Finding a General Contractor
There are many ways to find a general contractor. Let's look at three of the most popular.
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Perhaps you have a friend, neighbor or business associate who has used a general contractor and been pleased by their work and price. This is someone whom you should definitely contact to bid on your project.
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There are numerous services available online that can find a general contractor in your area to bid on your project. Two such services are ImproveNet and ServiceMagic. It is important to keep in mind that the contractors who use these services pay a set fee for agreeing to get the detailed information on your project. Initially they are provided just your location and the general type of project involved. Once they express interest in your project they are provided with the more detailed information that you have provided to the service. It does, however, cost them anywhere from $50-$100 for this information. If you decide to use one of these online services, and if a contractor expresses interest in your project, it is simple courtesy to allow the contractor to bid on your project, since he has already paid a fee for the right to contact you.
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Perhaps the least desirable means to find a general contractor is to look in your local yellow pages. Your yellow pages are most likely filled with multiple listings for general contractors. Your natural tendency may be to call the contractor with the flashiest ad. In reality, that may be the worst choice you can make. Some of the best contractors don't need to advertise. They get enough business from referrals.
Finding a general contractor is not easy. Don't be surprised if many that you contact never return your call. In many ways this is a sellers market and many contractors have enough business lined up to keep them busy for months. A standard recommendation is that you get bids from at least three contractors.
Getting a Bid and Choosing Your Contractor
You may think that each contractor will come out to your home, discuss your project with you, review your plan and then leave to prepare their bid. Much to my surprise, and probably yours also:
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You'll probably find that some contractors appear only marginally interested in the details of your well thought-out plan, and then when you're finished telling them what you want, they walk away, pull out a calculator, return and hand you a business card with a number on the back representing their bid.
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It's not they don't want your business. Many contractors bid on projects based solely on the square footage and type of work to be done. These bids are sometimes accurate, but more often they are either much too high or too low depending on the specialty items included in your project. If their bid is too high then they make extra money. If their bid is too low, they often use lower quality materials to complete the job.
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I would advise you to avoid any contractor who merely writes a number on a business card. The bid we accepted for our project was presented by Piselli & Rayer. It was a very detailed, itemized, multi-page proposal. It was also, not so surprisingly, right in the middle of the other two bids, both of which were written on the back of business cards.
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A large part of selecting your contractor has as much to do with comfort level as it does with the price. If you get a good feel for one of the contractors, that is probably as important as anything else. How receptive is the contractor to your questions and wishes? How available is the contractor to your calls? If you have a hard time reaching him now, think about how hard it will be after he has finished the project?
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Be sure to insist on references. A good contractor will provide numerous references along with their proposal. Some will tell you that they'll be glad to give you references, yet they never do. Others will actually tell you that once you sign the contract, they'll give you a list of references. Get the references along with the bid and call several of those listed. If you wish, ask to see the actual work that has been done.
Before your sign that final contract you'll need finance your project. Unless you're paying cash, you'll need to secure a loan. It's actually much easier than you might think, but just wait until all of these emails and phone calls start coming.
Join us for "Building Your Home Addition - Part 2," where we discuss securing your loan, signing the contract and then, finally, breaking ground.
If you live in the Greater Philadelphia area and wish to contact Piselli and Rayer Contractors, Inc. they can be reached at (610)-496-7050.
