Tackling a commercial build is no small undertaking. That’s why it’s crucial that you pick the best General Contractor (GC) for your job. Think of the GC like a combo quarterback/ offensive coordinator of your team. They’re in charge of putting the plan together, directing traffic, and ultimately leading the team to the end zone.
Here are eight things to consider when hiring a contractor.
Sometimes the Lowest Price Isn’t the Best Price
It’s easy to be tempted by the lowest bid. If you save money, you’ll be able to invest that money elsewhere in your business. It’s important to know that when considering bids, the lowest one might not reflect the final price you pay or that you’ll get a quality, on time project, for that price.
“Avoid just going with the overly “low bidder” as typically they have missed something. Often you will see these overly low bids from vendors and sub-trades that are not experienced in the work.”
– Brett Bennett, President
The Franklin Corp
Change Orders
When the project deviates from the initial plan, this often requires a change order. Change orders most often cost you more money. Some contractors don’t have the experience to plan accurately for your project or are overly optimistic when crafting a quote. A good contractor will thoroughly plan for your project and provide buffer in the budget for the possibility that things may need to change along the way.
Management of Sub-Contractors
Most construction projects, depending on the size and scope, utilize sub-contractors. Examples of sub-contractors include electricians, plumbers, sheet rock hangers, or roofers. The General Contractor oversees the orchestration of the job site. It’s their job to ensure the sub-contractors come onto the project at the right time, finish in a timely manner, and do a great job. If the General Contractor isn’t experienced in hiring the right “subs”, managing them, or managing the project, you could see many issues including price increases, mistakes, and delays.
The Difference Between Monetary and Value-Based Decision Making
The GC makes hundreds of decisions every day on a job site. The culmination of these decisions will influence the quality, timeliness, and price of your project. Therefore, it’s important to realize that you’re hiring someone for their decision-making ability. Often GC’s who have more experience in making good decisions and managing projects will utilize value-based decision making as it pertains to a project’s materials and methods. There’s a big difference between value-based and monetary-based decision-making. Monetary-based decision-making almost always chooses the cheapest option. Value-based decision-making uses an intimate understanding of the project objectives to decide which decision is going to return the most bang for your buck.
Communication
Communication is a big part of the GC’s job. As mentioned earlier, they must communicate with sub-contractors to make sure they’re where they need to be at the right time and working to accomplish the overall project objectives. They must also communicate with you, the business owner. A good communicator will help ensure you understand what’s going on with your project. When choosing who to work with, make sure you ask about the communication expectations and methods to ensure you’ll get what you need from your GC.
Safety Management
It’s important to have a safe job site. This is achieved by keeping a clean site and effectively managing personnel on the site. An inexperienced or less professional General Contractor might not be as adept at ensuring no injuries occur.
Increase Your Chances of Getting a Loan by Picking the Right Team
Business lending institutions like WECU recognize the importance of having a good contractor on the job. When you use a reputable GC, the lender has more confidence that the project will get done on time, on budget, and to a high quality.
Don’t Scrimp on Getting the Best Quarterback for your Team
As you can see there are many benefits to picking the right GC to lead your project. A stressful project can be made more enjoyable by working with the right team.
