A construction project attracts a lot of money and in case you hire the wrong contractor, you can have so many sleepless nights. In an industry with such a big number of contractors, all demonstrating various levels of expertise and experience, it can be tricky for you to settle for the right contractor for your project. This implies how serious you need to be with your selection process. There are some things you should put into mind when making this decision to avoid landing into problems. These are expounded on this page.
Consider setting up meetings. From your research, conduct interviews and obtain a variety of bids. Look at the cost of the estimate while bearing in mind that the most costly is not a sign of the most outstanding workmanship and low estimates can lead a construction contractor to utilize materials of low quality and poor service. Ask when the construction will begin and the projected finishing time and if the company will sub-contract or work on the project itself. Keep asking more questions until you feel satisfied that the construction contractor you hire is the best for your job.
Get it in writing. For future reference, ensure all correspondence is put in writing right from the beginning of the inquiry. Consider using emails other than direct phone calls. Even for a professional reference, do not entertain word of mouth promises because if a problem arises, it is going to be your word against that of the contractor. Before making the first payment or construction starts, sign an official agreement and make sure it contains a detailed breakdown of equipment, materials and labor costs, starting dates, dates when specific works will be done and finishing date, and due dates and payment terms. You should know that construction involves a lot of uncertainties that can lead to changes in estimated costs and timelines. Therefore, set aside between 5 and 10{8d8a0c3668ffe90e6825914ea1f489a50cb88041bcda489fcac29c2d32f2ddb0} of your budget for unexpected costs.
Conduct research. Although referrals are a great starting point of hiring a construction contractor, they are not sufficient and you should thus conduct a background search on potential contractors to ensure they are insured and licensed to be sure they are competent for the work and that you are covered in case you or the contractors incur losses. Also, check the contractor’s specialty as various contractors qualify for various types of projects. You should request to visit the sites of ongoing projects more so those similar to yours. Besides, look at the contractor’s referral list to know if their customers were satisfied with what was delivered.
You need to have a plan. Before you even begin to think of a good construction contractor, have a clear as well as a detailed plan of the work you need to be done, the materials, the timeline, and the budget. Lack of proper understanding of your project will make it tough to compare contractors. However, being sure of what you want helps you to narrow your search to contractors who have the capacity to deliver exactly what you dream of.