Why Hire A General Contractor?

Remodeling and customizing a home to your specific needs and wants is an absolute dream for most homeowners. Unfortunately, organizing and managing a large remodeling project is beyond the scope of the average homeowner in regard to both time and expertise. In this case, hiring a general contractor who is experienced in overseeing a large project and managing several subcontractors is the ideal solution.

Several home improvement contractors with different skill sets, commonly referred to as subcontractors, will most likely be required to complete most large scale remodeling projects. It is the job of the general contractor to find, hire, and negotiate with the subcontractors to get you the best value for your dollar. Since a general contractor is experienced in all facets of construction and knowledgeable about current materials prices and labor costs, he is the ideal professional to help you manage your next large remodeling project.

When it comes to finding and hiring a general contractor, one of the first things you want to look at is whether or not the general contractor has a license to operate in your state. Another good idea is to look online for reviews and complaints from past customers. Simply doing a search in Google for the name of the contractor or business, plus words like “review” or “complaint”, can turn up a lot of valuable information. You can also look for complaints by contacting your state licensing board, the Better Business Bureau, and online websites like ripoffreport.com.

Before hiring a general contractor, you’ll definitely want to speak with any references they provided you with. If the general contractor also supplied you with the name of his materials supplier, it may also be a good idea to speak with them as well. Finally, when pre-qualifying a general contractor, you can also speak with the sub-contractors themselves. Sub-contractors work with general contractors all the time so they can be a gold mine of information.

A large remodeling or home improvement project can be a huge headache or it can be a dream come true. The key to making it a dream come true is finding the right professionals to manage your project and ensure that everything comes out exactly the way you wanted it to!

Below are some questions you may want to consider asking prior to hiring a general contractor:

How many similar projects has the general contractor worked on recently? It is preferable to have a general contractor that has some recent experience on a project similar to yours.
How long has the general contractor worked with his subcontractors?
Who are their major suppliers and can you speak with them? You can find out a lot of valuable information from a contractor’s suppliers, like how they are to work with and how quickly they pay.
How often is the general contractor typically on site to inspect the work being done?
Can the general contractor provide references whom you can speak with? Don’t be hesitant to pick up the phone and call them?
Does the general contractor have General Liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance to protect your house. Hiring a general contractor without the right insurance is a bad idea as you can be held liable for any accidents that occur on your property during construction.
Do they provide detailed proposals?