When it comes to building work on your house, the thing to remember is that it’s your home, so above all you must make sure that you’ll be happy with the outcome. The first step to guaranteeing this lies in choosing the best contractor to hire for your project. There are a few key criteria that should be considered before choosing the right building contractor, such as reputation, commitment, guarantees and presentation. Here are 5 tips for how to hire a building contractor for the next project in your home, plus how we believe that Copperwood Construction Services can fulfil all of these requirements:
An Established Business
The first indicator of quality when it comes to building contractors is if they are established and well-respected. These days, the best way is to do your research online. Does the company you’re considering have a website, social media pages or a Yell.com page? Do they have a star rating on Google? For some companies, offline presence can also be important. While many people may not use the phone book nowadays, some well-established companies will be listed, as well as advertising in newspapers. The more outlets that they are present in means the better likelihood of the contractor being a well-trusted, long-established and experienced company that knows its market and provides a quality service.
Reputation of the Contractor
Another thing to consider is the reputation of the contractor you’re thinking about hiring. Are they affiliated with and accredited by respected organisations, such as Gas Safe, The Federation of Master Builders, Trust Mark or Constructionline to name a few? Back to social media, Yell and Google, these are often good sources for reviews, ratings and testimonials of previous projects, which can give a good idea about the spectrum of different jobs they’ve undertaken and the level of service they have provided. Have any of your family, friends or colleagues recommended the contractor or referred you on to them? All of this is important to consider as it cements (no pun intended) the reputation of the contractor that you are considering and whether they’d be the right choice to hire for your project.
Engage the Contractor and Meet in Person
Your first contact with your chosen contractor should be a positive one. Have a brief chat outlining your project. Confirm if they can do the work in the timescale you require, within your budget and to your specifications. Arrange a site visit to meet a representative from the company in person. This allows them to see what you are looking for and you to feel comfortable dealing with them. It will also let you see if they are presentable and professional in their manner. If they take pride in their appearance and competence, then they will take pride in the appearance and competence of their work.
Guarantees, Warranties and Cover
In this day and age, insurance can be a mine field to navigate. The important thing to ask of your contractor is if they have all the relevant cover required to complete your project and give you peace of mind. As well as this, any warranties and guarantees they may provide can be of extra benefit – be sure to get any of these in writing and know exactly what is covered.
Compare Quotes
Finally, we recommend getting a quote from the chosen contractor. Comparing this to a few other options and other companies can let you see which would be the best deal for you. Three quotes is more than ample to allow you to judge pricing, any more will confuse things. We would recommend that you consider the best deal, which might not simply be the cheapest quote. This puts everything into perspective, including the full service that will be offered by a contractor, letting you make a confident, well-informed decision on who to hire.
All of these steps will ensure that you are going to be happy with the outcome and feel comfortable with your chosen company or tradesman. At Copperwood Construction Services, we have designed our service to accommodate all of these criteria, in order to meet and exceed the expectations of anyone considering a project with us. We are well-established online and in local print, with a wide range of testimonials that can attest to the high quality of our work and customer service. We are also accredited with Gas Safe, The Federation of Master Builders and Trust Mark.
Our payment structure is designed to protect you the client and ourselves, allowing us to keep a continuous cash flow and for you to keep a track of your budget. On top of this, we also offer a 12-month guarantee on all works or goods supplied by us. Additional insurances or extended warranties are also available on projects.
To find out more about what we bring to the table and why you should hire us for your next project, drop us a call and speak to a member of our team for advice, to arrange a consultation or site visit and to receive a free quote.