29.02.2008
5 Easy Steps: How to select the most Reliable, Reputable, and Responsible General Contractor?
Just like people, not all general contractors are “born” equal. Many of us are nervous about selecting a right general contractor for our project. After all, a construction project is a large investment, and not only in financial sense. We also invest our energy, imagination, hopes, and expectations.
Actually, the following 5 easy steps may help you to weed out the “flukes” and select a truly qualified builder to handle your construction project.
Step 1 - Request Insurance Certificates
All Responsible and Reliable general contractors carry Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance (WC). The WC protects an employee in case of an accident. It also protects you from a financial harm in case worker’s injury on your construction site. On the other hand, Liability insurance exists in order to protect against the construction defects or disputes. A Reputable contractor will be able to give you their insurance information including the carriers and limits.
Step 2 - Verify Licensing
In the State of California, and most other states, a company cannot contract for construction without a license. The state agency in charge of such licensing is the Contractor State License Board. In California, to see whether a potential contractor is licensed, as well whether a license is in good standing, you can simply go CSLB website and type in the contractor name.
Step 3 - Obtain References
While it is unlikely that anyone would give you a list of bad references, it is important to look over the good ones. The references letter often contains information about why the author found this contractor’s service particularly valuable. By looking over the references, you may see whether a contractor can deliver a level of service that you expect.
Step 4 - Review Previous Projects
Many industries have very specific construction requirements. Contractors specializing in one industry, for example residential, may not be qualified to handle a commercial project. In addition, healthcare, hospitality, restaurants and many other projects require specific knowledge and experience in this type of projects. Looking over a list of recent project can give you an idea of the related experience that a contractor may have.
Step 5 - Conduct an Interview
People are people. We do not always like or get along with everybody. A Responsive contractor is the one that understands your point of view and appreciates your priorities. A face-to-face or phone interview will help you discover whether a contractor is the person to whom you can relate, and who can relate to you. Communication skills, personal qualities, attitudes, and many other important aspects of successful project management will become apparent during an interview.
We hope you find the above useful in your general contractor selection. Please write to us about this article. Your feedback will be very valuable to us. Check with us soon for more articles about construction.
Just like people, not all general contractors are “born” equal. Many of us are nervous about selecting a right general contractor for our project. After all, a construction project is a large investment, and not only in financial sense. We also invest our energy, imagination, hopes, and expectations.
Actually, the following 5 easy steps may help you to weed out the “flukes” and select a truly qualified builder to handle your construction project.
Step 1 - Request Insurance Certificates
All Responsible and Reliable general contractors carry Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance (WC). The WC protects an employee in case of an accident. It also protects you from a financial harm in case worker’s injury on your construction site. On the other hand, Liability insurance exists in order to protect against the construction defects or disputes. A Reputable contractor will be able to give you their insurance information including the carriers and limits.
Step 2 - Verify Licensing
In the State of California, and most other states, a company cannot contract for construction without a license. The state agency in charge of such licensing is the Contractor State License Board. In California, to see whether a potential contractor is licensed, as well whether a license is in good standing, you can simply go CSLB website and type in the contractor name.
Step 3 - Obtain References
While it is unlikely that anyone would give you a list of bad references, it is important to look over the good ones. The references letter often contains information about why the author found this contractor’s service particularly valuable. By looking over the references, you may see whether a contractor can deliver a level of service that you expect.
Step 4 - Review Previous Projects
Many industries have very specific construction requirements. Contractors specializing in one industry, for example residential, may not be qualified to handle a commercial project. In addition, healthcare, hospitality, restaurants and many other projects require specific knowledge and experience in this type of projects. Looking over a list of recent project can give you an idea of the related experience that a contractor may have.
Step 5 - Conduct an Interview
People are people. We do not always like or get along with everybody. A Responsive contractor is the one that understands your point of view and appreciates your priorities. A face-to-face or phone interview will help you discover whether a contractor is the person to whom you can relate, and who can relate to you. Communication skills, personal qualities, attitudes, and many other important aspects of successful project management will become apparent during an interview.
We hope you find the above useful in your general contractor selection. Please write to us about this article. Your feedback will be very valuable to us. Check with us soon for more articles about construction.