There are a lot of do’s & don’ts when it comes to finding a quality contractor or builder for your house. I will touch on some of them briefly but will provide more information in future blogs. What you need to know from the very beginning is that not all contractors/builders perform all the work involved in home construction with their own crews. Today’s contractors have the option of hiring specialty subcontractors to perform much of the carpentry work such as the framing, shingling, and trim work. In choosing your contractor/builder you need to know how much of the work is performed by his crew and what is performed by the subcontractors.
You need to determine early in this process whether you are going to be a passive or active homeowner in the construction process. As a passive homeowner you will be looking for a contractor/builder that will take care of everything from the design to the finished product with little or no involvement from you. You will tell the contractor this is what I want and call me when I can move in.
The active homeowner will be involved with everything from helping with the design and decorating decisions, to how it sits on the lot, to reviewing the bids from all of the subcontractors, to visiting the job site regularly, to asking questions, to making changes, and to reviewing the pay requests…just to name a few!
Finding a qualified contractor or builder can start by looking in the yellow pages of your telephone book, referrals from friends, or contacting a local Home Builders Association. Each of these methods have their advantages and disadvantages which can be discussed in further detail later, but the important thing to do is to create a contractors list (minimum of three) and research them thoroughly. Meet with the contractor at his office as this tells you something about his business… and does he have an office? Get references on completed projects, visit both projects in progress and completed homes if possible, and check with building/inspection departments for information on their quality of work and response to correction notices.
The size of your new house can determine the contractor you choose. As the owner, you’re responsible for the construction loan and time is money….interest paid to the bank. As stated previously, you need to know how many employees the contractor has and what are their skills? If he has a small core group of employees does he have access to additional skilled labor or subcontractors should your project require more workers to complete your house on schedule?
This is just the beginning of the do’s without discussing the don’ts. Let Prairie States Inc help you find the right contractor/builder for your new house by contacting us at prairiestates@sio.midco.net. Choosing the right contractor is an important first step.
