HANDY TIPS TO HELP YOU HIRE THE RIGHT GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
Making the decision to have work done on your home is a big undertaking. You have thought long and hard about what you want to do and how to pay for it. Home improvements will raise the value of your home, but hiring the wrong general contractor could turn your dreams into one long nightmare.
You can find the perfect general contractor by following a few simple steps and doing your homework. Do not hire the first general contractor you come across, even if a long time friend swears they are perfect. Always evaluate the contractor carefully, especially as you may have very different standards to your friend.
Check their State License to verify how long the contractor has been in business and licensed as a contractor: Go To; www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp you can search by name or license #. Some companies have "qualifiers" to license their company, meaning that the owner of the company is not even licensed at all, this could be a red flag should something go wrong with your project, because the actual license holder is responsible for the work performed not the company owner. This will give you a sounding board as to how long the contractor has been doing business, the longer the track record, the more secure you will be, especially when there is "warranty work" that comes up after your project is completed. Ford Builders gives a "2-Year Warranty" on all workmanship, most contractors only warranty their work for the 1-Year required by the State
Ask Your Acquaintances: That being said, go ahead and ask your friends for their recommendations! It is always a good place to start. Someone with first-hand experience will be able to tell you details like is the contractor timely, neat, thorough, and easy to work with. You can also see their work first hand in your acquaintance's own home.
Get a Recommendation: There are a number of online services that specialize in matching consumers with qualified general contractors in their local area. In order to be considered by these companies for inclusion in their directories, a general contractor must meet a number of quality and licensing standards, saving you a lot of time on detective work.
Check Out Their Website: This will not tell you how good their work is or if they will show up on time, but it will tell you how seriously they take their business. Any business worth its salt, large or small, has a website these days. Read through it and get a feel for what they believe is important. A good general contractor will often have pictures of their previous projects posted as well.
Narrow the Field: Create a list of the top three general contractors that have made a good impression on you so far. The next steps are to meet them face to face, get an estimate, check their credentials, and call their references.
Can You Work with This Contractor? HIRING A CONTRACTOR, IS A RELATIONSHIP, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH HIM OR HER, Have you met the Project Manager or Superintendent that will be present daily on your job-site? When you are meeting face to face with a general contractor you are considering hiring, ask yourself if you feel like he understands what you are looking for. Do you understand their answers to your questions? Do you have a good rapport with them or have the warm fuzzy feeling when meeting with them? Have they been returning your phone calls or emails promptly? These things will be very important down the road if you choose them to work on your remodeling project.
Check References: Do actually check their references! Do not assume that just because they gave you three names on a piece of paper, that they are good references. Go ahead and actually call them. There is no need to be shy, most people will be happy to share this information, good or bad! A reputable general contractor will also belong to a professional or community organization, such as the Better Business Bureau or member of the local building association, like NEFBA.
Hire Your General Contractor: Once you have chosen your preferred contractor proceed, but with caution. Home remodeling projects are very rarely completed without any problems at all, so be as flexible as possible without sacrificing quality. Above all, make sure you have a signed contract with the general contractor you eventually choose to hire that covers all contingencies. If it is a large project, you might want to have a lawyer take a quick look at it to make sure you
are well protected should something go awry. It can be worth the extra money.