What can I expect?

Once, all of the choices have been made and the final plans are approved. The next steps are ready to be taken. 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 work phase, superior 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.

Responsibility

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.

Towards 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 Baltimore 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.

Evaluating your Baltimore General Contractor

Without a doubt, the first thing to look for in a GC is professionalism. Timeliness, organization and accuracy are paramount. While these are obviously difficult qualities to assess in a person you do not know, you can make some reasoned assessment about how a GC comports themselves during the initial contacts and negotiations.

In particular, how they handle themselves during the bidding process is n excellent indicator of how they will act if eventually 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 choice of GC has been decided, the owner still has a little bit of work to do. Most notably, they 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 licensed 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.