Tips for Construction Company Research
Bringing in a construction company to construct your dream home or do a serious overhaul to your home with renovations can feel like a daunting task. Make no mistake that building or home renovations can be stressful and exhausting. The way to keep this at bay is to hire the right construction company for your job. The people who are the right company may vary depending on the size of job you’re doing. The best option is to stick with a professional, licensed construction company who has the experience under the belt.
Find the Right Construction Company for the Job
• Ask for recommendations. If you know someone who had work done to their home and you like the look, ask for a name. People love chatting about home renovations and it’s a great way to get to know your options. Real estate agents and the web are also fantastic resources for recommendations on finding the right construction company. If someone is willing to recommend a name, you can bet they were satisfied with the work. Finding someone who previously worked with the construction company also makes it easy to gauge how efficient the construction company worked.
• Ask about past jobs. There’s nothing wrong with asking a lot of questions when you first meet with the construction company. You should discuss your project in detail, and ask for samples of past work. Many construction companies have complete portfolios online with plenty of images of past projects. This is a smart way to see what exactly the construction company has worked with, whether it’s mostly building homes, commercial properties or doing serious renovations.
• Ask for a quote. Know what you want when going in to the consultation, so the construction company can give you a quote. Some construction companies may want to see the job site. Others may charge more if you’re working on a very tight schedule. This all depends on what the construction company is currently working on too.
• Ask how the company handles change. Change is inevitable with construction projects. Things may take longer than usual, or the construction company may discover more work has to be done for a project than originally thought. Ask how this is handled and how billing works for unexpected work. You should leave room in your budget to spend about $1,000-$2,000 above the quote for taking a house from the ground up. For other renovations, you want to have anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to play with.
• Ask how subcontractors work. Subcontractors are often brought in to work on plumbing or electrical work. Ask if the contractor will be there overseeing each project or if the subcontractors will be there on their own at times. It’s your home and you’re entitled to an answer on these questions. All contractors are highly insured, which guarantees your safety and property. If you feel there’s an issue with any subcontractor, notify the general contractor immediately.
• Ask for recommendations. If you know someone who had work done to their home and you like the look, ask for a name. People love chatting about home renovations and it’s a great way to get to know your options. Real estate agents and the web are also fantastic resources for recommendations on finding the right construction company. If someone is willing to recommend a name, you can bet they were satisfied with the work. Finding someone who previously worked with the construction company also makes it easy to gauge how efficient the construction company worked.
• Ask about past jobs. There’s nothing wrong with asking a lot of questions when you first meet with the construction company. You should discuss your project in detail, and ask for samples of past work. Many construction companies have complete portfolios online with plenty of images of past projects. This is a smart way to see what exactly the construction company has worked with, whether it’s mostly building homes, commercial properties or doing serious renovations.
• Ask for a quote. Know what you want when going in to the consultation, so the construction company can give you a quote. Some construction companies may want to see the job site. Others may charge more if you’re working on a very tight schedule. This all depends on what the construction company is currently working on too.
• Ask how the company handles change. Change is inevitable with construction projects. Things may take longer than usual, or the construction company may discover more work has to be done for a project than originally thought. Ask how this is handled and how billing works for unexpected work. You should leave room in your budget to spend about $1,000-$2,000 above the quote for taking a house from the ground up. For other renovations, you want to have anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to play with.
• Ask how subcontractors work. Subcontractors are often brought in to work on plumbing or electrical work. Ask if the contractor will be there overseeing each project or if the subcontractors will be there on their own at times. It’s your home and you’re entitled to an answer on these questions. All contractors are highly insured, which guarantees your safety and property. If you feel there’s an issue with any subcontractor, notify the general contractor immediately.
