Interviewing for the Right Contractor
Not everyone with a construction website is a reliable contractor. While it can be simple to put up a website, the quality of work they perform may not be up to par. It's important to do your due diligence and vet them before moving forward.
A must? Ensure the contractor is registered with the city and has liability insurance. From there, a handful of important details can ensure you're hiring the right person for your project. Our team has listed a few of these below to guide you in your search.
Here are 5 things to keep in mind when interviewing contractors
1. Communication Skills
This starts before you even begin interviewing your contractor, at the initial outreach. You know those crickets you hear when you send an email with no reply for days? Yeah, that's no fun. Pay close attention to a contractor's level of attentiveness and timeliness in replies. Think of your first interactions as an example of what it will be like once the project starts. You shouldn't feel confused or left out to dry. It’s completely reasonable to expect and confirm that you’ll have regular touchpoints throughout the duration of the project. If they don't keep you updated in the beginning, you won't be on the same page throughout.
2. Personality of the company
Projects can last anywhere from a couple of months to over a year. During that time, your contractor and their team will be in contact with you time and again. It’s our opinion that you should not only trust them to do a great job, but also enjoy them. With that in mind, we highly recommend asking a few questions to better understand their personality. This of course walks in lock step with our first highlighted item - communication skills. Find someone who matches your expectations and will mesh well with your personality. This will help the process go significantly smoother and help you avoid unnecessary stress on top of the already difficult experience of being out of your home.
3. Specific Experience
It’s not just crucial to make sure they have experience in construction, but specifically in projects similar to yours. Someone with years of experience remodeling bathrooms may not be your best bet for remodeling the kitchen. We have no doubt they’re great at what they do! But each kind of job has its quirks and nuances, and not every contractor will be suited to your needs. There are plenty of contractors out there and it's worth waiting until you find one with the precise expertise you need.
4. Trade Partners
It’s completely normal for a contractor to bring in trade partners for each project. You want to ensure that the contractor knows their subcontractors well and has either worked with them before or understands how to determine their quality.
You’ll want to verify that your prospective contractor has work experience with who they hire. It’s fair to expect consistency in the people who are entering your home. Having a revolving door of new subcontractors every day is a potential security issue. That’s why at Fine Point Homes, we always work with vetted, licensed professionals we know and trust. Even if it’s just for your own peace of mind, confirm with them exactly who they plan on bringing in and when.
A good contractor knows who to trust and how to work with them to get the best result for you.
5. Job safety and cleanliness
The most important item to remember here is that the “jobsite” is your home.
The biggest thing to remember is that this is construction and that it is a handcrafted process, which can come with messes, however it is important to know how your home will be protected from these messes and how they will be minimized.
Ask the contractor what their process is for keeping your home clean and safe. Contractors who take unnecessary risks often take risks elsewhere too. You should be looking for key works like quarantine, temporary walls, air scrubbers, vacuums, and how they handle trash on site. A clean jobsite is a safe job site. You want the team you work with to love your home just as much as you do.
The more you find out about the contractor the better. Going in without enough information is a good way to get blindsided by poor work. If you look out for everything listed in this article, you’ll be in great shape to vet your new construction crew.
Remember, trust your gut. If something seems off, don’t feel bad moving on to a new contractor. Remodeling your home is a big deal and it involves strangers in your personal space for extended periods of time. It’s worth the time investment to make sure they’re the right team for the job!
Fine Point Homes believes in cutting through the confusion around your perfect home - whether that’s buying new or upgrading your existing house. We simplify the process and stay in touch during every aspect so that you always know what comes next.
If you’re interested in setting up an interview with our Construction team, contact us here.