Important Questions to Ask When Choosing a Commercial Contractor

 Building a commercial space is quite a daunting task for most business owners. It may make you feel more intimidating if you haven’t gone through the process before. However, if you know what you need to ask from your general commercial contractor before you hire them, you can be at more peace with the entire process.

Even if it is not your first time looking for a general contractor and you’ve hired multiple contractors before with varying success, you must still need to know about the important questions and need to ask your potential contractors.

Below are the questions you must ask a commercial contractor before you choose them. It can help you pave the way to greater success in your project.

How long have they been in business?

Working with a contractor with enough experience to handle the commercial project efficiently is essential. You would not want to get stuck with an inexperienced contractor who may leave you with higher project costs than undelivered projects, missed deadlines, poor construction, and more.

Hence, you need to be forward with your potential contractor and ask them about their credentials (insurance and license), duration of their being in business, their past projects, and the success rate of those projects. These questions will help you better understand your contractor’s experience in the industry. In addition, it will help you choose the best company for the job.

Have they worked on projects similar to yours?

It is one important question to ask your potential contractor. The reason is that it is highly likely that you would not want to hire somebody who doesn’t know about handling the specific project. In addition, different commercial contractors possess varying specialties, and it is essential to find the one who has dealt with the projects just like yours. For example, if a contractor only specializes in remodeling restaurants, they may not be a good fit to build your new office building.

Are the subcontractors reliable?

General contractors contract their work to the subcontractors. They may do this for many reasons like they do not operate in your area, projects require specialized knowledge, or you need to finish your project before a specific deadline. In these cases, hiring subcontractors proves beneficial for both contractor and client.

However, when we talk about general contractors, it is sure that they are only strong as their weakest subcontractors. Like, if your contractor lacks reliable subcontractors or cannot make them perform their work efficiently to deliver a high-quality project on time, you need to explore the other options as well definitely. Moreover, you should ensure that the contractor has project managers who can oversee the work that the subcontractors are doing to ensure that it is done correctly.

What will be the project cost and your payment schedule?

The project cost will vary depending on several factors. Therefore, you’ll need to speak with your contractor to determine the budget of your specific construction plans. Moreover, you must understand how the contractor will bill you for the project. Finally, it is crucial never to pay upfront for the entire project as it may lead to many problems later. Instead, you can start with the down payment, move to the progress payment, and finally, the final one.

How long will the project take to complete?

You and your contractor must be on the same page regarding the project’s delivery date and timeline. Therefore, ensure that the contractor communicates clearly and commits a delivery date with you about whether they can or cannot deliver the work in time.

Conclusion

It is essential to ask these above 5 questions before you hire a commercial contractor. The reason is that it will help you understand how the contractor works and if they’ll be able to help you with what you need for your project.