Choosing the construction company that is right for your new home build or renovation.

Through a proper screening process before hiring a contractor, you can be sure to find the right company to take care of your most valuable asset – your home.

What to look for is: 

• Referrals: One of the primary ways to find a good contractor is to speak to your friends and acquaintances. Their experiences might help you know who to contact and possibly who not to contact.

• Reviews: While sometimes not as accurate as you might like, they can help you get a feeling for how a company operates.

• Tradespeople: It can sometimes help to speak to tradespeople and certified professionals for their recommendations. Make sure they have worked with who they are speaking about and not just passing on industry noise.

• Once you have a name or two, ask them about their insurance – corporate and Worksafe and Home Warranty. And verify that they are a registered builder in BC.

• Ask about any warranties covering equipment, materials and labour.

• Provides customer references.

• Is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

• Once you have chosen a short list of contractors you might possibly work with, spend some time reviewing your ideas and plans with them. This will help you determine how smoothly a working relationship might be.

• Obtain written bids or proposals from the top one, two or up to three contractors.

• When hiring a contractor, it’s important that you are choosing them for the quality of their work and for their training and credentials rather than solely on price. There are a variety of consequences to hiring someone that is going to do a poor job with your new house or major reno. 

• Before you hire a contractor, clearly establish the scale of the project and a clear budget to work within. Write a reasonable description of the work you want done on your home. By doing so you will understand the scope of your project and you can find a contractor that will be the most suitable for the job. This detailed description should be given to potential contractors when you ask for a bid or proposal for your project.
• When hiring a contractor, it’s important that you are choosing them for the quality of their work and for their training and credentials rather than solely on price. There are a variety of consequences to hiring someone that is going to do a poor job with your new house or major reno.