Finding and hiring the right builder

Your choice in builders, whether they’re independent or commercial, is probably the most important decision you’ll make when constructing or remodelling your home or office. Working with the right people can be the difference between a job which comes in on time and budget, as opposed to a job which tests both your wallet and your patience. Whether you decide to go with a big multi-national company or an independent one from down the road, the information in this article should help you make the right decision.

What should I look for when choosing a builder?

In any field, good building companies build a strong word-of-mouth reputation. This is especially true amongst the construction industry. Finding builders needs to be done carefully.

• Make sure that you read testimonials where possible and ask to speak to former clients.
• Ask former clients if their final costs matched their initial quote.
• Find out about the ease of the process from the customer’s point of view. A good builder will make a project easy and often fun. A client’s happiness and overall should always be a builder’s number one priority with any project or job he is undertaking.
• Ask former clients whether their projects were completed on time. If a customer reports delays, find out whether the problem could’ve been avoided by the builder or not. Delays are too expected, but they shouldn’t ever be down to the builder.
• Ask former clients about the quality of the work completed. Attention to detail and a superior level of craftsmanship are critical in these areas. You want to make sure the aesthetics of all work completed are up to your standards.
• A builder’s experience in your type of project should be a high factor when deciding who to choose. Try and find out how long the firm has been in business. What sort of projects they typically take on? How many of these projects can they complete in the average year?

How should I go about finding the right builder for me?

There are many different ways you can go about choosing a builder. I would recommend that you start by asking a friend for recommendations. Perhaps they’ve recently had some work done. Even if their choice was a bad one, it’ll help you know who to avoid.

You could also try and look at houses or buildings that you find appealing. Perhaps try and do some research on the particular building and find out which company built it, or had a part of its construction.

Overall

The Internet is going to be one of your best bets in terms of vast opportunities. There are several firms that have got themselves on the Internet and each one is going to try and sell you their service. I would recommend that you do some research on the ones you like, perhaps do a comparison for the budget and time scale. The best business will also be able to answer any questions that you might have about their work.