How to ensure you get the best general contractor for a commercial project

by | Feb 19, 2016 | Construction and Maintenance

Large building projects undertaken for government agencies, schools, hotels, medical facilities and retail space can either go smoothly or become an ongoing headache, a great deal has to do with the contractor that is chosen to undertake the job. Things can go from bad to worse in the event the contractor that is tasked to do the job fails to communicate with the principal and fail to grasp the important goals and aspects of the business or agency. Although budgets are always tight, the lowest bid often is not the one that ends up giving the best value. If you are responsible for choosing the commercial contractor in Colorado Springs there are a few important tips that can help ensure the project is done right, done on time and is worry free from start to finish.

Reputation is paramount:

A general contractor takes full responsibility for the project; the best contractors are those that have a great deal of in-depth knowledge of the industry, communicate well, are responsive and set high standards for themselves. In this industry word of mouth is very important, it takes many years to build a solid reputation but very few years to destroy it. Every candidate must go through a detailed screening process, the number of years the company has been in business and the projects that have brought to a successful conclusion are very important; you need to choose from contractors that have plenty of experience in doing that which is needed. If your project has not yet been finalized you may want to consider looking for a general contractor in Colorado Springs that offers full design and build service, this capability will save both time and money.

Credentials:

Make it your business to interview previous clients of the contractor. Find out from these people if they were happy with the entire process including the company’s professionalism, attention to detail and their ability to complete the work on time and on budget. As commercial projects are ones of magnitude it is important that the contractor is financially stable, it is always a good idea to get a business credit report from D&B.

Price is not the primary consideration:

Once you have developed a short list of contractors that you feel are capable of doing the job it is now time to have them prepare detailed estimates based on your plans. To be fair each contractor must be provided with the identical material. The economy at the moment could be better; many companies will reduce their profit expectations while others may lower their costs by using sub-standard building materials or purposefully leaving items out which they will later introduce via a change order. Demand detailed bids; each bid should include the same thing so there are no surprises later on.

When you are preparing to build a new commercial building there are a great number of things that need to be taken into consideration. With 34 years of experience, iiCON Construction Group are now recognized as a premier contractor in Colorado Springs.

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