Owner's Representative  ·  Licensed GC  ·  PMP  ·  Pierce County, Washington

I work for you.
Not the contractor.

To a contractor, your project is one of many. To you, it's your home or a revenue generating asset. That difference in stakes is where projects go wrong. Before the first bid, through every milestone, and before final payment leaves your account, I protect your interests.

See if we're a fit How it works

You have probably been here before

You hired someone who came recommended. The estimate seemed fair. Then the job started and so did the problems.

Days without contact. Work that looked wrong but you didn't know how to push back. A final invoice higher than the original with no explanation. By the end you just wanted it to be over.

Or maybe you haven't been burned yet. But you're about to commit real money to someone you just met, on work you can't fully evaluate, with no one in your corner.

Most owners don't find out they needed someone in their corner until the project is already wrong.

That's what this is for.

Not sure if we're a fit?

Find out before you commit

I take on a limited number of projects at a time, and not every project or client is a fit. Fill out a short form and I'll follow up within two business days with an honest answer on whether I can help.

See if we're a fit

What an owner's representative does

Your role is to own the asset.
Mine is to make sure the project doesn't become your second one.

As an owner's representative in Pierce County, I sit on your side of every renovation, from the first bid through final payment. Here is how that works.

Before the bids

Scope locked before anyone prices it

When a scope is vague, contractors price what benefits them. Before any bid goes out, the work gets defined in writing so every contractor prices the same job.

Bid review

Read by someone with no stake in the outcome

When estimates come in, you need someone who can read them as a licensed GC with no loyalty to any contractor on the list. I coordinate the contractor walkthroughs so every bid prices the same work, then tighten the scope off what they surface. Problems get flagged. The questions you need answered before signing get surfaced.

During the job

Verified progress at each milestone

At the stages that matter, the work gets checked against what you paid for. You get a written report, not a verbal update, so there's a record if anything needs to be resolved.

Before final payment

A punch list while you still hold leverage

Final payment is the last real pressure point you have. Before it leaves your account, the finished work gets walked: punch list completed, site cleared, finish materials protected, deficiencies documented. You close with leverage, not loose ends.

Who I work with

Whether it's your home or your portfolio, the risk is the same.
So is the protection.

For homeowners

Your home is probably your largest asset. Treat it like one.

The contractor has done this hundreds of times. You have done it a handful. Before you sign anything or hand over a deposit, you deserve a clear picture of what you're agreeing to. Flat fees. No markup. No surprises.

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For investors and property managers

Portfolio exposure you can't afford to absorb alone.

Every renovation carries risk. Cost overruns, delays, liability exposure, and the attention drain of managing a problem you didn't see coming. Your time is the irreplaceable asset. What you can't afford is one property consuming the attention that belongs to everything else. When a project needs protecting, it gets it.

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Contractor vetting in Pierce County

License status is public. Performance is not. I track both.

Anyone can look up a license number. That tells you a contractor exists. It does not tell you whether their bond is current today, whether their insurance has lapsed, or whether the last three owners would use them again. Every contractor is vetted before setting foot on your property, not just checked, vetted.

Every vet
is pulled fresh at the moment you need it. A contractor who was bonded and insured last quarter may not be today. Coverage lapses, and a stale record is how owners get caught without recourse.
15,000+
licensed contractor businesses in Pierce County, plus countless unlicensed operators. Knowing who to trust is a full time research project on its own.
Nearly 1 in 3
licensed within the past four years. A license confirms they registered. It says nothing about whether they can do the work.

You get a shortlist of vetted options and you choose. No financial relationship with any of them. No referral fees. That independence is the whole point.

Why I built this

A realtor I trusted recommended a contractor.

What I didn't understand at the time is that the relationship was between them. The referral felt like a guarantee. It wasn't.

The work started months before my wife was due. The bathroom had to be finished. It was going to be her recovery space after the birth. It went over time and over budget. Errors accumulated past the point of confidence.

There was no signed contract. What protected me was documentation I had kept and documentation they hadn't. When it was clear the project wasn't going to be delivered as agreed, I had enough on record to terminate, retain the deposit against documented deficiencies, and bring someone else in to finish it correctly. They had nothing to counter with.

Most owners don't document. Most contractors know that.

What I learned is that a referral tells you someone has a relationship with a contractor. It tells you nothing about how your project will go. The person recommending has no stake in your outcome. Neither does the contractor, not really. You're one of many. Your property is not.

