Hiring a Contractor to Build Your Home

Congratulations! You are on track to building your new home.

Hiring a contractor to build your home is an excellent way to get everything started — from all the permits and paperwork to the schedules and communication with the subcontractors, even to the electrical, plumbing, and heating. You can also add a residential lift for a more convenient value such as West Coast Elevators. A contractor will help you oversee all of these things and ensure the construction is going smoothly.

Do You Need a Contractor?

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to act as their contractors. However, being a homeowner slash builder requires a lot of experience and time to make your home project successful. Among the many responsibilities are applying for an owner-builder exemption, signing the building permit application by yourself, planning and scheduling projects with reliable subcontractors, and knowing the building code.

If you’re not confident about all these things, don’t go the DIY route. Hire a contractor.

Tips You Need to Know in Finding a Contractor

Get Personal Recommendations

Ask your family, friends, and colleagues for personal recommendations on contractors that may have worked with recently. It is also a good idea to visit the lumberjack in your area and the local building inspectors to get recommendations on reliable contractors that they have worked with.

If this is not possible, you can also search online for available contractors like Ross North Homes. Don’t forget to check client feedback also.

Check the Credentials and License of Your Chosen Contractor

Once you have a list of contractors, contact them to confirm that they can work on a residential project similar to your home’s size and design. Also, request financial references and a list of previous clients whose home projects are similar to yours.

Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to find customer satisfaction ratings and the State Contractor Licensing Board to validate your contractor’s license.

Ask Your Selected Contractors to Submit Rough Estimates

If everything checks out, talk to your selected contractors, ask all the questions you might have, and ask them to submit rough estimates. Check if they have liability insurance. If possible, also visit the recently completed and ongoing projects of your contractor and request feedback from the property owners.

Prepare a Detailed Contract

When you have selected a contractor, prepare a detailed contract that includes all the project’s terms, the payment schedule, the materials, and other necessary information for your residential project.

Share this with your contractor and discuss areas of concern. Once everything has been agreed upon and reviewed, you and your contractor should sign it and have personal copies.

Final Thoughts

Hiring a contractor for your residential project will give you peace of mind. Getting professional help for your home’s construction is the best way to go about it. The fee for a contractor may not be on a cheap side, but this is because you are also paying for their years of experience, expertise, and professional network of reliable subcontractors.

As a homeowner, you can also do late-stage or post-stage contract projects to handle other parts of the project after the house’s actual construction. These include planting trees and grass, working on the walkways and building the patios, painting the house interior and exterior, installing carpeting and window treatments, and finishing the basement.