Article - Selecting a Contractor: Building Your Dream Home,
By Chris Gilliand
Dream Home Source, Inc.
What Is A General Contractor?
An experienced licensed general contractor is someone who because of
his or her extensive experience, can coordinate all aspects of a project
and supervise other subcontractors. A general contractors experience
also enables them to handle more than one project at the same time.
To realize how difficult and time consuming a task this is, consider a
few of the responsibilities involved:
• Getting the appropriate permits
• Clearing and excavating the land
• Installing a septic system and drilling a well or connecting to
public water and sewer.
• Installing the foundation and driveway
• Completing the plumbing and electrical hookups
• Installing the heating system
• Performing the interior and exterior button-up carpentry
on the house
• Building a fireplace, deck, and garage
• Grading and landscaping the property
For each of these tasks the general contractor is responsible for the
following:
• Obtaining competitive bids
• Telling the subcontractors when to come
• Telling the subcontractors how much to do on each visit
• Making sure that the work, which must be completed by
one contractor before another is able to do their work, is
actually completed
• Overseeing the quality of the subcontractors work
• Making sure that any warranty problems that occur after the job
is done and after each subcontractor is paid are taken care of with no
cost or problem to you, the customer. An advantage of using a licensed
general contractor is that they will be able to call upon a number of
subcontractors to obtain competitive bids for these tasks. They will
also be better able to get them to perform in a timely fashion, which is
no small task in the building trades.
The reason they can command a fair price and a timely response from
their subcontractors is that they depend on the work the general
contractors provide them. Another significant advantage to using an
experienced general contractor is that they are likely to know which
subcontractors to avoid because they have a history of poor
workmanship, unreliability, and unethical pricing tendencies, such as
taking advantage of customers with "bait-and-switching" and "low
balling" tactics. A general contractor also is likely to have the
necessary insurance to protect against something going wrong, such as
someone getting seriously hurt on the job. This is important, since it
limits your liability.
These are excellent guides in selecting a general contractor. The words
are inseparable; you need all of these attributes, not some.
• Reputation -- How do others think of the contractor in the
industry?
• Experience -- Has the contractor done this type of work before?
• Sensitivity -- How sensitive is the contractor to your goals,
timetables and budgets?
• Qualifications -- Do the contractor's key personnel have the
education, experience and knowledge to undertake your project?
• Past performance -- What is the contractor's record in
completing projects on time, within budget, without hassles
• Financial obligations -- Does the contractor pay bills on
time, maintain necessary insurance, workers and
unemployment compensation coverage?
• Safety -- What is the safety record of the contractor, with
respect to injuries and property damage?
Choosing the Right Contractor:
Locating a qualified contractor can be an arduous task but the reward
for perseverance is the successful completion of a project with someone
you know and trust. This list of ways to qualify a contractor is
comprehensive and may seem overwhelming but it's the first step
toward quality control.
Check on these items before they're hired:
• License and Registration Number
• Worker's Compensation Insurance
• Bond and Liability Insurance
• Number of years in business
• References
• Financial stability
• Stable crew
• Credit standing with suppliers
• Cost consciousness
• Fair prices and payment schedule
• Quality of rough work
• Quality of finish work
• Awareness of material waste
• Market Niche: custom, spec, or service
• Adequate crew for size of job
• Adequate supervision for size of job
• Do they begin on schedule?
• Do they end on schedule?
• Clean-up procedures
• Success with inspections
• Cooperation with other trades
• Relationship between lead and crew
• Relationship with client
• Responsiveness to problems
• Availability: Can they be reached via answering machine,
voice mail, email,
• Change Order practices
• Promptness on callbacks
• Relationship to reference
• Will they sign a Lien Waiver?
• Will they accept a dual-signee check?
• Will the proposal be based on complete drawings and
specifications?
Consult with a local lawyer who is familiar with construction contract
law before finalizing your agreement.
Every situation is unique so adapt or modify this list to fit your
situation and the region in which you build. Qualifying the right
contractor for your project is more complicated than merely
confirming proper registration, but it's a decent beginning point.
Check out your states agency to see if it offers an online service to
confirm registration.
