If you’ve made the exciting decision to build your own home, you will need to hire a contractor committed to delivering the results you desire. Indeed, once the working drawings and supporting plans have been completed and finalised, a contractor will need to be enlisted to carry out a high-quality construction job.
Choosing a reliable contractor for your self-build home is absolutely vital to the success of your project. This is because an expert contractor will help to ensure that your project is well executed and delivered on time and within budget. They will also do the bulk of the technical work such as calling in relevant workmen, communicating with building control and organising health and safety checks. If you select an inexperienced or inefficient contractor, your project may start costing more than you anticipated and causing you a great deal of stress.
So how should you go about selecting a contractor? Should you have a contractor checklist for building a house? To put your mind at rest and help you to identify a decent contractor, we’ve put together a few key questions to ask contractors when building a house:
1. What Kind Of Expertise & Experience Do They Have?
Ask your contractors about the sort of projects they have worked on before. If they have many years’ worth of experience working on projects similar to yours, they are likely to be reliable and perfectly able to deliver your project on time. If they have primarily worked on builds that are a little different from yours, it may be worth shopping around.
2. What Is Their Professional Reputation Like?
It is fairly easy to gauge the professional reputation of contractors nowadays. As well as asking local friends, family members or colleagues about any reliable contractors you could use, you can research their reputations online. If you hear good stories about a particular contractor, you can probably rely on them for your build. Remember to shop around a little and compare reviews for different contractors.
3. Does The Contractor Have The Time & Manpower Available To Take On The Job?
Ask contractors to be honest about how many projects they have going on. If they have lots of projects in the pipeline and seem to be biting off more than they can chew, it may well be worth looking elsewhere.
4. How Much Does A Contractor Cost To Build A House?
Different contractors charge different prices for their services, so it is worth getting a number of quotes before deciding on a contractor. Remember to weigh up your budget against the reputation and expertise of a contractor. You may regret simply opting for the cheapest option.
As long as you don’t rush the process of finding a contractor, you’ll be able to spot red flags and warning signs and accordingly know what to look out for instead. At BDS Architecture we can help you in your search for the perfect contractor for your self-build home. Just get in touch today to speak to one of our experts.
Image source: Pixabay
