General Contractor – How to Choose the Right One

Whether adding on your current house, building a brand new one or just beginning a home improvement task, it is so important to choose the right person to be the general contractor for the project. As the overseer of every different part of the work, you need to have an open working relationship and be able to easily communicate with each other. Making the right decision here can lead to less stress and worry throughout the course of the build.

Research

Begin your search for a local general contractor. Most people want to find a person who is licensed in his particular field and has some type of insurance in case of an accident or problem with the work. This protects you, the homeowner in the event that some unforeseen problem arises.

Ask friends and family if they know of anyone in this industry that has done good work. Typically, if people are satisfied with the job someone has done on their home, they will be glad to share the contact information with other people. This type of “word of mouth” advertising adds credibility and gives you a good idea of what type of person you are hiring.

Set Up A Meeting

Call each potential person that you are interested in as a general contractor for your project and make an appointment to meet with them about all of the details and costs. While you can speak on the phone about these kinds of things, sometimes it helps to sit down face to face and discuss the plans. During this meeting, ask about cost of his services, experience on this specific type of projects and any problems that he may see before the work begins.

Also, don't be afraid to conduct the meeting like a job interview, asking for references as well as specific examples of jobs done in the past. This is an interview to find the right person for the job in your home and you want to choose the best candidate. An already established company may already have this information available on their website or advertisements.

Compare the Candidates

After speaking to several potential general contractors, sort out which one will work best for you. You can look at the cost estimate that each provided to give you an idea of which will be affordable. However, you don't want that to be the only factor you consider when making this choice. Did any of them come highly recommended? Is one of them an expert on your type of renovation or building project? Was there one person that was easier to communicate with during the meeting? Look at each part of their resume and interview and decide which general contractor will be the best person for the job.

When you have decided, be sure to call each person back to let them know about your decision. Then, move on to the next step of your plan and begin to get everything ready for the project to begin.