How close do you stay to time lines and budgets?
The budget and a reasonable time frame are stated in the contract, which is signed by all parties, with copies provided before the start of any project. If by chance the project does run late, it is usually caused by two reasons; one, weather, and two, materials deliveries. If it's not due to nature or outside forces, we do what we say when we say it.
How are payments made, and when are they made?
Again, these terms are broken down in the contract based on progress with a completion date included. Typically we take a deposit of 10% for materials, and the rest of the payments are determined beforehand. Once the work is completed to a pre-determined point, a pre-determined payment is made, with final payment due upon completion. This is called progress payments.
How many of your customers come from repeat business, or from referrals from existing or previous customers?
We are very blessed to say that over 75% of our customers come to us or are referred to us from customers we've performed for in the past. Except in most recent years we have experienced significant growth in our team and overheads, and in order to keep up, we have been focused in social media and other forms of advertising our services. As you will see when you check our references, there is a reason for such a loyal client base.
What about permits?
Depending on your location and what is being done, a permit might be required or it may not. If a permit is required for your project, we will obtain the permit, handle all inspections, make sure everything is built to code, and that the project and process satisfies all requirements to the letter of the law.
What should I be asking my contractor?
A few key questions to ask could be: How long have you been in business?, Have you ever done a project like this one, if so tell me about it?, Do you have insurance?, Who does the work; you, your employees, or is the project completely done by sub-contractors? With years of experience under our belts, General Contractor Inc is happy to provide all of these answers, and provide references if need be.
What is a change order?
A change order is a written statement signed by the customer authorizing the contractor to do additional work not included in the original contract. The change order should be signed before the additional work is started, but often it is not in order to keep the project moving. The amount specified is due when the project is completed. A change order also may be written when a contractor comes across any unforeseen damage or problem.
Construction Tips
Licensed and Insured.The last thing you want is a contractor to be working on your property, only to find out they don't have the proper insurance or aren't licensed to do the work, because if something goes wrong or someone is hurt at a work site, you could be held liable for the damages. Make sure that the general contractor you choose has ample worker's compensation, property damage, and personal liability coverage.
References
The best way to ascertain if the general contractor you choose is skilled and competent enough to do the job is to ask for and verify a list of references consisting of past customers that you can contact. Customers that get what they paid for and who are happy with the job your contractor has done for them are usually only too happy to provide an endorsement on the contractor's work. Choose us, and before long you'll be on our reference list!
What about materials?
Important materials are specified in the contract. All materials are covered, however, as substitutions are sometimes unavoidable (lots of bricks run out, for example, colors of materials are sometimes no longer made), we make it clear that an equal substitution will be made but only upon your approval. For items such as lighting fixtures or door knobs that you have not chosen when the contract is signed, a budget is determined in the contract to cover exactly what will be spent on them.
