Top Five Things to Look for When Hiring a General Contractor

Are you planning to build a new home or renovate your existing house? The whole point of building a new house or undertaking a major renovation is to create a space that is wholly personal. With the idea of constructing a new home or transforming the existing house, comes many questions that may make you ponder. Will the construction or renovation be done the way I envision it? Will it go off without a hitch? How much will it cost? And so on.

Construction or renovation is probably the biggest financial decision you could make and you wouldn’t want to make any mistake especially when a lot of your money is at stake. Hence, it’s necessary to get assistance from a general contractor.

A general contractor applies his experience and skills in constructing a house, renovating it and also in planning, designing and building any additions. Home inspection, estimating a project, hiring and negotiating contracts with subcontractors, obtaining the necessary permits, establishing a payment schedule based on work progress, negotiating material prices and ordering materials, supervising and coordinating the work of employees and subcontractors and troubleshooting job-site problems are the responsibilities of a general contractor.

To help you find the right assistance in building your house or renovating it, we’ve compiled a list of the top five things to look for when hiring a general contractor.

1. Strong references. The best way to know whether a contractor’s services are satisfactory and worth your money is by following up with references. A contractor who provides top notch services will have strong references. You can also read the testimonials of your potential contractor if he has a good online presence.
2. Experience of working with subcontractors.Subcontractors are responsible for doing all the groundwork. A contractor relies on subcontractors to construct or renovate a house; be it plumbing, electrical or masonry work. The success of a project is directly proportional to the hard work of subcontractors. A contractor’s experience of working with his subcontractors will tell you whether his subcontractors are reliable or not.
3. Organization and attention to detail. A small mistake in construction might cost you in the long run. Hence, it’s very crucial to hire a contractor who pays attention to every minute detail. A well-organized contractor will have a roadmap and daily checklist of a given project. He will also keep track of the progress and goals of a project.
4. Clear communication. Clear communication, transparency, and trust are fundamental tenets in any successful project and building or renovating projects are not an exception. A clear communication path will help in turning your dream home into reality.
5. Satisfactory completion. How many projects has your potential contractor completed satisfactorily, on time and within the budget specified, will tell you whether he will complete your building or renovating project successfully or not? After all, you will be investing a considerable amount, and you will want a service that is worth your money.

If you’re looking for a general contractor in Ottawa and the surrounding areas, reach out to the experts at Sirois & Sons. Sirois & Sons is a general contracting firm with over twenty-five years of experience in completing residential and commercial construction and renovation projects. Each member of their team works with the single goal of co-operating with their licensed carpenters, skilled tradesmen and laborers to complete the task at hand as efficiently as possible.

Daily management along with extensive experience ensures that their clients' issues are resolved with the least amount of delay. Moreover, their staff and trusted aides are easily approachable and willing to address questions and concerns. Completing a project on-time, within budget and ensuring on-going relationships with their clients is their measure of success. To learn more about Sirois & Sons, click here.