Everyone knows there are good contractors and bad contractors in the industry. You want to make sure you have a good, competent contractor working for you so that you know the work will be done right the first time with as few issues as possible.
What is it that separates the good from the bad and what should you watch for to know your contractor is doing their work right?
It all comes down to the questions they ask in the pricing phase, their planning and organization, and finally and most importantly for the long run, the detailing of their completed work.
Questions
It starts in the pricing phase where it is important to pay attention to what, if any questions the contractors asks.
Are they asking many questions that are clearly answered in the specifications and drawings, or are they not asking questions at all? Be warned! It sounds like they are not spending the time to thoroughly go through the information that has been provided them. They may not fully understand what work needs to be done and are at a high risk for missing something in their pricing.
If the contractor is asking thoughtful questions about specific items that haven’t been covered in the specifications and drawings be thankful. They are going through them in depth and are thinking deeply about how they will complete the work.
Planning and Organization
The difference between a stressful and a stressless project is often in the planning and organization.
A good contractor will fully understand the project, how long it will take to complete each portion of the work, what the unknowns and potential issues are, and what needs to be done to minimize those potential issues.
When asked for a 3 week look ahead as to what should be completed, a good contractor will be quick to respond with an understandable summary of what work is scheduled to be done.
Most importantly with work affecting multiple units, a good contractor will give sufficient notice to each unit owner providing information as to when work will be completed, what will be affected, and what the owner might need to do to prepare for the work.
Detailing
They say the devil is in the details. When it comes to remediation contracting it is the quality of the detailing that determines how well the completed work will function. With water entry, it is the detailing that determines whether or not precipitation will be properly managed and kept to the outside of the structure.
The rub with trying to verify proper detailing is that most of it is covered up as the work is completed. It is important to communicate well with contractors and ensure all vital detailing is adequately reviewed and verified before it is covered up.
When it comes to detailing there are 3 major traits that must be verified to ensure your Contractor is doing the work right:
- All detailing must match the details provided in the drawing set. Details that have not been drawn must be verified on site by the consultant.
- All lapping of membranes and flashings must be completed so that the upper component laps over (outwards of) the lower component.
- Detailing must be continuous with no gaps exposing the underlying structure with sufficient lapping at all junctions.
All good contractors make a noticeable effort to get the detailing right and are more than willing to correct any mistakes. Trust your gut if you feel your contractor is trying to cover up poor detailing and properly correct it. A good contractor has nothing to hide and will ensure the work is done right and to the satisfaction of the consultant and owner.
At Taylor Construction, we have been working in the remediation industry for many years.
- We know how to review and accurately price a bid package.
- We know what questions need to be asked.
- We know how to plan and organize a project so that it can be executed smoothly and efficiently.
- We know detailing and the time and attention that is required to get it right.
If you would like to have us bid on your next project, click the button below to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
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