Last week, we talked about the questions to consider when planning and executing a home addition – questions like added value, zoning issues, aesthetics and choosing a contractor. Now that you have a clear goal in mind, a budget set and your most of your questions have been answered, it’s to address the last one – Finding the Right Contractor.
Today, we’re going to provide some helpful tips for finding the best contractor to fit your project.
Tip #1: Research, Research, Research! – Much like back in Stage 1, research is a crucial first step in finding a contractor to handle the work of adding an addition to your home. You can start with a simple Internet search to locate contractors that service your area. Be sure to check that these contractors do the work that you’re looking to have done. Once you narrow down a short-list of potential contractors you start to dig a little deeper.
Tip #2: View portfolios of the contractors’ work – Once you have a short-list of contractors that specialize in the home addition that you’ve decided on, it’s time to look into the previous jobs that they’ve completed. Most contractors have an image gallery on their website that showcases their biggest and best projects, but you also want to check out some of their work on small projects as well. If you see a contractor’s work that you really like, contact them and ask to see the completed work in person. This “real world” research can help to determine if the quality of the contractor’s work is as good as it looks in the photos. It’s also smart to compare the quality of the work being provided before comparing the price – remember the old adage, “you get what you pay for.”
Tip #3: Research the contractor’s reputation – A contractor’s reputation is just as, if not more, important than the quality of their work. After narrowing down your list and comparing the work of each contractor on your short-list, it’s time to check out what other people are saying about the level of work proved by said contractor. Resources like the Better Business Bureau and your local State Attorney General’s Office can provide information on complaints files against contractors and often give consumers overall ratings regarding the business and their practices. Websites like Yelp! And Angie’s List provide customer feedback and reviews to help other consumers find the best quality service.
Tip #4: Set up initial consultations with your top three choices – From your short-list choose the three contractors that you feel have the quality of work and reputation that you’re comfortable with and set up an initial consultation to go over the detail of the jobs and to get an estimate. During this consultation, ask them to proved a list of references for similar work they’ve done so you can get an idea of what working with them will be like. In addition, this is the time to discuss timeline and expectations for the job.
Adding an addition onto your home is a big step and can be very stressful, but with our help and the tips and recommendations within this blog series, hopefully the process will be a smooth as possible and you will end up with the home addition of your dreams!
If you would like to make MDV Remodeling one of the contractors on your list of possibilities, give us a call or contact us today to get started. We can ensure you that once you have seen the quality of our work and how our unique process works, you will need to look no further.