David A. Markham

Selecting your Contractor

Very few things in life are more stressful than home construction or remodeling.  Everyone has heard contractor horror stories – delays, poor workmanship, unexplained costs.  Unfortunately, there is no “homeowners bill-of-rights” when it comes to contractors.  Therefore, consumers have to trust their friends and trust their gut when it comes to choosing a builder.

Many people have buyer’s remorse after it is too late to stop a project.  So what are the appropriate questions you should ask a potential contractor?  How do you perform due-diligence to ensure that the people that will be in your home and in your face for the next several months are a good fit for your project and your life?

Here are a few suggestions you may want to follow before you begin the building adventure of a lifetime:

Have the contractor on-board early in the process:

All facets of a complex project tend to become even more involved once construction begins. Get your contractor assigned to the team early enough so they become an integral part of the process, and to reduce the number of surprises after construction begins.  Budgeting at various stages of preconstruction with common-sense building strategies can assure that you are getting what you want without compromising later.

How do I research and select the contractor that is right for my project?

Finding a contractor is preliminary to selecting a contractor but an important step in the process. Assembling that list of contractors to discuss a potential union requires some research. Investigate sites on-line such as Yelp or Angie’s List, call on friends or neighbors that have done recent building and consult with your design team on possible contractors. All the while, focus on referrals that have done projects of similar size and complexity. The style of the home is of less consequence than difficulty and quality level.

Look for the continuation of this article next week…

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