Choosing a general contractor is not a job to take lightly. You need to consider experience, state registration status and communication skills when you interview contractors and start accepting bids. Many people who choose based on price alone end up burned in the end. Here is why you need to take your time to choose the best general contractor in Austin, TX for your remodeling or home design project:
• Trust: Saving money offers little comfort when you decide on a shady character on price alone. Remodeling often occurs while you are still at work, or there will be times when it is best for you not to be at home. Basically, unless you work at home, you cannot supervise a contractor all the time. If a contractor does not make a good impression, go with your feelings and do not hire them. The impacts from bad contractors can become expensive and stressful, which makes that low price much less desirable.
• Experience: There is always a chance that something unexpected will happen. A construction flaw within your walls could force a contractor to change plans or make a repair before building an addition. You want experience so these situations are recognized and solved.
• Thoroughness: Spend enough time on review sites online and you may find instances where a contractor wanted to get the job finished and get paid—leaving skipped steps and mistakes in the process. It may mean one wall in a room is left un-insulated, or a kitchen faucet drips even though it is new and only recently installed. Good contractors take the time needed to finish work correctly and give you accurate timelines as to completion.
• Communication: If anything delays construction or project completion, a good contractor does not leave you guessing. They tell you of the contingencies and the cost of addressing them, if that increases the amount of the original estimate. Renovations are frequently stressful because you may be denied access to parts of your home for a while. There is no need to suffer further from not knowing what is going on with the project.
• Expense: A cheap estimate can become a big expense later. When walls fail, lighting shorts out and cabinets start to become loose, that is a repair job for a better contractor. Your once low estimate now becomes a liability, and you end up having to spend more. When you hire a reputable contractor, the price will reflect the quality or work and expertise. In this industry, you get what you pay for, so be cautious of low estimates.
• Legal protection: A good contractor is registered with the board, carries workers’ compensation and liability insurance and pays into a bond. If anything goes horribly wrong, these measures assure you have a remedy and your homeowners’ insurance goes untouched. Contractors who fail to cover these items expose homeowners to liability and offer no remedy if they fail to finish the job or perform shoddy work.
Watermark & Company is a reliable and skilled general contractor in Austin, TX. We are a full-service design and build firm. Call us today to assist with your renovation ideas.