large ones.

• We analyze each bid to ensure it conforms to our scope of work.

• A line-item budget by trade is assembled for you.

How long does it take to prepare a final budget for a project?

It takes us about five to six weeks to prepare a final budget using the steps listed above.

How do you charge for overhead and profit?

We charge fourteen percent to twenty percent for overhead and profit, depending on the size of the project, and approximately one percent for liability insurance. With these charges, we maintain a modest two percent before tax profit margin.

How do you charge for supervision?

Supervision is charged in quarter hour time periods. We bill only the time our project managers and superintendents spend managing your project--nothing more and nothing less. For most projects, we assume four (4) hours per working day.

How does Conrado Company charge for changes?

All changes are billed at the actual cost of the charge, plus the project’s builders fee and liability rates. Once the new estimates are approved, our accounting department creates a written document that adjusts the project’s budget. All documentation is provided to you.

How will you communicate with us?

• We have weekly site meetings for each project under construction. The meetings are held at the same time and place each week, unless you request a change.

• Following each site meeting, we add the meeting notes to our cumulative minutes and email them to the project team.

• On Fridays, we email you and the project team a weekly progress report which outlines what work was done over the past week, what is scheduled to happen the next week, and any requests for information from the project team.

• Each person in our company has an email address that is checked daily, as well as a cell phone and daily organizer.

• As a company, it is our policy to “over-communicate.” Since construction has its own language, we take the time to explain what various terms mean.We believe that effective team communication enables efficient building.

Why do you bill so often?

We bill every other Friday so we can pay our subcontractors on time. By treating our subcontractors as partners, we secure the best pricing and service possible. Your payment is due the week after billing. After the payment has cleared, we pay our subcontractors and material men within 24 hours.

What type of support staff do you have in your office?

Our office staff consists of our CFO, a controller, a business development manager, an estimator, a receptionist, and Paul Conrado. All of these people are highly qualified to handle all of the details of your project. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your project, feel free to give us a call or stop by the office. We’re always happy to help.