In one word: Trust. Of course you’ll need to cover all the basics, license, insurances, references etc. But if someone does carry all it doesn’t guarantee you a success.
We do interior construction clean up and move outs. I think the biggest concern is guaranteeing the work for the customer. We stay until the job is completed to the satisfaction of the customer and signed off - whether it’s a private home or a major construction project. If an inspector will be in at a later date (military housing etc.) we come back if they find anything wrong. To me that’s what the job calls for.
Whether or not they are licensed, bonded and insured.
We are a general contractor in ND and we find that people are the most concerned about how you manage sub contractors. Because our company is designed around managing a complex project so the customer doesn’t have to, I think that also makes some people feel nervous about where their money is going and whether they got the best possible deal. I think this is only managed by firm reputation, and a long time of doing high quality work, and keeping sub-contractors to a minimum where possible. This is also supported by word of mouth after you have done a lot of good work. The more services we can provide in-house, the less worried our customers seem to be!
Making sure that they are licensed, insured, and able to pull permits.
I agree with trust. I always tell my customers that price will all be roughly the same but you must work with someone you feel will work with you the best and gets you. price can always be negotiable.
I think a combination of an ethical company and one that has knowledge. Ask for referrals, and seek out a company that takes the time to ensure all of your questions are answered. I think a right priced company is important too. If they charge too little there won’t be margin to come back and fix things if there are Issues and they might go out of business if they aren’t charging enough.
Check referrals. Online and from your network. Better if there’s both. Also when getting an estimate. A good company will provide a hassle free estimate. While also going over everything in detail and providing a great experience. Regardless if you move forward with them or not.
Most definitely check past work and make sure that they are able to verbalize your ideas and make them happen.
In our opinion when you are hiring a contractor you should consider not only one, 3 main things.
- Quality of the work done on the previous jobs (check the finished jobs in person and talk with referrals)
- Make sure write down the timeline to finish the project and add a late penalty clause.
- Always pay for the contractor stage by stage after completion and get approved from city. Never pay huge down payments before starting the work or in the middle of the work.
As a General Contractor I find that clients after checking your credentials they move onto trust, that first impression of you as the image of your company. They prefer someone that they can connect to and that shows them they’re knowledgeable in within the first few minutes of conversation, how you answer their questions, giving them opportunity to check references, leaving an informational binder along with your business card. We’ve noticed that most clients tend to go with proposals that are neither the lowest nor the highest but even when my numbers were higher than someone else’s they preferred my company because I connected with them and gained their trust from the get-go.
The concern is will the job be Done in a proper way and if there is a problem will the contractor be able to resolve any issues or will he just vanish.
Customers tell me this all the time because a lot of time I come in when someone else had butchered a job and never finished it.