What Makes A Good Construction Contractor?

When you are starting a building or renovation project, you want to make sure you have teamed up with a great contractor who will help you achieve your goal and vision. There are specific qualities you can look for in a contractor during your research phase. Let’s look at each of these qualities so you can be better prepared to pick the best company for your job. 

All Contractors Are Not Created Equal 

You should understand that choosing a building contractor is not always as simple as just picking the company offering the lowest price. Work done on your home or business will affect the value of that home or business for years to come. A contractor can add to or take away value. This means that the choice you make in a contractor is a vital part of the investment you are making into the property. It can affect you for years to come positively or negatively. 

Contractors are not heavily regulated by most cities or states. This means that it is up to you the customer to do your research to make sure you are dealing with a reputable contractor. Contractors are often independent individuals who do not necessarily answer to a bigger company for their conduct or results. The burden of doing research is on you. 

Vision 

You want to pick a contractor who can see the same vision you have for your project. Beware of contractors who are constantly contradicting your ideas or desires for the project. In the end, it is your project. You can often tell during initial interviews if you and a contractor will be able to cooperate together on the vision you have for the project. 

Even if the contractor makes suggestions different from your initial vision, the suggestions should only be to make the work more efficient or seamless, not to make the job easier for the contractor. 

Good Communication Skills 

A good contractor will have great communication skills. When communication falls apart on a building project the consequences can be expensive. The burden of communication should not always fall on you. Be on the lookout for good communication skills. 

Flexibility 

Another quality of a good contractor will be their willingness to be flexible. During the course of a building project, challenges are bound to pop up. A good contractor will be flexible and optimistic when this happens. If your contractor views every challenge as an opportunity to slack off, complain or charge you more money you might not be dealing with your best option. 

How To Find A Great Contractor

The best way to locate a great local contractor will be to start by talking to friends and family. Who have they used for their building projects? Were they happy with the work? Were they treated fairly? Were they happy with the price they paid? These are important questions to ask. 

Beyond this, you can also investigate companies with the Better Business Bureau. Here you can look into complaints that may have been filed against a company or even litigations that were served against them. The Better Business Bureau is a great resource for consumers to ensure they are getting the best services possible in their community. 

Give yourself plenty of time to interview several contractors before making your choice. During these interviews, you will be able to evaluate some of the traits listed above. Most people conduct their contractor interviews during a scheduled estimation. You may want to consider during this interview/estimation to drop the names of other contractors you are considering. This can sometimes motivate contractors to make sure their estimates are competitive.