Last Updated on April 28, 2024 by Umer Malik
The construction company or industry has over 733,000 employers in it. There are thousands of construction companies to choose from.
Some specialize in certain areas of construction and thousands more are general contractors. How do you know who you need to hire for your construction project?
You’re in the right place because we’re going to show you how to find the best construction company for your next project.
Table of Contents
1. Define Your Project
What is your project? You can spend hours vetting the wrong construction companies because you didn’t fully understand your project.
Come to the table prepared to talk about the details with local construction companies. If you’re not sure, look to magazines and Pinterest for inspiration.
That will help you define the look or architectural design of the project. The construction companies can handle the rest.
You should also know your budget before you begin your search for “local construction companies near me.”
If you need financing for the project, get that in order. If that’s not possible, then look for a construction company that can take on the project, matches the other criteria mentioned in this article, and can provide financing.
Some companies offer financing through financial partners, and they sometimes can accommodate people with bad credit.
2. Get Recommendations
You know a lot of people who have had some kind of work done on their house. Tell people about your upcoming project and ask them if they’ve worked with a contractor in the past.
Get names and recommendations of construction companies in your area. You can also search for construction companies online. Check out their reviews to make sure they are reputable.
You should start with a list of 7-10 names. It will be a short process, but you’ll work your way down to the one construction company to hire.
3. Verify Credentials
The first thing you want to do with the list of names is to verify they’re licensed to perform work in your state.
Every construction company has to have a contractor’s license. You can usually find license numbers on company websites.
Look up the license with your state’s Board of Contractors. Make sure the licenses are active and there aren’t complaints against the companies.
You also need to make sure they’re licensed, insured, and bonded. That protects you and your property as well as the construction company.
Do not work with a company that does not have these basic credentials.
4. View Portfolios
While you’re on company websites, gather information about the services they provide and past projects. Companies that showcase recent work may stick out in your mind because you don’t have to ask for a portfolio.
There are construction companies that don’t do a lot of work online or they don’t have a marketing team to do that work.
Contact the companies and see if a company can send over a brochure or before and after images of recent projects.
5. Types of Services Provided
There are times when you need to hire a construction company for a specific task, like foundation repair. In that case, you want to hire a foundation repair company.
In other instances, it’s best to have a construction company that works in a number of different areas. If you’re building a house, you’ll need an architect, engineer, contractor, plumber, electrician, and more.
You either have to find each service provider individually or work with a construction company that provides all of those services.
You’re much better off with a private construction company that does everything for your project. Otherwise, you have to take time to vet each provider and hope everyone works well together.
6. Local Construction Experience
Experience isn’t only about the construction process. You also have to take into account their ability to obtain permits and make sure the project complies with all building codes.
You don’t want to get the project to the 90% mark only to discover that it won’t pass a final inspection because something wasn’t caught in the early stages of the project.
7. Extend Invitations for Estimates
By this point, you should have your list narrowed down to about 3-5 companies. You’ll want to invite the construction companies left on your list to give an estimate for the project.
It’s a chance for them to learn more about your project and for you to ask questions.
Find out from them how they work on projects like yours. Ask them about who will perform the work on the project, whether it’s employees or subcontractors.
Ask them about a general timeline. You’ll get a ballpark estimate, then a real timeline in the formal quote.
Construction companies will take the information and say they’ll deliver a quote. Get an estimate of how long it takes and see if they stick to that timeline.
If they can’t keep their word on giving you a quote, it’s probably a sign they’ll do the same with your project.
8. Review and Compare Quotes
Take your quotes and review them thoroughly. Don’t go for the cheapest quote. Take into account the materials used, timelines, and quality of work.
Feel free to ask questions of construction companies if something doesn’t seem right. You should find the quotes to be pretty close to each other.
If there are quotes that are very high or low compared to the others, discard them.
9. Trust Your Judgement
At the end of this thorough process, you have a decision to make. You did all of the research and you have to trust your own judgment.
It’s time to trust your instincts and go with the company you’re most comfortable with.
Hiring the Right Construction Company
It doesn’t matter how big or how small your project is. You need to make sure you hire the right construction company for the job.
This article gave you foolproof steps to weed through the local construction companies in your area and find the best one. Hopefully, you’ll follow them and get the best company.
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