The decision to engage a building contractor is a big one. It therefore helps to get the screening process right from the outset in order to save yourself headaches later on. No job should escape the need for the thoroughness of scrutiny. Whether you are looking to renovate, remodel, or build from scratch; finding the right contractor with the right credentials is a vital part of a successful project. The best way to tackle the vetting process is to pose a few important questions to any contractor you are thinking of hiring. These questions should instantly shine a light on the contractor’s credentials, their ability to deliver, and your chances of having a good experience with them. Here are the top 7 questions you should ask before you hire any contractor.
Question 1: What are your credentials?
If you hire a contractor that is not fully licensed or insured you are asking for the mother of all troubles. It is therefore right and proper to establish the credentials of any potential hire, up front. A licensed and insured contractor should be able to present those credentials for checking with little or no fuss. Mr. Build’s credentials are both firmly in place and independently verifiable. .
Question 2: What’s the service record for your company?
Credentials alone don’t make for a good contractor so the second question is quite apt. Any contractor you hire should be able to demonstrate a consistent record of dependability, quality and honesty. In this regard Mr. Build stands squarely on a high platform. Mr. Build won the “Best of Houzz” award for customer service for a solid four years in a row starting in 2015. But our record of excellent service to clients goes all the way back to 1979 when we first started.
Question 3: Do you have a specific experience with my type of project?
Believe it or not, many companies claim to be general contractors but are unable to deliver client-specific projects. You may be looking to do a deck improvement for instance, in which case a contractor should be able to demonstrate through a reference and/or documented evidence that they’ve built up that experience before. From custom homes to room additions, Mr. Build has an extensive portfolio of work and there is pretty much nothing that we haven’t done. You are welcome to peruse our portfolio and we are happy to provide verifiable references of past work.
Question 4: What about interior designers – are those in-house?
Many contractors will try to pass off unqualified interior designers as the real thing, often using them to carry out interior design work in order to cut corners. We don’t do that. We stick to our core competences of remodeling, renovation and custom builds; any interior design work is referred to our close partners who specialize in providing high-value and professional interior design services. We work with the best interior designers in the business so your peace of mind is assured.
Question 5: What is your policy on quotations?
The shifting quotation is a major problem for many clients who hire contractors. It’s a problem we aim to eliminate for all the clients that hire us. As such we maintain a policy where each quotation given is adhered to in the vast majority of cases. We do this by spending thoroughly assessing the scope of each project before we issue a quotation. That way, when the work starts, the process can move smoothly along without the need for constant budgetary revisions.
Question 6: Do you have a good record of timely completions?
Cost-overruns are almost always caused by projects taking longer than planned. Everything is affected: more materials are needed, labour and design costs go up, and in really bad projects inflation can also have an impact.
At the planning stage we establish a very clear timeline. All costs are calculated up front and where a project is to be completed in stages, each stage is given clear prominence with regard to timelines. With Mr. Build you can expect two things with certainty: we start each project on time, and we finish each project on time. In fact, many of our happy clients are precisely so because so often we’ve delivered a project way ahead of time.
Question 7: What’s your warranty policy?
Mr. Build believes that a client shouldn’t have to suffer undue worry once a project is wrapped up. We believe clients should, for as long as possible, enjoy the comforts of their home improvement without worry. This is why we provide all our clients with a five-year warranty on all parts and labor. That covers both the labor and materials inputted by us and by our external partners (interior designers, suppliers and so on). From start, to finish, to enjoyment of your finished product, we’ve got you covered.