During the construction process

All of the choices have been made and the plans are finalized. What happens next? First, the GC – preferably two or three! – will provide you with a cost estimate. Once the budget is determined, the designated GC will get approval for the project from the local building authority.

Then, he will hire the appropriate trades, schedule their work and pay them after collecting the funds from you. In general, his fee will be incorporated into their bills so you will not pay him separately.

During the actual construction, the best GCs will visit the site regularly but are not usually onsite all of the time. There is just no need – the subcontractors know what they are doing and it is the GCs job to simply inspect the work after the fact.

It is also their responsibility to coordinate the activities of each of the subcontractors so that they clash as little as possible with each other. Throughout the project, the GC will also implement any changes that the homeowner wants instituted.

At the end of the project, the contractor will perform a walkthrough with the owner. It is at this time that the project owner will inspect the work and express any concerns. A “punch list” describing these problems is created and the GC will see that they are remedied.

Final payment is withheld until a final walkthrough is completed and the homeowner has no further concerns. Furthermore, the best general contractors in the Philadelphia area will follow up on the completed project in two or three weeks to see if the owner still finds everything about the completed project is satisfactory.

How to evaluate the Philadelphia Contractor

The first thing to look for in a GC is timeliness, organization and accuracy. These are obviously difficult qualities to assess in a person you do not know. Still, the way they handle themselves during the bidding process is n excellent indicator of how they will act if they actually awarded the job. The best GCs will arrive on time, be prepared with all of their paperwork and follow up in a timely manner. As a potential client, you should settle for nothing less.

Once the choices of GCs have been narrowed down to just two or three, the owner should be thorough in their checking of the GCs credentials. This task entails more than making a few calls to the references provided by the general contractor.

Although reference checking is an important step, the project owner should also be sure to contact the Better Business Bureau, their town’s Chamber of Commerce as well as the local building department to check on the reputation of the GC. Time spent on this process at the very beginning will reap huge rewards later on in terms of both lowered costs and lessened aggravation.