Make the most of your home now more than ever! Our craftsmen are here for you.

Announcement

We are excited to announce that a long time Master Craftsman of our business is now the proud new owner; please join us in congratulating Earl Swader as the new owner of Handyman Connection of Blue Ash.  Earl has previous business ownership already under his belt and is looking forward to continuing to serve the Blue Ash community as the proud owner.

Learn More!
Picture of a man in a blue shirt and blue ball cap.

Uncategorized  /  July 28, 2021

Considerations for Searching for the Right Contractor

Building your dream home is a big investment in more ways than one. More than just the financial resources you will pour out, you will also have to invest a lot of time, emotions, and not to mention relational wherewithal. If you’re going to start a large-scale project such as building your dream home, you might also make sure you are working with the right people, for you will be working with them for months, if not years.

Now let’s be real: No contractor is perfect, but some are more suitable for your needs than others. Here are some key tips for finding the best possible contractor for your new home.

Make sure they have the necessary licenses and insurance

This is not something that immediately occurs to homeowners and homeowners-to-be. We often assume that a contractor and his team constantly have all the necessary paperwork to operate. Still, you might be surprised to know that plenty of contractors in the United States are not insured and licensed, especially since requirements vary from state to state.

Although it may save you some money to opt for a contractor without insurance or a license, you don’t have a fallback if something goes awry, leaving you with the burden of responsibility if anything goes wrong. And building your home is such a massive investment, you want to make sure that you’re hiring a contractor with all the necessary qualifications.

Find someone who works well with others

Relational skills might be at the bottom of the list for many homeowners, but it’s a necessary one if you want to work well together. You can ask potential contractors how they play with others, especially if you hire third-party suppliers for a special addition like horizontal fencing. How do they communicate with clients and people they work with?

Another way you can find out about the contractor’s attitude at work is by finding referrals from previous clients and current partners like vendors and subcontractors. It’s one of the best and most accurate ways to get an insight into how they work and if their professional style fits you and your partner.

Check if they have the time and energy to focus on your home

While we cannot expect that every contractor will have 100 percent attention to our home since many have other projects on the side, you can choose a team that does not have their hands full so that you can at least get a big fraction of theirattention. If they have too many projects on their slate, you might have to deal with having your home on the back burner for a while.

Clarify what the general contractor’s role is

While every team operates differently, one of the most important things you need to know is if the general contractor plays a big part in the day-to-day construction and building. Otherwise, they might be more focused on administrative tasks like training, budgeting, and scheduling. Regardless of what role the general contractor plays, you have to ensure that the operations will run smoothly whether he’s there or not.

Get a general idea of how their daily site management looks

If the general contractor is not always on-site, you have to make sure that things still run smoothly. If it’s not against their rules or guidelines, you can ask to visit one of their sites to have a glimpse of how their team works. Aside from getting reviews from people they work with, seeing firsthand how they work will also give you the information you need to see if they are the right fit.

Understand their timelines and budget per square foot

If the potential contractor promises things that seem too good to be true, chances are they are. A good contractor is someone who has worked on multiple homes before and knows what specific budgets and timelines work best with various numbers of square feet.

While the project budget and timeline are always subject to change when it comes to home projects, you still need to find someone who knows how to establish an estimate that makes sense so that you have a level of control over how much money you need to add as time goes by.

Your home is only as good as the people who plan and build it. Make sure you have the best possible team of architects, engineers, contractors, and other professionals on your side. This way, you don’t have to worry about your home falling apart too soon.

We Offer Project Consultations!

Request an Estimate