Selecting a Contractor: Final Steps
So you’ve made a short list of contractors from friends, local signs, the Internet and other referrals. You’ve vetted those companies online by looking at their websites and checking their credentials with state licensing offices and other agencies. Then you’ve interviewed three or four of the best to see how they work and how much you like them in person. The final step is to see them in action in the real world.
Job site visit. You can visit a job in progress or one that is complete, and ideally, it would be great to see both. At a job in progress you can observe general site cleanliness and get a sense of the size of project the contractor currently has under way. You can see how effective site protection is, what kind of rules are in place (is the music blaring, are there workers smoking) and get a sense of the pride the contractor takes in keeping the home clean, orderly and free of debris. Having said that, a jobsite is unlikely to be tidy in the middle of the day… there are people work there, after all. Folks like electricians and plumbers are drilling holes through studs and joists, and picking up as you go tends to not be the most cost-effective way to clean up.
It’s also valuable to visit a job site, particularly for clients who have never remodeled, to get a sense of how their house is likely to look during construction.
It can be helpful to see a completed project and a bonus if the homeowners are around to talk with you in person about working with their contractor. You can get a good sense of the quality of materials the contractor works with, and how well they complete the small details of the project.
Calling references You may be able to ask questions in person or may have to call, but asking previous clients about their experiences will go a long way toward understanding how the contractor is likely to perform during construction. Ask about how well they stayed on schedule, and why they went off schedule if it happened (could be alot of change orders, poor weather, or something else entirely. Ask how close they stayed to budget, and again, why or why not. Ask how thorough and timely their paperwork is, and how quickly they respond to questions and concerns. Ask about the biggest problem that needed to be solved during construction, and how the contractor not only problem-solved but kept the clients in the loop. Don’t worry about asking nosy questions—that’s why you’re calling!
Visit their office Finally, visit their place of business. If the contractor is working out of a truck or a spare bedroom, you need to know that. With a large project, a lack of office staff may be a red flag. You want to know who is taking care of business-related tasks and who you will call if you have questions about invoices or anything else.
Looking around the office will tell you a lot about how business is done, how organized it is, and how productive the staff is. If they can’t put together a functional office, how on earth can they put together your home?
In the end, though, your choice will be based on what is most important to you, whether it’s quality of work, price, warranty, comfort level or something else entirely. Happy interviewing!