Searching for a commercial contractor can be an unnerving task. If you are saddled with the task of finding a contractor, your company is likely to require you to get several bids before selecting a company to work on your building, although getting a good price is important, there are a few other factors you should take into consideration when looking for a contractor.
Before you even begin your search, you should figure out what your overall goals are for the project. You should also decide on a start to finish budget for the renovations. You should figure out exactly what you need the contractor to do. You should decide if you want to provide supplies and permits or if it makes more sense for the contractor to provide those things. It is also important to figure out how long everything will take.
What kind of experience do they have?
A contractor might have a lot of experience, but they might not have the right experience for your project. The kind of improvements and repairs a commercial building require are quite different than the alterations made to a residential home.
Make sure to ask if they have ever worked on a project like yours in the past. Ask them what problems they ran into and how those problems were dealt with. Ask them how big a crew they have and how long it will take them to complete each phase of their work. Find out if they have a regular crew or if they will hire outside help. If they intend to hire outside help, ask them where they will find the workers.
Is their license up to date?
You should make sure that your contractor has an up to date license and no complaints against them. You can also find out how long the company has been in business. The contractor’s license will show if they are bonded and for how much. It should show what kind of insurance they have and whether or not they have a savings account. It will tell you if they have all of their required training and if they are allowed to bid in the state of Washington. It will also tell you if their workers have ever staged a strike.
Can they provide references?
Whenever you do business with anyone you should always ask them for direct references. It is not enough to Google the company, as online reviews can be paid for. Once you do get references, you should ask them if the contractor was always available to communicate with them and if they came in at or under budget. You should also know if there was always a supervisor on the construction site. This can be very important for legal reasons. Although a contractor is responsible for their own workers, you are responsible for your property. The more supervision workers on your property have, the better.You deserve the very best workers to make your building project a reality. Good planning and research are key for making your project go smoothly. The commercial contractor HCC you hire should be happy to answer all of your questions and understand your vision.
