Tips to hire a contractor
Renovating your home can be a very fun experience or your worst nightmare. Depending on your preferences, you can just renovate one room or your entire home. You will be able to easily handle this as long as you are making small changes to the home design like updating a few fixtures, appliances or surfaces. However, if it involves complicated upgrades that require new construction, you will have to hire a contractor. Since they are experts, they will not only take care of the project but also manage the necessary documentation, permits, and inspection. Moreover, a good contractor will help you to reduce your expenses as well. You just have to ensure that you find a reputable contractor who will perform the task correctly and efficiently. If you have never hired a contractor before for new construction, this might be a challenge for you. Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you to hire the right contractor:
Ask people for recommendations
Asking people for recommendations is the first step. You can contact your family members or friends who recently hired a contractor for new construction projects. They can provide you with the contact information. Moreover, you can check the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. You can find a list of people located in your area from there. Speaking to a building inspector can benefit you as well. He or she can provide you with the contact information of good contractors who follow all the protocols. Another option could be visiting your nearby lumberyard. Since contractors visit lumber yards frequently, you can get information about reputable contractors who buy quality materials.
Call the contractors
Once you have a list of contractors, calling them and asking them a few basic questions can help you to shortlist a few names who may be the best match for your project. Here is a list of questions you should ask a contractor when you call:
- How frequently do they handle new construction projects of your size?
- Can they provide references of previous clients with similar requirements?
- How many projects are they handling simultaneously?
- How many years of experience do they have in handling new construction projects?
- Do they have all the necessary licences?
- Will they apply for permits or will it be something you have to handle
Do not shy away from asking as many questions as needed. Their answers will help you to determine if the contractor is reliable or not.
Meet the shortlisted contractors in person
A conversation over the phone is not sufficient to hire the contractor. You must meet the shortlisted contractors in person before hiring. Shortlist two or three contractors based on your conversation over the phone. You should ask all the questions you have in your mind during this meeting. A good contractor should be able to provide you with satisfactory answers for all of your concerns. However, never let anyone’s personality fool you. It is recommended to check with your local Better Business Bureau and the state’s consumer protection agency before hiring a contractor. If you find negative reviews about a contractor, you might want to do further research to find out if you should avoid that contractor.
Cross-check the information provided
As mentioned earlier, you must never blindly believe the contractors. Just like you should check with your local Better Business Bureau and the state’s consumer protection agency, you should check with the previous clients as well. You can either talk to the former clients over a call or set up a meeting to discuss all the details. Besides the quality of work, you must also ask if they followed all deadlines. Many contractors fail to meet deadlines for which the clients have to go through a lot of inconveniences. Try to make some free time to visit one of their current working sites. This will give you a fair understanding of how the contractor works.
Determine your requirements and get bids
Once you have completed the background research, you will have to shift your focus from the past to the future. You will determine your requirements and share the details with the contractors. Your contractor will require a clear understanding of your needs so that they can make the quote. Ask them to share all the details about the finances separately including the price of the raw materials, labor cost, profit margin, etc. In most cases, raw materials do not cost more than 40 percent of the total new construction cost.
Set a payment schedule
Setting a payment schedule will help you to choose the right contractor for your new construction project. It can help you get a clear idea about the contractor’s financial condition. For instance, if your contractor asks for a 50 percent deposit, there is a chance that the contractor is facing financial problems. You may want to avoid a contractor who is facing financial issues. Moreover, it could be a sign that the contractor is worried that you might not pay after the project is finished. If you feel that the contractor is having trust issues, you should consider hiring a different contractor.
Do not make your decision solely based on the price
When asking for ‘price quotes’, you can come across great deals. However, some of the deals may sound too good to be true. In such a case, there is a very high possibility that the deal is indeed too good to be true. To secure more clients, some contractors share a very low rate to beat the other competitors. However, they still maintain the same profit margin by offering poor-quality materials and work. You must never compromise on quality when upgrading your home design. Therefore, you should never make your decision solely based on the price. These points will help you to hire the perfect contractor for your new construction project.
If you are in the market for a reconstruction project look no further give a call to MBC Capital General Contractors. We have over 20 years of experience and excellent reviews to back our work.
MBC Capital General Contractors take pride in always delivering quality work, good references and bring their experience to work. As a community-minded business that takes every project seriously, each crew member is committed to helping get each project done correctly. As a result, clients can always trust them in their commercial property restoration needs. Now that you know why you should choose MBC Capital General Contractors as your new construction contractor in Panama City, FL . Schedule an estimate today.