I built Sintra because owners need someone whose only obligation runs to them. The renovation oversight I provide for your project is the same process I built from that experience.

Common questions

Straight answers before you decide.

So you're just a middleman?

A lawyer represents your interests in a legal dispute. A CPA represents your interests on your taxes. Neither of them is a middleman. They're advocates with a specific obligation to you. This is the same idea applied to construction. You deserve someone in the room whose only obligation runs to you.

Can't my GC or property manager handle this?

A GC's financial incentive is to minimize costs and maximize volume across their projects. A property manager is balancing tenant relationships, maintenance coordination, and vendor relationships across an entire portfolio. Your renovation is one line item in a much wider operational load. Neither of them is structured to protect your interests and limit your exposure on this scope. That's not a criticism. It's just a different set of incentives.

How do I know you won't side with the contractor?

I have no financial relationship with any trade on your project. No referral fees. No subcontractors to keep busy. My only interest is your outcome.

I already have a contractor picked. Is it too late?

Sooner is always better. But no. A scope of work can be taken to bid or used to align your existing contractor on expectations before work starts. The contract gets structured to protect you.

Why add another expense to the project?

Project planning optimizes sequencing so the work gets done in the right order at the right cost. A defined scope aligns every bidder and the awarded contractor on exactly what was agreed. Site visits catch deficiencies before they're buried. A punch list before final payment means you close with leverage. At any one of those stages the value I deliver exceeds the fee.

Do I need to hire you for the whole project?

No. A scope of work can be taken to bid as a standalone. If you're confident in your contractor, a site visit or punch list may be all you need. I can step in at any stage.

Takes two minutes

Not every project or client is a fit. Find out if yours is.

See if we're a fit

Services

Engage at any stage.
Every service stands alone.

Project intake and fit assessment

Fill out a short form and your project gets reviewed personally. Within two business days you get an honest answer on whether this is a match and what engagement would look like. No obligation, and some projects aren't a fit.

Free

Pre-Renovation Planning Session

Before real money moves, your property gets walked, risks get identified, and the work gets sequenced correctly. You leave with an initial scope of work ready to take to bid, a sequencing plan, and clear guidance on exactly what to ask contractors for in their bids.

From $500

Scope and Bid Review

You have estimates, or you need them. I coordinate and attend contractor walkthroughs so every bidder is pricing the same defined work, then revise the scope off what those walks surface. I read the bids as a licensed GC with no stake in who wins, compare them line by line, flag gaps and red flags, and give you a shortlist of vetted options with the questions to ask before you sign anything. A defined scope is required -- without one, contractors have priced different work and a real comparison isn't possible. If no scope exists, the Pre-Renovation Planning Session comes first.

From $300

Covers up to two bids. $100 per additional bid.

Project Check-Ins

At key milestones, the work gets checked against what you paid for. You receive a written site visit report with documented findings and recommended corrections you can put directly in front of your contractor.

$250 per visit

Three-visit package available at $650.

Final Walkthrough and Punch List

Before final payment leaves your account, the finished work gets walked: punch list completed, site cleared, finish materials protected. You receive a written punch list with documented deficiencies and sign-off conditions. You close with leverage, not loose ends.

From $300

Scope-based pricing for larger projects. Contact for a quote.

Portfolio Oversight Retainer

For investors and property managers running multiple units. When a project needs coverage, it gets it. Vet reports, scope documents, site reports, and punch lists per project. Priced by volume and scope.

Retainer

Contact for structure and pricing.

Single-service engagements are flat fee. Complex projects involving multiple trades, sequencing, or ongoing management are priced on a percentage of the renovation budget. Portfolio clients are structured on retainer. Tell me about the project and we will figure out what fits.

Get started

Tell me about your project.
I'll take it from there.

Projects are taken on selectively. Before any conversation, a short intake form helps determine whether it's a match. It takes two to three minutes.

Every submission gets reviewed personally. You'll hear back within two business days with an honest answer. There is no obligation, and not every project or client is a fit.

Prefer to talk first? Call or text (253) 260-3509 or email chris@sintraholdingsgroup.com

Christopher Gross  ·  Licensed General Contractor  ·  PMP  ·  DBIA  ·  WA License SINTRHL753MM

Serving clients in Pierce County, WA including Lakewood, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, University Place, Steilacoom, and Fircrest.

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