Tips To Choosing The Best Residential General Contractor
A residential general contractor is a home remodeling professional, who plans and implements large home-remodeling projects. They also manage and co-ordinate subcontractors to work effectively during construction. Residential contractors take care of specifically residential constructions, whereas industrial or commercial general contractors would take care of larger construction projects. If you are looking for a contractor to remodel your home, then a residential contractor may just be the person for you, but you will need to know how to choose a reliable and qualified contractor.
Residential General Contractor Licensing and Certification
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a contractor, is to check whether they are licensed and qualified to perform their expected duties. You want to liaise with Florida’s local building departments or associations to ensure a contractor is licensed. You can look up the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s database for this information. A number of categories require licensing, such as plumbing, mechanical, flooring, solar, air-conditioning, swimming pools and more! When you have a licensed contractor, you then have the security of knowing that there is a Liability Insurance, meaning that there will be accountability for any situation that may not go as planned!
Get to Know Your General Contractor
It is important to do background research on a potential contractor in order to know if he/she may be the right contractor for you. A contractor must be experienced and reliable. Look on their website to find testimonials or reviews and browse their gallery to get an idea of their level of experience. Do they look official? Have they had good reviews? You can look them up on google and take a look at the reviews from previous clients.
When you interview a potential contractor, ask them questions to get to know them better. Are they part of any professional associations? Do they have references from returning customers? Have their previous projects been completed within the set time limit and budgets? Talk to their referenced customers and find out if there were any complications.
Project estimation is one of the most important considerations to make when remodeling or building a home, you will need constant and effective communication throughout the construction process, as lack of communication can cause budget and time issues, as boundaries may not be set clearly!
Health and Safety on Site
It is vital to check if the contractor and subcontractors have hazard prevention programs and/or health and safety knowledge to be able to work safely on the construction sites. Your contractor should have the responsibility of being able to work on your construction site within a safe working manner, as well as to be able to co-ordinate subcontractors to work safely too.
Make sure that your contractor is also insured, because if anything goes wrong, you may have to pay for the damages, even if it was not your fault!
Do’s and Don’ts
Often home owners think that certain projects will not require residential general contractors or sub-contractors – deciding to do things yourself may take up valuable time, as home-owners often do not have the knowledge or experience to conduct and complete projects quickly and efficiently.
Follow these guidelines to help you decide:
Hire A Residential Contractor If
- The job will take longer than several days to complete.
- If the job requires permits.
- If the job requires several different subcontractors to complete.
Do Not Hire A Residential Contractor If
- If there is no contact information available on an official website or in a phone book.
- If he/she asks you to get required building permits.
- The contractor wants to be paid upfront in cash.
- Says your job will be for demonstration purposes.
- Offers unrealistic standards, such as guarantees or time periods to which the project is to be completed.
If you are looking to hire a residential contractor contact Miller Construction and Design – we offer reliable home improvement and construction services tailored to meet your needs. Whether you are looking to build an addition to your home, repair part of your home, or to construct a brand-new home – we are the company for you.
