Approach

A Hobbs estimate is truly a service.
Hobbs, Inc. has an advantage over other builders. As one of the few builders with a dedicated estimating department, we are able to spend the time required to analyze plans and deliver the most thoroughly researched and detailed estimates. The numbers are calculated from multiple subcontractor bids and in consultation with the architect to establish the most efficient and cost-effective way to engineer the project. Typically, this comprehensive process takes about four weeks and results in a complete project cost summary.

Chief Estimator Reggie Libhart has been with Hobbs for over a decade and believes that open communication averts conflict. Others use our bids as a standard of comparison because of the transparency in the information we provide. We meticulously review every number, and we are confident that we present the most realistic of budgets. We have a strong pulse on market trends, enabling us to identify where costs might be higher, lower or simply inaccurate.

You are investing your own hard-earned money in the building process, so naturally budget plays a huge role in your choice of contractor. You might choose someone with a lower bid, trusting it is achievable. But when all is said and done, Hobbs simply has a higher accuracy rate, because we understand the market trends due to our relationships with our broad network of vendors, and we can provide accurate and on-point projections.

Reggie and his team welcome the opportunity to work with architects and clients at the earliest stages of design. This allows us to tap into our expansive historical database, utilizing our accumulated knowledge and experience to ensure that a project is being developed within the budgetary expectations of all parties involved.

“Clients don’t build houses every day! We make every effort to ensure that they understand the decisions they are being asked to make every step of the way. When we reach the end of a project and the client is thrilled, I am glad that we took the time to carefully review things with them.” - Toni Sand, Hobbs Project Manager

Each project team consists of a full-time project superintendent on the site all day every day, a project manager in the office who organizes the paperwork and finances, and a project executive who oversees the whole process to ensure directly that Hobbs is meeting the client’s expectations. Our project executives are Owners Scott and Ian Hobbs, and COO Walter Lorenz. (The managing directors serve as project executives in our Hamptons, New York City and New Jersey offices.)

The project manager and supervisor initially meet with the chief estimator and project executive to gain a full understanding of the scope, schedule and budget of a new project. The next step is to review guidelines for the respective clients’ expectations and preferences in regard to communication, decision-making, approvals and daily operations.

Toni Sand has been a project manager for over a dozen years. She works in conjunction with the supervisor to map out the criticality of elements for the projects. They discuss any concerns they may have and agree on the best approach to building out the project. Toni writes out the scope of work, outlining the subcontractors, contractors and details involved. She studies the lead times for materials and confirms their availability. She meets with the building department to determine their requirements for permits and various inspections leading up to and concluding with the certificate of occupancy. Based on this gathering of information, she develops a detailed schedule of work including deadlines for final decisions on various aspects of the project. The project managers are constantly shifting gears and managing priorities, troubleshooting and forecasting with the big picture always in mind as well as the priorities that were established at the onset of the project.

“There is a sense of pride in every job I have ever done. I feel very proud to have the ability and opportunity to work on someone’s home and know we did the best we could to deliver a great product to our client. It’s a very personal thing for me, and when we move on I like to think we did the best job we could. It’s almost like my third child.” – Tony Hogan, Project Superintendent

Tony Hogan is a project superintendent who has worked at Hobbs for more than 25 years. “At the onset of each job, it is important that the client is comfortable and feels that we are competent, capable and trustworthy, and to see what chemistry we have together, because we will be spending a lot of time together over the course of starting and completing the project.” He is on the ground every day at his assigned project, whether he is supervising work, handling logistics, taking deliveries, logging activity or meeting with the client, architect or his project team.

The procedures for beginning a project are systematic: Tony begins with prepping the site, studying the infrastructure where the project is staged, and assembling the team of craftsmen that is going to build the house. He evaluates the scope of the job, the plans, the manpower needed, and the skills required to get the job done. He meets with and regularly speaks with the architect and the client. He is also the go-to for the professional team members for a particular job, such as interior designers, lighting designers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, geo-technical people and landscape architects.

“My mission is ensure that at the end of each day, our workers return safely home to their families.” - Mark O’Connell, Director of Safety and Health

Mark O’Connell, a 49-year veteran of the construction industry, has been the Hobbs, Inc. Director of Safety and Health since he joined the company in 2003. Mark works diligently to train and remind all Hobbs and trade partner employees of the vital importance of practicing safety at all times on our construction sites. Mark directs, develops and oversees the general health and safety policies and procedures of the company. He is responsible for ensuring that the company and all construction projects are in compliance with OSHA, state, local and construction-specific regulations, and that safety audits are regularly conducted.

Mark visits job sites regularly, based on the hazards associated with the current activity on a given job. At the onset of a new project, more visits are required, such as monthly meetings with an insurance representative or reviews with inspectors and supervisors to evaluate worksite conditions.

A major effort is put into working with our subcontractors to make sure they understand how to better their compliance with federal, state and local safety regulations. He meets with each subcontractor for a Hobbs Safety Orientation before they are permitted start work on any of our sites. He talks about our ‘Safety Culture’ standards, answers any questions and makes sure they understand what we require, and just as importantly, why we require it. He keeps a keen eye on sites especially at times of intense productivity, overseeing safety so that the superintendent can focus on orchestrating the work. He ensures that our commitment to safety is never compromised.

Mark also brings in advisers to train our teams on safety measures such as respiratory protection, scaffolding, fall protection, personal protective equipment, and anything that could be hazardous to our health. He makes sure that our teams are certified and in compliance with regulations so that they are managing the handling of materials and situations properly on site.

In spite all of the proactive precautions Hobbs takes, accidents still happen and our people need to be prepared to respond in emergency situations. All Hobbs personnel are educated and trained for First Aid, CPR, AED and blood born pathogens. Mark prepares job kits of his own design for each job site so that he knows that any potential problem can be handled.

“It’s peace of mind that our clients have, knowing that we are responsive to their needs and can adapt to their changing needs—and because we are so familiar with the family and the home itself, we can provide a service that no one else can.” – Drew Timson, Managing Director, Hobbs Care

Hobbs Care www.hobbs-care.com is a service division of Hobbs, Inc., launched in response to the post-completion needs of our Hobbs, Inc. clients. The Hobbs Care team is readily available and is familiar with the scope of Hobbs, Inc. projects. As the homeowner takes over and the building team exits, Hobbs Care is able to provide ongoing maintenance and support. They are readily available to help the client adjust and adapt to the home they have built and fully understand in a familiar way what needs to be done to run the house.

Hobbs Care may be introduced at the completion of a project, but they are available to be called in at any time, even years later. They have access to the resources needed to maintain the house, and it just takes one phone call to Drew Timson, Managing Director. He is more than happy to consult with clients to determine their needs and assist their plans for the home as time goes on.

Service contracts and warranties cover equipment if it fails prematurely, but just like changing the oil in your car, the systems themselves will need regular adjustments from time to time to keep them properly functioning. Clients will learn how to comfortably operate these systems and control internal and external environments to adapt to seasonality.

Some clients have work that they want completed right away. Hobbs Care is a single point of contact to clients that need follow up on anything at all with a house. They have the history of each Hobbs project and an understanding of every aspect of how the house operates, how it was built and how they can add to it. Or they can manage multiple projects. Clients will come back to Hobbs to modify a home as their lifestyle changes, and Hobbs Care can help expand on a home or repurpose rooms. They can also prompt clients for necessary preventative maintenance.

Licensed in CT, NY, NJ, RI
Insured
National Association of Home Builders
Association of General Contractors
National Custom Builders Council
Energy Star Certification
Home Builders Association of CT
U.S. Chamber of Commerce