You should ask your construction contractor referee five questions.
You have decided on a construction contractor that you are considering, and they gave you a list of references. What questions should you be prepared to ask and what should you keep in mind?
Information about previous work, like a portfolio or even a website with photos of their previous projects, will assist you with making the big decision. You want to gather as much information about them as possible before entering into this relationship. For example, ethics, skills, quality, and professionalism.
Below, we will make a list to assist you with a few questions to help get the conversation started.
Time Management
This will give you an indication of the builder’s project management skills and commitment. Did they complete the project on time? If the answer is no, then understand why, as there might be unplanned weather or unforeseen circumstances involved.
An example would be: were there changes made by the owner that caused a delay?
Communication
This will give you an indication of how easily the construction contractor communicates with the client, which includes before, during, and after the construction.
Was there one point of contact, for example, the site supervisor, and did they agree on time frames for updates?
Was it on a weekly basis or when certain deadlines were met on the project?
Kept within budget?
Was there an estimate on the budget set? This might be a more personal question to ask, but you can simplify it by asking whether the contractor was able to remain within the original budget.
If the answer was no, you need to ask if it was caused by unforeseen circumstances, for example, the weather. Was it because the owner wanted alterations made to the original plans? Was there a cost not calculated by the construction company’s side that they neglected to include?
Cleanliness on site before, during, and after
The site should be left in a clean and safe state during construction. This promotes a safe environment for the workers as well as for you if you would like to inspect the site after hours.
Ask the referee if the site was cleaned up at the end of the day and if there was any building rubble left after the completion of the project. With construction, you should not be expecting the area to be completely clean and without construction equipment standing around because, after all, it is still under construction.
Did they stack their materials, sweep and haul away the trash at the end of the day?
Would you hire this building contractor again?
This question may be the most important one to ask. It will give you an indication of whether the client was satisfied with the overall service and outcome of the project.
With all these questions, it should give you a better understanding of the building contractor you decide on. Remember to not just go on the word of one person and do your own research also. Not every previous client of the contractor will feel the same, and asking multiple questions, including these five, will help guide you in your choice of contractor