How should I evaluate my Tallahassee GC?

There are some very basic things that a general contractor should exhibit when they arrive to bid on your job and then for subsequent visits. In particular, they should arrive when they say they will, be organized when it comes to the project and be detail-oriented when it comes to the inspection process. This advice may seem simple but it indicates – from the start! – how the GC will deal with your remodeling project.

Secondarily, a project owner should take the time to do their due diligence on the GC that they hire. It takes very little time – and can save an enormous amount of money – to thoroughly check their credentials.. In particular, the project owner should inquire with the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce about the GC as well as verifying their licensing and insurance certificates. Finally, a few calls to any provided references can shed much information on how well the GC does their job.

What to expect before, during and after your Tallahassee Home Building or Remodeling project

As soon as the home or office owner makes their final decisions about such things as what they want where and what colors, fabrics and other materials will be used, the project can start to progress under the supervision of the general contractor. At the outset, the selected GCs – as many as you choose to use – will develop a cost estimate for the project.

It is important to understand exactly what their bid covers in terms of both materials and labor. In short, make sure that you are comparing “apples to apples“ in these bids. Once you have compared these bids and made a final selection, the project can move forward.

At this point, the GC will secure that all of the necessary permits for the project while also ordering the first round of materials. In addition, he will schedule the various subcontractors and arrange for a timeline of their activities. In general, you will see a lot of the building contractor when the subcontractors first arrive and then again when the work needs to be inspected.

In between, he will be attending to other off-site duties. At certain points, the GC will also conduct a “walkthrough” with the homeowner to show them the progress of the project as well as for quality control purposes.

At the completion of the project, the GC will perform a final walkthrough in tandem between with and the project owner. Something known as a “punch list” is created. If the GC has been carefully monitoring the project, this document will detail all of the minor problems associated with the job. It is then up to the GC to resolve these issues before the final payment is made.

Finally, your Tallahassee area home residential contractor should follow up on the completed project in two or three weeks just to ensure that no unexpected problems have developed.