Choosing A Home Construction Or Remodeling Contractor
By George Stevens, Fri Dec 9th
Choosing the right Contractor is the most important aspect ofany home construction project. You must take your time and doyour research to find a good qualified contractor if you wantexcellent quality at a fair price. When we built our new home wespent many hours finding the best contractors for each aspect ofbuilding our new home. We developed a method that served us welland it is as follows:
Determine exactly what you want done and write it down. This maysound a little basic at first blush, but it is so important.Remember what is not well defined is easily manipulated. If itis not in writing, it can be disputed. You do two things whenyou define your project in detail, and in writing. You find anymissing aspects that you may have overlooked and you have gooddefinition and expectations for your contractor.
Get three (3) bids for each trade that you will hire. Never relyon one bid, and always meet the contractor face to face at thesite where the work is to be done. If you are uncomfortable withthe contractor when they are bidding the job how is it going tobe when the two of you have to work out the details of yourproject. Remember cheaper is not always better!
Ask each contractor for references and make sure they are bondedand insured. Check their references and call the BBB (BetterBusiness Bureau) in your area to see if they have anyoutstanding complaints.
Make sure they don’t sub the work out to a contractor that isnot insured or bonded. It is very common for a contract companyto sub out work to contractors that are not insured and bonded.Another danger of the contractor subbing work out is if theydon’t pay their sub, the sub can put a mechanics lien on yourhouse and you will have to pay even if you have already paid thecontractor.
Set a definite timeframe for the work to begin and forcompletion and get it in writing. Nothing is worse than to havea project drag on not knowing when they are going to show up andfinish.
Never, ever pay for the entire project in advance. If you do thecontractor has no incentive to finish or even start. When you nolonger have the money you are no longer in control! It iscustomary with most contractors that you pay a portion up front.On a large project hold back as much money as you can until theend. The incentive to finish must be motivated by the cash atthe end of the project.
For more information on finding and qualifying contractors visitwww.Build-YourOwn-Home.com
About the author:George Stevens is the popular author of the Website www.Build-YourOwn-Home.com teaching you how to build your own home.
