Hire only licensed contractors Before coming to conclusion as a legalized contractor it is wise to verify the contractors license by contacting authorities.Find out whether the contractor is experienced or not Make sure the contractor is good honest and reputable The best place to see his or her entire profile and career graph is at the Board of Contractors and of course the Better Business Bureau
An ideal contractor is the one who provides innovative hassle free quality construction solutions to clients on time He or she must also provide comprehensive efficient and costcompetitive services Select a contractor who look at the job from all angles and think the whole process through from innovative and cost saving design ideas to safe and efficient installation techniques The contractor must have the ability to demonstrate a sound rationale to support his innovative recommendations Remember a good contractor will respond to your calls quickly and provide you with a free estimate the same day or within a reasonable amount of time and thoroughly explains what and how they propose to do your project An ideal contractor begins each project by developing a design and procurement strategy that is tailormade to suit the client needs Regardless of whether the job is a small project or a large industrial building the contractor must have the ability to develop and coordinate each project from the design stage to completion of works on time and on budget every time One of the major strengths of a contractor is Project Management By carrying out almost the entire project works inhouse you can control the critical design interfaces between structural and architectural works in accordance to the architects intent government laws guidelines and trade practices Remember a good contractor is known for timely service quality work and pricing and also renowned for developing solid relationships with all of the relevant local authorities consultants and suppliers throughout the project Choosing the right Contractor is the most important aspect of any home construction project You must take your time and do your research to find a good qualified contractor if you want excellent quality at a fair price When we built our new home we spent many hours finding the best contractors for each aspect of building our new home We developed a method that served us well and it is as followsDetermine exactly what you want done and write it down This may sound a little basic at first blush but it is so important Remember what is not well defined is easily manipulated If it is not in writing it can be disputed You do two things when you define your project in detail and in writing You find any missing aspects that you may have overlooked and you have good definition and expectations for your contractor Get three 3 bids for each trade that you will hire Never rely on one bid and always meet the contractor face to face at the site where the work is to be done If you are uncomfortable with the contractor when they are bidding the job how is it going to be when the two of you have to work out the details of your project Remember cheaper is not always better.
Choosing a building contractor should be about more than just choosing the lowest bidder. A building contractor should be able to offer his clients more than just a low bid, but also efficient production, quality materials, quality construction, and security. Before you agree to let a building contractor perform work, you should thoroughly check out the company and get guarantees in writing. There are two general types of construction that a building contractor is hired to perform. The first is commercial construction and these building contractors might perform all aspects of construction or might only perform specialized work such as concrete or roofing. You can check a company’s profile if they are a member of Associated Builders and Contractors of America (ABC). While not every general contractor is a member, those that are provide specific information about their companies that the general public can view. Similarly, just as with the Better Business Bureau, clients can lodge complaints against members. The second type of building contractor is one that performs residential construction. Home builders in
Ask each contractor for references and make sure they are bonded and insured Check their references and call the BBB Better Business Bureau in your area to see if they have any outstanding complaintsMake sure they dont sub the work out to a contractor that is not insured or bonded It is very common for a contract company to sub out work to contractors that are not insured and bonded Another danger of the contractor subbing work out is if they dont pay their sub the sub can put a mechanics lien on your house and you will have to pay even if you have already paid the contractor Set a definite timeframe for the work to begin and for completion and get it in writing Nothing is worse than to have a project drag on not knowing when they are going to show up and finishNever ever pay for the entire project in advance If you do the contractor has no incentive to finish or even start When you no longer have the money you are no longer in control It is customary with most contractors that you pay a portion up front On a large project hold back as much money as you can until the end The incentive to finish must be motivated by the cash at the end of the project
