The Complete Guide to Finding the Right Contractor
Need a contractor for your project? Look no further than this guide. We’re sharing everything you need to know to find the perfect match for your needs.
Are you starting a major construction project? Are you thinking about finally building your dream home?
You first major step in starting your project should be looking into talented contractors.
While it may be appealing to do it all yourself, contractors have the know-how to make sure your project goes as smoothly as possible.
However, not all contractors are created equal. For you convenience, we created a handy how-to guide to help you find the right contractor for your needs.
First, let’s start with defining exactly what a contractor is and what they do.
What Exactly Is A Contractor?
A contractor, by definition, is a person or organization that undertakes a contract in order to provide materials, labor, and services to a specific job.
If you’re building your dream home, you’re going to be looking for a general contractor to take on the responsibility of oversight of the construction site.
A contractor will also manage vendors and trades as well as communication of the necessary information related to your building project.
Building a house is a tough business that will require knowledge of architecture, codes, laws, and regulations.
The average person who is not a professional contractor simply cannot do it all properly– so you should trust a pro to take over your project.
Finding The Right Contractor
These steps will help you find the right contractor for you.
Connections
Find contractor candidates through a trusted contractor referral network like Contractor Connection.
Get as many names as possible to make your pool of options wide.
Understand what a good contractor actually is
The best contractor will have the technical skills, management ability, and interpersonal power to make your project run smoothly.
Understand what makes a bad contractor
Just because you can fix a tire doesn’t mean you should run your own mechanic shop– poor contractors will have a shady history of unhappy customers.
If your interview is late, doesn’t answer their phone, or seems generally unprofessional, don’t consider them for your project.
Understand what you want
Are you remodeling your home or building from the ground up?
Search for contractors that have expertise in your specific project’s niche.
Make a list
Write down a clear concise list of qualities you are looking for in a contractor to prepare for your interviews.
Interview candidates
Begin the interview process and ask each candidate questions that you wrote down.
This will give you a way to check into your candidates’ performance, quality, and whether or not they are a good match for your specific project.
Trust your instincts
If your candidate seems wishy-washy about their references or the history of their company, they may be a dud.
Ask for references
A decent contractor will have references of past customers that were satisfied with their job performance.
Call these references up and ask them what they thought of the experience.
Make your choice
If you pool enough candidates and conduct enough interviews, you will surely find the right contractor for your project.
Start Your Project!
Now that you have the tools to find the best of the best contractor, you can get your project started.
Do you have a tip for finding a great contractor? We’d love to hear it.