Qualities of a Solid Contractor

What are the qualities of a good contractor? We recently dove into this question as we approached our own personal home renovation! A little backstory, when we started this project we went through eight contractors. Yes, eight. We couldn’t seem to get anyone to call us back or give us feedback! Our go-to contractor had just retired so we were starting fresh in the search for a good contractor in the area. Let’s discuss what we found are the TOP factors to include when picking your contactor.

COMMUNICATION

If a contractor is not responding to your phone calls, then move on. The number one way that projects go astray is through lack of communication. This is THE linchpin that will hold your project together. When you have unknowns, and trust me you will, you need someone who is accessible and responsive. Now, don’t over do it. Being a contractor is extremely demanding, so be reasonable about your response time. A general rule of thumb would be expecting a phone call or response within 24-48 hours. Now, certain issues can arise and you’ll need a response right then. A good contractor will squeeze in a call to make sure the job stays running smooth should the problem warrant a response. A big way to find out if your contractor maintains good communication is through the bid process. What is this? You’ve assembled your drawings from your architect and now we need to price them. This is essentially your first “test” of their communication. Up until this point there’s been no deadline or demand. Ask your contractor for a “lead time” or time frame for the bid. To a reasonable degree, hold them to it. I give this disclaimer because construction is very hard to predict and projects have a tendency to run over. Your contractor may be finishing another job, so a few days to a week is still reasonable. However, a good contractor will keep you informed prior to this deadline with a phone call or email updating you on this delay. You should not feel like you’re stringing along. This is the main point, a good contractor is highly desired, so in turn they are very busy. If your contractor tells you they aren’t going to be able to start in six months, that can be a good thing! This can show that they are not going to keeping you around just to “get the job” and also they are being up front. Really consider the idea that you’ll need to wait six months to one year to start some projects. If you can hold off, it can make the construction process a whole lot easier.

EXPERIENCE

I still look for contractors that have been in many of the construction trades. They are armed with extremely valuable knowledge to problem solve. Especially in the renovation world, you NEED someone with construction experience. It’s a difficult process when you need an answer, but your contractor has to call on every sub contractor each time a question arises. Contracting is a very managerial role, and some contractors function very well as a manager. However, this does not mean they are armed with construction experience. For home projects, I feel this is very important skill as these projects move at a faster pace than commercial projects where the managerial side is very well needed.

Some of the best moments in a project have come in pre-construction meetings with a discussion about a particular part of the plan. A contractor with construction experience can offer up more efficient solutions. They can “redline” or revise drawings to resemble local techniques that make it easier for their sub contractors to interpret the drawings. This allows for better coordination between all the trades ultimately making the job run more smoothly.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Having a person refer their contractor to you is not groundbreaking information. We all know how to get a referral. But some of the best referrals have come from sub contractors! Did you have a really good experience with your last plumber? Electrician? Ask them for a good general contractor recommendation! The truth is, a good contractor is only as good as their subs. Reversing this process, means good sub contractors know good general contractors. Our contractor, turned mentor, came from a demolition crew that we loved! Trust me when I say this, without our contractor, we would have been in a lot of trouble. Our major home renovation from 2018 had more unknowns and conditions than we could have ever expected. I guess he had all three of these qualities, and now I’m sharing these with you!

STYLE

Last on the list is style. Let’s call this tip…3b. I’ve had many projects that’ve used modern details and non-traditional materials. This can pose an issue if your contractor is used to building a certain type of building. Truthfully, it’s not always the contractor, it also can be the sub contractors. A great example of this is trim less windows and doors. For our simple modern designs, we often times use no trim, or very thin trim that protrudes past the exterior siding. It’s a detail that requires special water proofing techniques. If misunderstood or unfamiliar, you can have leaking windows or poor water management at your walls. These types of details may not valued and/or understood compromising the look and feel of the project resulting in changes or incorrect installation. While it’s not to say that a contractor can’t build multiple styles, it’s to add that there may be less explanation or revisions along the way. A good contractor, approaching a new style, will have a pre-construction meeting to hash out the details of the project. This is to add missing information in the drawings or have discussions about unfamiliar details. As stated earlier, while not the most important, it’s certainly worth noting their past work if you’re trying to do a project a little different than those in your area.

The simple fact, our most reliable and talented contractor had all four of these qualities. Quite frankly, all of our successful projects had a contractor with these qualities too! Give yourself enough time to qualify, analyze, and understand your contractor. You are in a working relationship often times no less than six months. You need to remember this person will be in contact with you sometimes as much as everyday! If you already have an architect for your project, they can also recommend someone for you as well! Use that to your advantage. I hope this helps you navigate the contractor side of your project, and as always I wish you the best of luck during your construction.