About 40 percent of American?s surveyed reported they would prefer to build a new home than purchasing an existing home of the same price. In part, this is due to having the ability to fully customize the home to suit their needs. It is important to contact general contractors in your area to learn more about them and the potential construction costs before beginning.
Responsibilities of General Contractors
General contractors are the primary point of contact between the owner and all of the subcontractors who will complete the project. Remember that they will be the person you are dealing with and it is important that communication is easy and that you feel comfortable expressing yourself honestly.
The responsibilities of a general contractor include ensuring construction safety and construction accident prevention. They will need to obtain necessary permits and schedule various agency inspections. They will further need to hire and negotiate with subcontractors who will be needed to complete various tasks such as HVAC installation, roof installation, and more. One of the most critical responsibilities of a contractor is to supervise and coordinate all employees to move the project along in a timely manner.
Finding General Contractors in Your Area
It?s usually easy to find a substantial list of general contractors in the area by performing a simple search online. However, this will not provide information on the skill level or code of ethics the contractor has. To determine this, it will likely be necessary to ask each of the general contractors a series of questions before narrowing down the playing field enough to request quotes.
The first question to ask a residential contractor is if they are a licensed and bonded contractor. Then ask for a list of references from past clients and a tour of previously completed projects. It is important to talk to homeowners who have worked with a potential contractor to find out if there were any problems with delays, quality, or unexpected expenses. Finally, be sure to ask what work they would be providing instead of subcontracting out.
Building a home is stressful. Hiring the wrong residential contractor can make it more so. Take the time to get to know the candidates and thoroughly research their work before committing to a working relationship that will last months.