Questions to Ask BEFORE Hiring A Contractor

The following questions are a good place to start while interviewing contractors. The time and effort prospective contractors take in answering are good indicators of how they communicate and what level of care they will take in planning and managing your project. In addition to these questions, we strongly encourage you to check out their online reviews and ask for references. Does your company have experience working with both small & large-scale projects? This should give you a better understanding of how qualified the person you are talking to is to manage your project. Someone who has only managed small projects will not be well suited to manage large projects. Also, as it turns out, the inverse is also true, people that have only managed large-scale projects may not be well suited to manage smaller projects.

What systems do you use and what protocols do you have in place to track project timelines and financials?

A new home build or renovation will likely be the second largest investment you make in your life. It is critical to ensure whomever you hire to manage your project has systems and protocols in place to manage the financial aspect of your project. If they don’t, how is it possible to know that your project is tracking to land on budget? Furthermore, asking this will illuminate how organized the person you are talking to is from a business management point of view, as time is money, the longer your project takes, the more it will cost, you want to hire someone who knows how to properly plan and manage your project’s timeline in addition to the budget.

Do you provide transparency, am I able to view the timeline plan and will I receive regular financial updates?

There are literally hundreds of different tasks that take place (of various sizes) over the course of a construction project. Many of these tasks must be performed in a specific order, for example. if an electrician shows up to a site that is not prepared for them, they could end up having to come back multiple times which will run up costs and delay the project as the electrician will need to find availability in the team’s schedule to come back. The reason why most projects fail from a timeline perspective is that there wasn’t a timeline to begin with. It’s impossible to efficiently manage something you can’t see.

How many projects do you or each of your project managers take on at one time?

Knowing how many projects a contractor takes on at any given time will give you a better idea of the service you will receive. An experienced project manager can really only manage 2 to 3 projects of $500k plus in full production at any given time. A good follow-up question would be: who would be my primary point of contact for the project? What is your standard response time when I ask a question or require clarification related to the project?

By asking this question upfront you’ll be setting the expectations out at the beginning of the relationship. You will know what works for you and if the response meets your expectations.

If you’d like to discuss your project with us, use the button below to schedule a 15-minute call with us when it’s convenient for you.

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