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Whether it’s a home or commercial project, hiring a general contractor in Seattle, WA, can make or break the project.
The right one can bring your dream to life, whereas a wrong choice of contractor can cause major mistakes and errors, costing you extra money & time.
Therefore, it’s important to spend some time finalizing a general contractor and ensuring they are actually the right fit for your project. But here comes the question – how do you actually finalize one contractor when there are hundreds of them in Seattle?
To help you make a decision, we have given a proper checklist, verified by our experts, to help you decide what to check before hiring a contractor. Let’s get into the details below!
While the list can be never-ending to finalize a Seattle general contractor, we have rounded it up in 7 important steps below:
The next thing you can do is search online by typing “General contractors in Seattle” and check on Google My Business listings. From there, visit their website to access information about them. Make sure to assess them properly by reviewing their work, services, and other factors, as we’ll discuss ahead.
The first step is to begin your research and shortlist contractors. First thing you can do is take referrals from family and friends who have worked with them. Referrals are usually the easiest and safest way since your family and friends have first-hand experience working with them.
Once you have shortlisted at least 5-6 GCs (General contractors), get estimates from them. Usually, General contractors in Seattle, WA, offer free estimates to their clients, depending on your requirements. From free estimates, you can get an idea of which GCs fit within your budget.
Ask your contractor if you can see their license. A licensed GC is better than someone with no license or permit to carry out the work. Having a license will also protect you against any negligence or fraud by the contractor. This usually goes to a certain amount depending on the local laws. Furthermore, ask them for the contractor’s bond, which guarantees that they will work and complete your project in accordance with their contract.
In addition to all this, we recommend working with a local general contractor from Seattle. Generally, when a problem arises, local contractors are easy to contact. Moreover, since they are local, they will know the ins and outs of the work, have needed contacts, and know all the things about your city. Therefore, if your priority is producing high-quality work, opt for a local contractor who is licensed and bonded.
A General Contractor needs to have prior experience in order to execute the work properly. Without prior experience, it may not be the right choice for you to go ahead with them. This is because it takes years of experience in the industry to carry out a project (large or small) successfully.
When looking for a GC in Seattle, look for their experience. Check how much prior experience they have and their past work. You will often find this online or even when talking to them. In case it’s not available on their website, you can ask them to show proof of work.
In addition, we also recommend visiting their current work site so you can see their work in real time. Most of them allow you to visit their worksite to check the quality of their work.
As your list begins to narrow, request a meeting with your GC. Make sure you do it in person to understand each other better (if possible). During the meeting, do not hesitate to ask all your doubts and questions to them.
Some of the most important questions you should definitely ask your general contractors include:
You would want your GC to have proper insurance. If you go with a contractor without insurance, you will be liable to bear all the losses if something happens during the project. Although it’s rare, the possibility may put you at financial risk. Therefore, ask the general contractor for their license and bonding.
Every GC must have a certificate of insurance (COI). This COI offers policy number, name, and limits. Once you have reviewed their certificate of insurance, verify it with the insurance company. You can see if the policy is still in effect, coverage, and any limitations you should be aware of. This helps in the long run to be on the safer side for your project.
Lastly, once everything is done, you might want to take your time to evaluate them one by one. Remember, rushing to make a decision and finalizing a contractor can do more harm than good for your project. After all, you don’t want to end up in trouble or regret your decision later.
Therefore, once all the above factors are ticked off and you have begun with finalizing one contractor, assess them properly. First, begin by comparing the quotes of each one. When checking for quotes, don’t always go with the one with the “lowest” cost. Also consider the services that they are providing in the budget, their past work, experience, and quality.
If there are additional good services, do not hesitate to pay a few dollars extra. Furthermore, don’t hesitate to negotiate with them and finalize the price. Once done, keep everything in writing with you. Ensure that you document all information about each contractor in writing. This will help you in making a final call.
Renovating your home? Check our detailed guide and get tips for remodeling your home in Seattle.
Hiring a general contractor is not as easy as it seems. Many people take months to shortlist one, and that’s totally okay. Because hiring the wrong one can ruin your project, it’s safer to take your time.
Our checklist above will help you make the final decision and ensure you hire the right general contractor for your project in Seattle. Thoroughly evaluate them using the checklist above, and let us know if we missed anything.
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