Working with a General Contractor: Tips That Can Make a Difference

While some homeowners really look forward to the prospect of working with a general contractor, others dread the prospect. Regardless of which way you feel, though, chances are you're going to need to do it at least once in your lifetime of owning a home. Really, there's nothing to fear if you follow some simple steps. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about hiring and working with such a company or team. Here are some tips that can make all the difference.

Find the Right General Contractor

If you can nail this step, the rest of it will be child's play. Start by asking the people you know. If you live in a neighborly community, try talking to the people who live around you. They probably own similar houses and have been through similar projects. Since these projects can be expensive, most homeowners will take any chance they can get to talk about them, both bragging about the work and lamenting the amount of money they spent. In any event, it's a great way to find out who they hired and whether or not they would recommend them in the future. You can also use your friends and coworkers as excellent sources of information.

Regular Inspections

There's nothing wrong with taking a hands-off approach to your project. If you hire a good general contractor, you're probably just going to gum up the works by being constantly underfoot. Let them do their job without having to explain every single nail they hammer into the wall. On the other hand, it's unwise to let the entire project reach its conclusion without ever taking the time to inspect the progress. A problem should be addressed as it occurs, rather than waiting until the end. Have you ever been in the middle of a haircut when you see your stylist is about to make a mistake? Do you wait until the end of the session to complain about it or do you stop her? Speak up when you see something is going awry.

Warranties and Guarantees

One of the worst feelings in life is to pay big money for a job only to realize that you're going to have to pay again to have it done right six months down the line. This is why it pays to make sure your general contractor stands behind his work. Get solid guarantees and warranties in writing so that you don't wind up paying to fix their shoddy work.