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Choose the ideal contractor in seven steps
The search for the ideal, high-quality contractor often entails a lot of headaches. How do you prepare as best as possible? We give you seven tips to make the decision a lot easier.
1. Be there on time
The best contractors are preoccupied the longest. A truth that stands like a house. Structural work contractors are often fully booked up to a year later. Especially the smaller companies. But the same also applies to contractors later in the (re)construction process, such as for your roof, screed or plaster work.
Don't let this put you off. This can also be an advantage. If you can only start within a few months, then you have – depending on the size of your project – plenty of time to compare the necessary quotes and prepare everything down to the last detail. If you have to start faster for certain reasons, make your choice extra carefully.
2. Keep your eyes and ears wide open
Word of mouth is working better than ever. Therefore, immediately ask about experiences in your immediate environment. Both good and less good contractors are quickly confused. Listen to your acquaintances, friends and family. Anyone who has had to deal with construction can immediately hand you a few contractors. You will soon notice that the same names often return.
Do you not immediately know someone with relevant construction experience? On the online building platform Build Your Home you will find a database of more than 14,000 reliable contractors. Currently performing Build Your Home a rating system that allows you to see in an instant what the experiences were like of their previous customers.
3. Use the web, but with a critical eye
Online you will find countless forums or review pages with comments about companies and contractors. Based on these experiences you can already form a first picture. Take these comments with a grain of salt. Criticism is quickly given, while a positive word is quickly taken for granted. And you can never be one hundred percent sure what the underlying reason for a complaint is. Also, do not blindly follow good comments. In short: be critical.
4. Check the financial situation
Do you already have some names in mind? First check their financial health. All contractors on Build Your Home are members of the Construction Confederation and are free from social and tax debts. Is your contractor not in the database? Check the financial status via the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises .
5. References, references and more references
Perhaps the most important tip. If the overall picture looks very good so far, the next step is to request references. Are you going to build a new building or renovate thoroughly? Request at least two references per structural contractor. What's more, call the residents in question and ask them if you can pay them a short visit. Because even if the end result is flawless, the collaboration may not always have been.
It is also a good idea for your exterior joinery, roofing and facade cladding to request references and, if necessary, take a closer look. With regard to the interior finish, this step is of course a little less obvious, although you can always request photo material from the contractor in question.
6. Meet with the contractor personally
Have you found some good candidates? Hopefully the price will be just as good. Ask each of them quotes on. Better yet: first meet with the contractor personally and go over your plans. This way you immediately have an impression of what meat you have in the tub. And maybe he has some extra tips that you haven't thought about yet. Your contractor will then prepare a non-binding offer based on your conversation.
7. Look beyond the price
Have the different offers been received? Be sure to compare apples to apples. And be sure to read your quote very carefully, including the fine print. Is something not quite clear? Then don't be afraid to ask for additional explanation.
And don't be blinded by the price. A much lower price is often just too good to be true, but “the more expensive the better” doesn't always work either. And again: are you 100% convinced of the quality of your contractor, but will it be fully booked in the coming months? Then it is probably worth the wait.
With these tips you are already taking a good first step towards a quality contractor. Ready for the quest? Build Your Home collects all the information you need in one place. For example, you can not only contact contractors directly for a quote or place an order with several suitable contractors in your region, but you also immediately get the latest news about lifestyle, trends, premiums and tax benefits. Do you want to know which rights and obligations you have as a (re)builder? Then you can also go to Build Your Home for this.