Interviewing Contractors- 10 Questions to ask when Choosing Your Builder

1. Do they have the proper insurance and licensing? Workers Compensation? Liability Insurance?
    
2. Will they be on site participating in the actual building (swinging the hammer) or are they more of a General Con- tractor (G.C.) who would oversee the site?
    
3. Do they have employees to do it all (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, ma- sonry) or do they employ sub-contractors?
   Sub-contractors are independent companies who are hired by the G.C. to work on specific details of your home.
    
4. If they use sub-contractors, ask for their names and call them to make sure you are comfortable with them.  Are the sub-contractors also insured?
    
5. Ask for referrals and speak to past customers. If possible talk to some that are in the process of construction and some that have been in their homes for a while. Ask how the builder helped to keep the project within their budget.
    
6. Does the contractor have access to equipment that they will need to unload delivery trucks at the home site? Many builders find that having an offroad forklift is beneficial to move materials from the truck to the site.This is especially important if your site is remotely located or difficult for tractor trailers to access.
    
7. How well did the contractor follow up? Did they return your calls or e-mails in a timley manner and answer your questions in a way that you were comfortable with?
    
8. Request a visit to a job site. Is it organized and neat? Are mate- rials not being used stored under cover?
    
9. Do they have experience with log and/or timber frame homes? Log and timber homes require slightly different home building techniques than a stick-built home.
    
10. Ask the contractor how they feel about “sweat equity” (a.k.a. homeowner involvement - usually including small jobs like paint- ing, staining, cleaning up the job site, etc...) Do they encourage participation? Homeowners who help with small jobs on site can potentially save thousands of dollars since those are things that the contractor doesn’t have to hire people to take care of.

For more information about choosing a builder or for elaboration on any of these questions, please contact your Beaver Mountain Building Consultant at 800-233-2770.