subject: A Few Important Tips Of Finding A Reliable General Contractor [print this page] There are several tips of finding a reliable general contractor that can help you avoid hiring a cowboy builder. The last thing that you want to do is to lock into a contract with a company or individual that will provide shoddy work, fail to pay attention to the details that are important to you, or worse, take your money and run. Making sure that your project comes together as you want it and on budget, requires you to get top quality, professional assistance, and there is much work in the screening process.
Any contractor that you even consider choosing should have a license. A reputable individual or business will typically list their license number on any print or online advertisement that they have. They know that this is the calling card of reliable and professional services. If you want to be extra diligent in your efforts to find the absolute best for your money you can always cross reference the license number with information on file with the issuing body. This will not only ensure that the license is legitimate, but that there are no major complaints against it as well.
It is important to do a little further local background checking in order to be certain that any contractor you choose is reputable an has an established history of good business in the area. You can start with the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. These organization will typically keep consumer comments and complaint on file so that others can benefit from the feedback.
Additionally, you have online resources that will enable you to garner some insight into how a particular company does this. Searching the online ratings and reviews that consumers have provided is also a stellar way to screen contractors. A company that has many good review in the local listings is more likely to provide you with the quality type of services you are looking for, than one that has received several negative reviews or no reviews at all.
Once you have narrowed down the available selection you can begin requesting quotes for the work that you want performed. In order to get accurate and consistent numbers you need to be certain to clearly define the scope of the work that you want performed and make certain that all of the quotes that you get reflect numbers related to the same scope. This will make it far easier to make an across the board price comparison.
There are several things that a reputable contractor will offer a client when it is time to create the final contract. When you have reviewed enough consumer feedback and have found a quote that you can live with, ask to see a copy of the basic contract template or an early copy of your own, so that you can be clear on what terms will be included within yours. If a company is reticent to let you review this document you may want to select a contractor that is willing to be more forthcoming with information that is contained in final documents. It is also imperative that they provide up to date copies of all of the insurance information that you will need from them before workers set foot on the property.
One thing to check for is whether or not the contract will be responsible for hauling materials off of the job site. This is definitely something that you will want put in the contract as it can be an expensive hassle to have to do the clean up. Issues surrounding bathroom facilities should also be in the terms. If the workers will be on site for several days it is important that temporary bathroom accommodations be made, and this is also something you be certain to have placed in writing.
You should also look for a firm guarantee of the work that is performed, one which clearly states your basic and reasonable expectations for work completion. This will allow for some forms of recourse should the work be unsatisfactory or incomplete. If you are planning on holding retention payments for work that is ill-performed, this is the set standard you will refer to in all related correspondence.
