8 Things You Should Think About Before Hiring a Contractor

Posted on Jul 12, 2011 by Virtual Construction

Choosing a contractor is not a decision that anyone should take lightly. In most cases, you will be working very closely with the organization you select for a substantial amount of time, and making the best decision up front can lessen the amount of stress you feel down the road. Therefore, below are a few things to think about when selecting a contractor.

1. Experience – do they perform the type of work that is relevant to your needs?

2. Capacity – do they have the available resources (people, equipment) necessary to deliver your project efficiently and effectively?

3. Cost effectiveness – can they provide proven examples of cost effectiveness in designing, bidding and constructing projects?

4. Financial strength – what is their financial rating, their bonding capacity and their bonding rates?

5. Safety performance – what are their EMR rates (a strong overall indicator of safety performance)?

6. Services – what services do they actually perform vs. what do they outsource, and why?

7. Innovation – what are some examples of innovative services, techniques and solutions that set them apart from their competition?

8. Likability – at the end of the day, will you be able to develop a trusting relationship with this company? The design and construction process requires a great deal of collaboration and building a comfortable working relationship with your contractor is vital to the success of your project.

Image purchased from iStock.

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