How to Hire a General Contractor

General Contractor by definition is an entity that performs a contract all by itself, or through the use of Subcontractors (example; Plumber, Electrician, painter, Framers, roofers, and so on) whose activities it supervises and coordinates to complete the contract.

Usually a home owner would contract a General Contractor to complete a project that has multiple scopes of specialty work (Subcontractors) needed to complete a project. In doing this the home owner would deal directly with the General Contractor and not have to manage the subcontractors.

Generally speaking most homeowners would hire a General contractor to handle jobs requiring multiple tradesmen to complete the scope of work and would otherwise hire tradesmen directly if the project had a small scope of work where say only one or two different tradesmen were needed.

A good rule of thumb would be if your project requires more than two or three different specialty contractors, your best interests would be served by hiring a general contractor who has the resources to complete the project at hand. Many homeowners do not fully understand the process and scheduling of individual trades and would benefit greatly from a Professional Contractors experience.

7 Steps in finding and Hiring the right General Contractor

1. Talk to family and friends who have hired general contractors to complete work for them, their experiences and referrals could save you considerable time and energy in finding a contractor who will fit your needs. other resources for locating quality contractors is through Trade Associations, Architects, Lumber Suppliers, On-line Directories, Local Phone Books, The Better Business Bureau, and local Home Shows.

2. After you have located several potential contractors, check their credentials via the local licensing authorities in your state. Most states have online databases with the status of a contractor’s license or registration. Make sure the contractors have a current insurance policy to cover the type of work they are performing and that any subcontractors they will be using are licensed and insured in their respective trades.

3. Now that you have a list of potential contractors you should ask each of them for a list of references. This list should include past customers who have had similar work done to their homes. Make sure you call these references and ask the owners what they liked and what they disliked about the contractor they each used, this will help you in your final decision later. Also ask the past customers some of these questions.

Was the quality of work what they expected?
Was the project completed in a timely manner or as promised?
Where their employees and subcontractors respectful of you and your home?
Is there anything they would have done different?
Would they hire the contractor again?

4. After you have completed step one through three above you should be able to narrow your list of potential contractors down to say, two to four contractors. These are the contractors from which you will solicit bids from. Make sure each of these bidders is pricing the job according to your plans and specifications, if they are not using the same materials and different scopes of work you will not be able to compare the costs. Remember a low bid could cost you more money in the long rung if that contractor priced the job with inferior products. Do it right the first time and use the best products you can afford.

5. Once you have all the bids in hand the process of elimination begins, go over each bid carefully and make sure you are getting the job you specified. Each bid should spell out the work to be done and the materials to be used. If there is subcontractors the contractor will be using it should also spell out the subs duties and the materials they will be supplying. Make sure the bid also spells out any materials you may be responsible for that are not included in the bid price.

6. By now you should have a contractor chosen for your project. Its time to draw up a contract and get your materials ordered. Most states have requirements for construction contracts, and spell out the rights of the consumer and the responsibilities of the contractor, familiarize yourself with what your state requires of its contractors. Generally speaking all contracts should have the following criteria met.

A good description of the scope of work
Specifications of materials to be used and any special items that may need to be ordered
A time line for your project, estimated start time and an estimated completion date
A total cost for the specified project
A detailed payment schedule
Any details you may have discussed pertinent to completing your project
Who is responsible for any construction debris and how it will be removed

Remember a good contract protects both you and the contractor. Ask your contractor about guarantees and warranty programs, many states have these programs in effect (check with your local state). Smaller projects costing less than a thousand dollars can usually be written up with an informal letter as opposed to a full formal contract (again check your local state laws the dollar amount will vary). Be curious to any contractor who asks for a deposit of more than thirty percent (unless you are ordering and paying for special order materials make sure it is in writing).

7. Licensed Contractors know the codes and laws by which they are governed, make sure your contractor and their subcontractors pull any necessary permits. If you hire an unlicensed contractor or you pull the permits you will be accepting the full responsibility of the project and will loose your consumer rights in most states, make sure you have the contractor pull the permits, then the project will be their responsibility.

Follow these guidelines and use your best judgment (if something does not seem right question it, if you are still uneasy with it walk away) use common sense and educate yourself a little and you will find your project will run smooth and the contractor you choose will surely be a Pro.