By Chris Gilliand
Dream Home Source, Inc.
What Is A General Contractor?
An experienced licensed general contractor is someone who because of
his or her extensive experience, can coordinate all aspects of a project
and supervise other subcontractors. A general contractors experience
also enables them to handle more than one project at the same time.
To realize how difficult and time consuming a task this is, consider a
few of the responsibilities involved:
• Getting the appropriate permits
• Clearing and excavating the land
• Installing a septic system and drilling a well or connecting to
public water and sewer.
• Installing the foundation and driveway
• Completing the plumbing and electrical hookups
• Installing the heating system
• Performing the interior and exterior button-up carpentry
on the house
• Building a fireplace, deck, and garage
• Grading and landscaping the property
For each of these tasks the general contractor is responsible for the
following:
• Obtaining competitive bids
• Telling the subcontractors when to come
• Telling the subcontractors how much to do on each visit
• Making sure that the work, which must be completed by
one contractor before another is able to do their work, is
actually completed
• Overseeing the quality of the subcontractors work
• Making sure that any warranty problems that occur after the job
is done and after each subcontractor is paid are taken care of with no
cost or problem to you, the customer. An advantage of using a licensed
general contractor is that they will be able to call upon a number of
subcontractors to obtain competitive bids for these tasks. They will
also be better able to get them to perform in a timely fashion, which is
no small task in the building trades.
The reason they can command a fair price and a timely response from
their subcontractors is that they depend on the work the general
contractors provide them. Another significant advantage to using an
experienced general contractor is that they are likely to know which
subcontractors to avoid because they have a history of poor
workmanship, unreliability, and unethical pricing tendencies, such as
taking advantage of customers with "bait-and-switching" and "low
balling" tactics. A general contractor also is likely to have the
necessary insurance to protect against something going wrong, such as
someone getting seriously hurt on the job. This is important, since it
limits your liability.
These are excellent guides in selecting a general contractor. The words
are inseparable; you need all of these attributes, not some.
• Reputation -- How do others think of the contractor in the
industry?
• Experience -- Has the contractor done this type of work before?
• Sensitivity -- How sensitive is the contractor to your goals,
timetables and budgets?
• Qualifications -- Do the contractor's key personnel have the
education, experience and knowledge to undertake your project?
• Past performance -- What is the contractor's record in
completing projects on time, within budget, without hassles
• Financial obligations -- Does the contractor pay bills on
time, maintain necessary insurance, workers and
unemployment compensation coverage?
• Safety -- What is the safety record of the contractor, with
respect to injuries and property damage?
Choosing the Right Contractor:
Locating a qualified contractor can be an arduous task but the reward
for perseverance is the successful completion of a project with someone
you know and trust. This list of ways to qualify a contractor is
comprehensive and may seem overwhelming but it's the first step
toward quality control.
Check on these items before they're hired:
• License and Registration Number
• Worker's Compensation Insurance
• Bond and Liability Insurance
• Number of years in business
• References
• Financial stability
• Stable crew
• Credit standing with suppliers
• Cost consciousness
• Fair prices and payment schedule
• Quality of rough work
• Quality of finish work
• Awareness of material waste
• Market Niche: custom, spec, or service
• Adequate crew for size of job
• Adequate supervision for size of job
• Do they begin on schedule?
• Do they end on schedule?
• Clean-up procedures
• Success with inspections
• Cooperation with other trades
• Relationship between lead and crew
• Relationship with client
• Responsiveness to problems
• Availability: Can they be reached via answering machine,
voice mail, email,
• Change Order practices
• Promptness on callbacks
• Relationship to reference
• Will they sign a Lien Waiver?
• Will they accept a dual-signee check?
• Will the proposal be based on complete drawings and
specifications?
Consult with a local lawyer who is familiar with construction contract
law before finalizing your agreement.
Every situation is unique so adapt or modify this list to fit your
situation and the region in which you build. Qualifying the right
contractor for your project is more complicated than merely
confirming proper registration, but it's a decent beginning point.
Check out your states agency to see if it offers an online service to
confirm registration.
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