Whether you’re having minor remodelling work carried out on your home, or the entire property is being renovated, your general contractor is the key to the project’s success. As such, it’s important that you keep a few things in mind and carry out a few checks before signing any contracts:
Licensed and insured?
Ask for visual proof of your chosen general contractors licenses and insurance certificates.
Make sure they provide you with references
You’ll need to check the references of at least 3 former clients if possible, and to ensure that you’re being given bona fide references, ask if you can see the signed contracts related to each person and project as well as contacting them yourself.
It’s important also to check for any complaints against the contractor from local authorities and building regulators, and if they’re a member, check with the Better Business Bureau, too.
Have you been given a detailed contract complete with warranties?
Your chosen contractor should provide you with a detailed written proposal of all work to be completed on your project, and it should be as accurate as possible, including materials to be used, total project costs, timings and payment schedules etc. Don’t sign a contract that isn’t detailed enough, or if you’re unsure, have someone with a knowledge of contracts look it over for you.
Check whether the contract also provides any warranties for work that is about to be carried out. All work should be guaranteed for a period of one year from completion date, and this clause should also be included in the contract.
Find out who will manage and supervise the project
It’s essential that you find out from the outset, who will be managing and supervising the project, and do note that it’s your responsibility to check their qualifications, experience and licensing.
The construction manager and/or supervisor has the power to make your home renovation project a success or a failure, and no matter what excuses they may give you for poor workmanship or missing a deadline, all work carried out is ultimately their responsibility. If they aren’t prepared to take responsibility for poor performance or low productivity, for example, they aren’t right for your project.
Sit down with your contractor and have a detailed discussion about who will take responsibility for every aspect of the project, and what action will be taken should something go awry at any stage, for any reason.
Does the contractor have enough experience?
While it’s recommended that you find a general contractor with at least a decade’s worth of experience in renovating and remodeling, that isn’t always possible. So, if a contractor doesn’t have years of experience under their belt, the very least you should do is ask how many projects similar to your own, they have successfully completed, and this should always be backed up by pictures of completed projects and where possible, details of the former clients so that you can view the work in person.
How well can you communicate with the general contractor?
It’s all well and good having an experienced general contractor, but what happens if you don’t feel at ease talking to them about your project? Or if they aren’t responsive when you ask for more information about certain aspects of the work to be carried out? You will be investing a lot of time and money into the project and your general contractor, so it’s vital that you be able to communicate with them well if the project is to turn out how you want it to.
To conclude, you may have many expectations and demands of your chosen general contractor, but provided they are reasonable given the confines of the project, they should be able to meet them all without hesitation.