Fall 2001

Rauser — A Pleasure To Work With

It never would have occurred to Susan Graham that a construction project at her Clarksville home could have been so easy...and so pleasurable.

As a matter of fact, until she and her husband, Michael, met Bill Rauser, at the recommendation of her brother-in-law (a landscape architect), she even dreaded the project, just knowing how disrupted most people are when they undertake large remodeling and construction projects.  Susan says, “I was really impressed with Rauser from the very beginning.  Bill listened to what we wanted to accomplish and made recommendations that would work for us and within our budget.”

Specifically, they decided to build a screened-porch gazebo, pergola, and fencing which would coordinate with the rest of the house and allow her family to enjoy the splendor of her wooded back yard without the annoyance of mosquitoes.  In addition to enjoying their yard, there was a very functional request.   The Grahams wanted to be sure that the new project would block the laundry room door so people would go to the front door.

After agreeing to their gameplan, Bill prepared the pre-construction agreement for the Grahams, which outlined the work to be done.  Once that was signed, the estimating and final contract were approved and work began.

According to Susan, “When we all agreed to the specifics, the pre-construction agreement and contract were all equally professional þextraordinarily detailed and provided in a timely manner.”  She commented that the documentation was so thorough, she often went back to the contract and didn’t even have to call RPC when she had little questions.  She adds, “But, when I did call, they were always prompt and very responsive.  Even when I made a change, the change orders were processed based on my verbal okay, so there wasn’t a time delay to get my signature.”

Another area of praise Susan has for her contractor is the company’s subcontractors and carpenters.  She said they were so different from most; they were prompt, courteous, and a “pleasure to work with.”  According to Susan, the quality of work was terrific, which translated to very few details needing to be addressed during the final walk through.  Susan also expressed her appreciation of the efficiency in purchasing the materials.  She said that even with a few changes, there was no over-buying just normal, but minimal waste.

So, with the gazebo completed in late winter (so it could be used as soon as the weather broke), the Grahams have, needless to say, logged many hours enjoying their view and the mosquito-free environment. The Grahams are exceptionally happy with their new gazebo as well as RPC.

As a matter of fact, Susan’s final comment about her project really says it all, “If I ever planned on building a house, Rauser would do it.”

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