What Should I look for when Choosing a General Contractor?

Everyone has heard horror stories about shady contractors, or renovation projects gone wrong. So, in order to protect yourself against these nightmare scenarios, one of the best things that you, as a homeowner, can do is follow a thorough selection process when choosing which contractor to work with. Choosing the right contractor for your project is crucial to its success and can significantly impact both how stressful the process is, and ultimately, the overall quality of the final product.

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As a General Contractor ourselves, we’re likely biased about what makes a good contractor; however, we’re also well positioned to see what works and what doesn’t.   At Eagleview we’re obsessed with ensuring that our clients have a great renovation experience, and we work hard to make that a reality. Despite there being other amazing contractors out there who share that same goal, every year, we receive calls from homeowners who are stressed out beyond belief and in the throes of a dispute with their contractor. Many times, they have had to fire their contractor and are looking for assistance to get things back on track. While we endeavour to assist these folks, it often quickly becomes obvious that there were many red flags that were ignored early on, and had they been paid attention to, could have avoided a lot of pain and suffering.

So, here’s our best effort to summarize what you can do to confidently choose a fantastic contractor for your project:

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1. It Starts with You

• Begin by defining the intent of your project and what problems you are looking to solve.
• Set a budget. When heading into a renovation, know that you own your budget and stick to what you are comfortable paying for on a project. Any contractor should be respectful of that and take staying within those parameters very seriously. To assist with understanding what certain types of projects costs, please read our article titled “How Much Will My Renovation Cost.” It can also be helpful to speak with a financial advisor or mortgage broker very early in the process to assist in determining what you are able to spend.
• Understand your desired timeline for when you would like the work to be started and completed.

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2. Create a Shortlist of Potential Contractors

• Find out what type of contractor you need. To do so, please see our article on that.
• Gather recommendations from friends and family. Another source is finding contractors with high reviews and ratings online.

3. Interview Potential Contractors

• Ask about their process (hint: if a contractor doesn’t follow a set process or is willing to change their process based on your demands, that’s a red flag).
  • For design and build contractors, they should be able to clearly outline both the design process as well as the build portion of the project.
• Ask about their experience with similar projects (e.g. Similar sized projects and similar aged properties, etc.).  Or even ask to see examples of their past work.
  • Reputable contractors are very proud of their past projects and happy to show them off!
• Ask for references and check online reviews. A reputable contractor should be more than happy to provide you with past clients who can share their experiences.
• Ask about insurance and warranties. A reputable contractor will be able to easily summarize their insurance coverages and even provide a Certificate of Insurance if requested.
• Ask about who they use as subcontractors and how long they’ve worked with their trade partners.
  • A general contractor’s sub trades are integral to a project's success. A general contractor’s ability to maintain longstanding relationships with excellent trades is typically a strong indication that they are a competent contractor.
• Ask about affiliations and organizations that they are a part of. Organizations such as the Better Business Bureau and RenoMark require members to adhere to strict codes of conduct and provide proof that they are in conformity.
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4. Get it in Writing

• A reputable contract should put everything into writing that will clearly outline what they will be delivering, how you will pay for it, timelines that you can expect, and any other details that are pertinent to your project.

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5. Making a Selection

• In addition to everything above, it’s also important to ensure that communication style, professionalism and values of a potential contractor are in alignment with yours. Renovation projects are typically long-term relationships, so it’s critical that you will enjoy who you’re working with.
• Don’t just base your decision on price. There are so many aspects of a project that add value to a project than simply the initial price.