The consequences of your choice of contractor will directly reflect in project outcome. Hence, when hiring a building contractor, you need a professional who is experienced, suitably qualified and ethically oriented. The wrong contractor will most likely, frustrate your plans, delay your project, cost you more than budgeted and may eventually deviate the project from its original plan. Therefore, the need to get it right at once. There are obviously many factors that set aside an ideal contractor from a ‘not-so-ideal’ contractor, or, an expert from an amateur. Below is carefully highlighted 5 basic factors you should consider when seeking for an ideal building contractor.
- Experience in Relevant Construction
Obviously, many contractors vying for your project will claim to have good amount of experience in construction. Hence, the first criteria to employ in selecting and eliminating the ideal contractor from the unideal, is by perusing through their level of experience in relevant construction fields, in line with your project. For instance, a contractor with many years of experience in private building construction may not be considered for a commercial road project, unless he presents documents proving corresponding experience in road construction. Certainly, future project success can be predicated on past relevant successes.
- Subcontractors and Project Team
Usually, General contractors work with diverse subcontractors and varying project team members. Hence, it becomes imperative not just to be interested in the competence of your main contractor but also the partnering subcontractors. To hire the best contractor, you should inquire about the resumes of your project potential subcontractors and team leaders who are going to be running the project on a day-to-day basis. You should certify that these individuals have comparative experiences.
- Referrals, References, Reviews, and Testimonials
The integrity, ethical conduct, communication skills and other innate professional features of a potential contractor may not be ascertained by perusing through your contractor’s resume. However, when you read through different reviews from past clients, you are able to judge how well those clients have testified to your potential contractors’ professionalism. Similarly, your trustworthy allies, colleagues, friends or relatives may have equally done similar construction before – their referrals and testimonials would be invaluable to picking an ideal project contractor.
- Schedules and Budgetary Compliance
The importance of time and money to the success of every project is undeniable. Consequently, you will need to hire a contractor that both work well within stipulated schedules and time frames, as well as having a good respect for budgetary provisions. When budget is concern, it is not about settling for the cheapest or most expensive forecasting contractor or quotation, but an advocacy to hire a contractor who can suggest the best alternative that neither radically deviate your project plan nor defeat your budget provisions.
- Bonding, Licensing, and Insurance
The last, but obviously, not the least concern is bonding, licensing and insurance. Your ideal contractor should be fully bonded, locally licensed and having complete insurance cover that anticipates and mitigates all potential construction accidents. A bonded contractor has been insured against financial loss as a result of construction failure, hence, the completion of your project is guaranteed. A licensed contractor similarly carries government acknowledgement and approval of his professionalism, while an Insured contractor do not only safeguard against accident but likewise protects you the project owner from possible liabilities claim in the case of accidents that occur on your project site.
