Specify the goal of each project, and measurements that show how success of reaching the goals can be achieved or demonstrated to you. If they must work together/concurrently to meet your goals, specify that planning and work with the other contractor will be necessary for success, with the name and contact information if the other contractor...in each contract. Suggest that each contract specify that each contractor must have a successful review of their design and plans with you before they build. Both contractors may need to be present at both design reviews before either can build (the contractors may agree to that before signing each contract). Specify when any payments may be made (possibly one payment after the design review, to cover material purchase costs, and final payments after satisfactory construction and completion of punch lists, to your satisfaction).
Example of goal: “Sidewalk traversing from Point A to Point B at (street address of location) constructed of (type materials) that can handle (type of activity, such as movement of people weighing up to 350 pounds and wheeled equipment weighing up to 500 pounds) without suffering damage, in all seasons in the (geographic area), in temperatures between (extreme temperature range of the geographic area such as -30° F to 105° F). The material used shall be (color). The construction and materials shall comply with (Home Owner Association name) covenants, Codes for (County Name), and shall comply with (industry name) industry best practices.”
Hope this helps. Good luck!
this was to at least some degree my starting point. I am somewhat down the road now with each contactor.
I am getting a tiny consensus that I need to break it up in the timeline due to scarcity of willing and qualified licensed contractors to one active contract at a time, along with renting a cyclone fence for the intervening interval.
the way I see it is that while it sounds unwieldy, it is the least risky approach.
last night I watched a reality tv program on big engineering jobs. it was the 6th street bridge in los angeles. each subcontractor apparently came to the construction site and did his job like clockwork.
the main difference between them and me (that I perceive now) is that they have a big budget with many willing contractor bidders, and I have a smaller budget.
so (apparently, unless someone comes up with something quickly) I can’t just do monkey see monkey do at the contract level like the big guys (eg city of los angeles or Caltrans or whoever) because I can’t find good specialty contractors and I don’t have a budget or financial muscle to attract contractors to my smaller job (even though it might seem like a substantially sized job to me).
thanks for your input.