# Choosing a contractor



## Nathan (Dec 5, 2003)

Thanks Grumpy, great information!

I'll post this in the HOW TO GUIDES tonight.


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## Nathan (Dec 5, 2003)

*This DIY - How To Guide by Thomas Kral has been published and can be found here: **Choosing a contractor**

If you have any questions about this guide please post it here in this thread.

Thanks
*


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## hatchet (Dec 13, 2003)

Very well written Grumpy. I just wanted to add a couple more items to it - actually just extensions of what you wrote.
In regards to the "Who to bid to" - you can also ask your architect.
As for "What to ask" - make sure you ask them about what other projects they have scheduled in the timeframe you are wanting your home built.
Follow that up with who, and how large the workforce will be on your home - go as far as getting names. Then ask what experience those people have had with your type of home. This will force them to really think about what they have scheduled and where these individuals will be at that time. I consider this line of questions the pre-qualification (as Grumpy does) and suggest making up a question sheet before you call them so you can ask the same questions of all the contractors - apples to apples.
I suggest never taking an estimate over the phone. A method that works very well for me is write up a scope of work for your selected contractors to bid. This way you will have apples to apples. I consider the "apples to apples" the most important part of the bid process. If you just say well here is my plans and specifications please bid it - it'll be pretty much impossible to compare prices. Each contractor will give you their bid in a different way .. one will have it on a napkin, another will have a form letter with a number at the bottom of it, and another will have it broken down into divisions or by major phase of the work (concrete, framing, etc). My suggestion is to give them a "bid package" that includes the plans and specifications, a scope of work (mostly this is for items over and above the plans that you would like included), the bid form that you want the bid provided on (your architect can help with the layout of this form), and an information form that they fill out with all license #'s, phone, fax, email, address, insurance policy #'s.
The scope of work should have items like "Provide all materials, labor, etcetc to complete the construction of the home per attached architectural plans and specifications, dated xx/xx/xxxx, drawn by Mr Architect, attached structural plans, dated xx/xx/xxxx, drawn by Mr Engineer, etc..etc." This way they can't come back on you for something that should have been included in the plans. 
Take a second to talk about specifications - your architect should supply you with some type of spec for each item being installed in the home. If a full blow spec is not created then you could refer to a room finish plan where all the items are called out. So if you want a 50 year shingle made by GAF that's what you put in the specs or somewhere in the plans. If you don't specifically state what the material is you leave it open for interpretation and therefore have the chance of bidding apples to oranges.
Also include any administrative activities that they will need to perform like "a weekly safety meeting should be held with a form being provided to owner/architect showing attendees and subject", or "It is mandatory to attend a weekly coordination meeting", or "All OSHA guidelines will need to be followed as it pertains to fall protection". Anyway enough of that - all the details that are not on the plans and specifications should be outlined. In the cover letter of the bid package you will state the instructions to bidders that outlines the time and place the bids need to be delivered. You may also put a timeframe for interviews of the final x contractors will take place. I personally wouldn't put that in there but instead say "Final x contractors will be called, in a timely manner after the bids have been accepted, for a final interview." And then after all the bids have been accepted I would interview all the contractors regardless of price. Each one will have a different take on how they bid the job and some will have advice on items that maybe another contractor has missed and that's why their bid is higher or lower. All that will come out in the interview process. Again make up an agenda and keep it the same for all the interviews - apples to apples.
Also ask for a list of references to be included in the bid submission - then make sure to call all of them. Again make up an apples to apples comparison for the references when speaking with them. By now you should have a good sized file on each of the contractors to base a sound decision on.
As Grumpy states above you need to make sure and go through the interview process so you can see what you can Trust face to face. You will be working very closely with this company during the construction of your home and for awhile after it's done so you'll want to pick someone you can sit across the table from.
Now when you receive all the bids you should be able to scan straight across from one to the next sheet and see that they've all bid the same thing. If one doesn't include an item, either fill it in with an architectural budget or find the highest number from the other contractors and enter it. I will make up a bid tab that colates all the information from the scope sheet and puts all the contractors numbers into one sheet. This makes it very easy to review with your architect or other consultants.
That's how I do it anyway, for what it's worth.


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## Grumpy (Dec 12, 2003)

Hatchet, though my guide was for choosing a contractor from building a new home down to changing out a single window, I was trying to be generic to cover the broadest scope. 

I agree with everything you have brought up, very helpful advice!


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## hatchet (Dec 13, 2003)

Sorry about that - I tend to get carried away with bidding. It's such a huge part of what I do everyday - the company I work for drills it into you everyday on how to shed risk (aka CYA). I guess I don't blame them when you're dealing with 150million dollar projects.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2003)

*Building inspector*

Very good information, I wish to include the homeowner ask if a building permit is required and who pays for it. In my town it's a $ 700.00 fee for building with out a permit plus the permit fee


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## EmPerry (Apr 28, 2011)

It is helpful that people have to practice security like in choosing someone that probably will enter at your house. Doing a background check or knowing the contractor license is really helpful to avoid scams and making your home at risk, well for me its not bad to investigate the person that will work for me either.


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