Spring is approaching, so what does that mean? That means that lots of people are getting that “itch” to do something different to their home. Some people need a complete change in scenery and decide to sell their home and build a new one, while others decide to have some major renovations done. Whether you choose to build or renovate, it’s not going to be a cheap thrill, so if you’re going to invest in your home with major construction work, you need to make sure you hire the right construction contractor.
Why is choosing the right construction contractor so important? Well, depending on the type of work you’re going to have done, it’s going to get expensive. The other reason is that you want to make sure your home is safe to live in. Just imagine waking up one morning and going into the kitchen to find that your roof has fallen in or to incur an injury due to your stairs being poorly installed… Finding the right contractor and asking the right contractor is going to be the difference in living in a safe home and a home where an accident is waiting to happen.
With spring being right around the corner and your excitement level rising, it might be hard to contain yourself but before you hire your construction contractor, take time out to take some factors into consideration first.
Before You Hire…
#1. Keep Your Options Open: Get Multiple Estimates
Before you invest your hard-earned money into a contractor, you want to get estimates from multiple contractors to see which one is going to give you the best price for the work you’re having done. Each contractor you speak with, you, of course, want to write down the price they’re offering but it’s also important to ask them what type of deadline they have for the work you need to be done and the building materials they’re going to be using… this will help you determine which contractor to go with.
#2. Check Their Experience: Ask to See Previous Work
In choosing the right contractor to work on your home, you want to look at their experience to not only let you know that they know what they’re doing but to also put your mind at ease in knowing that they’re going to provide you with great workmanship. Ask each contractor how long they’ve been in business, if you can contact any previous clients, and how many projects they complete per month. If the number of projects per month are too many, they could be sacrificing the quality of their work for speed.
#3. Ensure Protection: Make Sure the Contractor is Bonded and Insured
During your process of checking out multiple contractors, there are three words you should be looking for: certificate of insurance. Making sure a contractor has this is extremely important because it shows proof that a contractor has purchased an insurance policy, so if anything happens or if any type of damage occurs, there shouldn’t be any issues in coverage.
You also want to make sure the contractor you choose is bonded. As a potential paying client, you have every right to ask if a contractor is bonded. Construction contractors often look for surety bond companies as added coverage in addition to the business insurance they already have. By asking if they’re bonded, that’s going to let the contractor know that you’re not someone they can get over on as well as it lets them know that you’re shopping around.
#4. Plan For the Worst: Delays Should Be Expected
When it comes to any type of construction project, especially outdoor projects, you should have it in your mind that a delay or slow down can happen at any given moment. You also want to be realistic with yourself with a company’s estimate of completion. If a contractor tells you that they can have your projects completed in six to eight weeks, you want to add a week or two to that just in case there are some unexpected delays.
According to theconstructor.org, weather plays a major role in project delays but it’s also a factor that a contractor doesn’t have any control over. It’s okay to discuss this with contractors too… Depending on where you live, maybe your area gets a lot of rain or tornado threats… You don’t want to put your life or a construction team’s life in danger for renovations so just know that delays are to be expected and when they don’t happen, it’s just a pleasant surprise.
#5. Enjoy Your Home Sweet Home
As you can see, there are several different factors to take into consideration when hiring a contractor. From checking their experience to making sure they’re insured, you have to make sure all of those things check out first before you can get to the fun part of giving your home a new look.
So before you get to excite and hire the first contractor you see, take time out to make sure you’re hiring the right contractor to ensure you’re the quality workmanship for the price you can afford.
