Investing time and money into your home can be stressful. So it’s important to find people that share your vision and work well with you when you do so.
When you find a contractor to work with you on your home, you want to make sure they’ll do a great job. One way to do this is to make sure your contractor is qualified. If you’re looking for a contractor to work on your home, here are five qualifications they should have.
1. Previous Experience
One of the tell-tale signs of having a qualified contractor is their previous experience. The type of experience that your contractor needs to have will vary depending on the project you are working on.
If you are working on commercial properties, you won’t want your contractor’s background to be residential and vice versa. You should come up with specific parameters for your project and see how well those line up with your contractor’s previous experience.
If you are working on something specific like a concrete pier foundation project, you will want to make sure that your contractor’s previous experience includes concrete work.
Every contractor will have a different specialty, and their previous experience can reveal those specialties and areas of expertise. If you are looking at contractor companies, you can also look into how long the company has been around and any reviews you find along the way.
2. Strong Team Structure
When looking for a contractor, you’ll want to understand the structure and workflow of their team. When connecting with contracting companies, you’ll need to know who your point of contact is and how they manage their team. You’ll also want to know if they have a wide network of subcontractors that they may bring onto your project.
A strong contracting team will have great communication skills. Their point of contact will also be able to bring in the right resources to flawlessly complete your project.
3. Licensing, Bonding, and Insurance
Any contractor you work with needs to have a valid license and insurance policy. Not only does this protect the contractor but it protects you in the case of an injury or emergency during the project.
A qualified contractor will be able to provide you with a certificate of insurance. A construction bond is another good qualification to look out for as well. You can also look to see if your contractor has a construction bond. It will protect investors in a project in case there are disruptions or financial losses if a contractor doesn’t finish a project.
If you find that your contractor does not have the proper insurance or licenses, you can be liable for anything that happens on the property. So it is in your best interest to find a contractor that is covered for your project.
4. Safety Measures
Construction projects come with inherent risks. It doesn’t matter if you are working on the project, or someone just passing by. Anything can happen on a construction site. A qualification of a contractor you should look for is their dedication to safety on the job.
If you work with a contracting company, you can look into if their work is up to OSHA guidelines and how they’ve handled any discrepancies in the past. A qualified contractor will always go by standard construction safety guidelines throughout a project. Not only does this mean that the job site will be safe for workers, but that your build is up to all safety requirements in your area.
5. Respect for Your Project
While this isn’t a license or requirement for a contractor, you should be looking for a contractor that respects you and your project. The job may go over schedule or hiccups may occur along the way. A qualified contractor will be able to communicate with you respectfully about everything going on on the job.
Communication is key in construction projects. Knowing that you can talk to your contractor about any concerns throughout the project will help ensure your project will get done well.
Conclusion
Qualified contractors will be more than happy to share their work with you. Whether it’s past work or client reviews as well as licenses and insurance, a qualified contractor will have it all.
At the end of the day, it’s about finding a contractor that communicates your needs well. And delivers a great product. Now, get out there and find a qualified contractor for your project needs.
