3 Questions to Ask a General Contractor for a Home Project in Westerville and Bexley, OH
When choosing a general contractor for your Westerville and Bexley, OH, home or landscape project, there is some crucial information that you need to know before signing on the dotted line. These questions can help you determine if a general contractor is right for you.
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What is Your Process?
Understanding the process that your general contractor will take can eliminate the kind of confusion and unanticipated expenses that can occur. The following aspects of a process could be included in the approach that your contractor takes.
Site Visit: For a landscape project, the site visit can allow your contractor to gather critical information such as available space, wind patterns, and sunny and shady spots. Other considerations can be the grade of the land, structures that will stay in place, and privacy factors. The site visit is also an excellent way for the contractor to assess any potential challenges or issues that will need to be overcome.
Attention to Detail: When you decide to hire a general contractor for a major project, you are doing so because you want the company to handle it all—from the start of the project to the final cleanup and walkthrough. It saves you from having to deal with multiple contractors and navigate all the schedules and supplies issues that will arise. Be sure the company you hire is organized and attentive to the details—because that will ensure your project will run smoothly and as timely as possible.
Installation: After the purchase of materials, the work site will be prepared and the logistics of each worker should be managed in a timely manner, all while keeping you informed of what to expect.
Completion: As the home or landscape project comes to a close, you should receive any warranty information about materials from your general contractor and information about what to do in the unlikely event that a problem occurs. Instructions for care and maintenance of your landscape feature should be clear.
What Are Your Certifications?
The certifications that a general contractor holds can be as valuable as insurance as they show you that this is a professional company that is invested in ongoing learning, accountability, and knowledgeable of the latest best practices and technologies in the field.
Certifications that can make a substantial impact on the service you receive can be snow and ice management, landscape industry certification, expert greenery certification, and state builders association.
Do You Have Insurance?
Even the most skilled landscape contractor cannot anticipate accidents or issues that might arise unexpectedly during a project, and this is why having adequate insurance can be worth asking about before you sign a contract.
Property and liability insurance can minimize the risk you take on when having work being done on your property. For instance, if a crew member is hurt while working on your landscape or a piece of machinery malfunctions, the burden would fall on the company and not on your out-of-pocket-expenses. Fortunately, when you decide to work with a reputable general contractor, such mishaps are not something to be concerned about. Their job revolves around keeping their crew and your home safe, while constructing and putting in place features that will make your everyday living more enjoyable, such as a new playroom, kitchen, or patio/outdoor living space.
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About the Author
In 2017, David C. Ludolph II and Kody G. Kavanagh joined forces to create PropertyWorx—one of Central Ohio’s leading full-service property solutions companies. With combined experience of over 50 years, we pride ourselves on taking both residential and commercial properties to the next level, by providing home and business owners with all they need to update, transform, and tend to their properties.
