8 Factors to Consider when Choosing the Right Construction Company for your Project.
Choosing a construction company to plan and complete your project is a big decision. Whether you’re adding a new addition to your home or executing renovations on a commercial property, there are several factors that need to be considered. Our team at FMG Construction have outlined 8 key factors to research and assess before selecting a construction team and moving forward with your desired renovations and new construction.
1. Relevant Experience
One of the best markers of future success is past success. If a construction company recently and successfully completed a project with many similar elements as your own, there’s a good chance they can do it again. To evaluate which company has the best experience for your project, first determine what specific elements your project will entail. Look at the scope, the square footage, and the conditions under which the project will take place.
2. Project Team
While it’s vital to have an experienced company taking on your project, it’s certainly important that individuals who will be running your projects on a day-to-day basis have the skillset and experience necessary to company your project as well. Reviewing resumes for key contacts anticipated to lead your project allows you to evaluate your project team at a closer level to ensure they are in fact the right people for the job.
3. Testimonials, References, & Reviews
Testimonials, references, and reviews provide insight into what it’s really like to work with the company. Looks for mentions of the quality of their workmanship, their collaborative approach, and their willingness and ability to work through issues as they arise.
4. Assess Investment & Budget
When evaluating bids, it’s important you look at them holistically as opposed to just the bottom line. If one bid is significantly lower than others, you may want to take a deeper dive to find out why. Did that company miss something? Are they cutting corners now to get the project? While it can certainly be tempting to choose the team with the lowest bid, this could end up causing major headaches down the road. Hiring a construction company that considers other cost-related consideration is their ability and willingness to align with engineering, technical innovations, IT, and other value added abilities for your project.
5. Their Subcontractors
Construction companies use subcontractors to help them meet deadlines and scale. Quality subcontractors can be an essential key to scaling of a successful construction development firm. It’s important to inquire about their relationship subcontractors as well as their processes for qualifying new subcontractors they bring to work alongside them on-site.
6. Licensing, Bonding, & Insurance
You’ll want to be sure your construction companies are fully licensed to do work in your state, have bonds and proper insurance to take on your project. You can check this by requesting they provide a copy of their license in their proposal or qualification responses.
7. Safety
Safety is a major component in a successful construction project. Clear processes, safety measure sets, and Transparency for various safety-related markers, like EMR (Experience Modifier Rate) and OSHA 300 and 300a logs are key to ensuring safety is held to its utmost importance. You can also ask for information on their company safety policy and if they have a full-time safety officer. This is often a sign that the company takes safe work practices seriously, and they’re taking steps to educate their employees and implement effective safety programs.
8. Core Understanding of Construction Goals
The last, but probably most important thing you’ll want to look for in a construction team is that they’re committed to understanding and carrying out your vision from the project.
No matter what kind of building you’re creating or renovating, it’s more than just a floor, walls, and a roof. That’s why it’s important to hire a construction company that fully understands both short-term and long-term goals of your project and how fulfills the needs of your organization, or in the case of a residential project—the end vision for your home.
At FMG Construction Development, understanding your goals for your project is the first step in our construction process. We’ll use this to influence everything we do, from pre-construction to project closeout.
Subscribe to our email newsletter and learn about the latest tools and best practices to managing a construction company or your new construction project.