Whether you need a building contractor to build an addition on your kitchen or you want someone to build your new custom home you may be worried about making the right choice You are going to be working with the building contractor closely and you want to job to be done just right and on time and within budgetthis is your home after all So before you start looking in the classified section of the newspaper or flipping through the yellow pages here are some tips to help you get a good building contractor The yellow pages are great for many thingschoosing a building contractor is not necessarily one of those things Most contractors who are really good dont have to advertiseespecially in the yellow pagesbecause they get all of their advertisement by wordofmouth If you would like an idea of the kinds of things that are available in your area you can look through the phone book or newspaper classifieds but this should not be your first choice for finding a building contractor So how do you find a contractor The best advice is to ask around Find people who have had similar work done and find out who they used and if it was a good experience or not Ask questions about any problems that came up and how they were resolved Did the building contractor listen to their questions and suggestions Were they on time and did they charge a fair price You can also ask a potential contractor for references from former clients A first hand account is always a great referral tool You can also go online to find a building contractor through a referral or matching service You post the type of job that you want done and the contractors who use the service can get your contact information if they pay a fee to the service It is good practice to let any building contractor who contacts you through a service to at least bid for the job
Once you have chosen at least 3 potential contractors have them come and give you a bid A good bid will not only have a dollar estimate but it will also outline what the contractor will do and what each step will cost and how long it will take There are always factors which may change when the job is actually done but this is to be expected As long as you keep asking questions and getting satisfactory answers you can feel confident
Building contractors hire qualified sub contractors who are specialized in certain skills apart from sometimes performing some of the construction activity as well Most of the leading building contractors share a good rapport with other experts in the field of construction This ends up in a winwin situation for all the parties involved with the contractors often hiring the services of a specific company for each of their projects Building contractors are responsible for the works done by the sub contractors also Building contractors are supposed to work in close tandem with other professionals like architects and engineers to successfully complete the projects One important work of building contractors is to hire the right kind of subcontractors who can enable them to finish the project as per requirements A good building contractor is the one who understands his her limitations The complexity of a project if it is beyond a contractors skills he she needs to step back and allow others to win over the bid Building contractors need to be a part of a building project right from the time of the laying of foundation to the end of the project Building contractors therefore should have an intricate knowledge of the construction industry Civil and structural engineers are therefore found to make good building contractors since they have indepth knowledge of the construction industry and the various construction processes Apart from the engineering knowledge one also needs to have good business acumen to be a successful building contractor.
A subcontractor is a person or a company hired by a general contractor to perform part of the work of a construction job. For example, a contractor might be building a house, but might hire a firm or a person specializing in electrical engineering to install the electrical systems needed in the house. Generally the subcontractor will either relieve the main contractor of part of the building work, or will be able to perform work at lower expense or at a greater skill level than the general contractor could.Often, a subcontractor, whether an individual or a business, forms relationships with several general contractors. The general contractor working with a subcontractor does not employ the subcontractor as a regular employee in most cases. Instead the subcontractor is either an independent contractor, or is a company that provides its employees with required benefits like health insurance coverage. Not having to extend benefits to a subcontractor is one way that the general contractor saves money on a job. However, if problems occur because of faulty work on the part of the subcontractor, usually the general contractor is held liable for such problems. The general contractor may attempt to seek redress with the subcontractor, or have defined terms in the contract with a subcontractor stipulating that the liability would be more evenly shared.Frequently, though, hiring a subcontractor, or several, is a way to avoid problems in construction. Specialized workers like plumbers, electricians, or people who install heating and cooling devices, often called HVAC workers, tend to have more knowledge and training in their given field. While simply building something requires training and knowledge, people who are specialists better perform certain types of work.The subcontractor and the general contractor are served well by being able to form good working relationships with each other. For the general contractor, access to a reliable subcontractor can mean finishing jobs on time and on budget. For the subcontractor, a good reputation among contractors means greater opportunities for consistent work.A subcontractor often holds licenses in his or her specialty field. He or she might hold a general license to conduct work in a state, and also hold advanced licensing. Such licensing implies a certain amount of hours practicing his or her trade and knowledge regarding state building codes.In some cases, one may also refer to a person hired for a few days of work, without a specialized field as a subcontractor. Really the more accurate term is independent contractor. The person is usually a temporary employee of the contractor, hired to finish work on time, or to temporarily replace another worker who is ill. This type of subcontractor may not have a general contractor’s license but may be hired for his or her carpentry skills.
