Trevor Phipps
Now that spring time is officially here, people all over the area are starting to think about their home improvement projects.
Getting work done on a house is usually easier to accomplish when the weather outside has warmed up in the late spring and summer months.
With the real estate market and new construction booming in the Ute Pass Region, there are now several local construction companies in the area that offer services including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and painting. These days homeowners are no longer required to seek out contractors from the Colorado Springs area as most home improvement needs can be met here in the Ute Pass Region.
However, when it comes to picking which company to use for a project it can be tricky. Homeowners want a project cheap, fast and of good quality, but in reality, they can only have two of the three.
So, as the old adage goes, if a project is cheap and fast it won’t be good quality. If it’s good and fast, it won’t be cheap. If it is good and cheap, then it won’t be fast.
According to Sprite Locklear who owns Miner Repairs Construction that services Park and Teller Counties, experience really counts when it comes to choosing a quality contractor for home improvement projects. Locklear is a third generation carpenter with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry.
Locklear was born in Florida but he has lived and worked in the construction industry all across the country. He has worked on homes of all sizes from mansions in the mountains or on the beach to smaller structures. On record he has over 2,000 properties he has worked on throughout the years.
Locklear has lived in Colorado multiple times in his life giving him more than 20 years of experience in the local construction industry. For most of his life, he worked as a carpenter and project manager for several large multi-million dollar construction companies.
Locally, he has worked on homes all over the state from Colorado Springs to the east to Buena Vista to the west. But then due to the increase in demand for carpentry services in the area, he decided to open up his own business late last year.
Even though Locklear has vast knowledge of the entire construction industry, he has decided to focus his efforts now on finish carpentry. “What I really specialize in doing is installing customized trim,” Locklear said. “I have installed all sorts of custom base and ceiling trim on multi-million dollar houses. I also have a lot of experience with remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. I can also help install or repair household items like custom cabinets, doors, wood floors, or decks. Whatever you may want I can figure it out for you.”
He said that he has seen many home improvement projects go wrong because the homeowner chooses a company that does not have the right amount of experience for the job. He pointed out that it is wise to do research and pick a good company in the first place because fixing a job another company botched could become very expensive.
He said that one aspect that puts him above other companies is that he is a one-man operation. That means that the person who shows up to the house for the initial estimate will be the same person that completes the project.
“If you hire a contractor company and the person that comes to give you an estimate is driving a brand new car and wearing expensive clothes, he will not be the one doing the work on your house,” Locklear said. “When the work goes to get done, other people will be the ones showing up to do it.”
He also stresses the importance of using a construction company that knows what it’s like to live in the mountains. “I have a lot of experience living and working in the high country,” Locklear said. “It helps to have someone who knows the complexities of living in the mountains to work on your house. Many of the contractors you find in the area these days are people from out of state that don’t necessarily understand what living here is like.”
Locklear also said that during the summer many other construction companies seem to become booked up during the summer months. But, Miner Repairs is currently available to promptly start on your project this week. Call Locklear today at (719) 838-0056 to schedule a free estimate for any summer home improvement project needs.
