Buying local series: General Contractor

Buying local series: General Contractor

When building a new home it is always best to buy from the local businesses in the area or community that you are constructing the home. No matter if it’s your summer home, second home or your primary residence buying locally always makes more sense. This time I’m writing about the reason you should be having your project managed by a general contractor locally, I’m talking about the local general contractor.

General Contractor:

Of all the different trades that I have written about in this Buying Local Series there is no more important part of building or renovating your home then the general contractor. Without a really good contractor it wouldn’t matter how good the rest of the trades are, the project will not run smoothly or at a high quality if the general contractor doesn’t know what they are doing.

A really good general contractor is not that hard to find, all you have to do is your homework. Since you should be trying to find a local general contractor you can start by talking to the local lumber yard and any local trades that you have had previous experience with and you trust. Check the internet, a good general contractor will have a website and this will tell you a lot about how organized and professional they will be. Ask for a list of references so that you can talk to their previous clients, the longer the list that they will give you, the more satisfied clients they will have.

Here are some reasons why you should look to hire a local general contractor;

·         They will know the trades that will give you the quality that you need and deserve.

·         They will know the local weather conditions and be able to advise you on what products do better in this climate and what products perform poorly.

·         Since they are local they use a lot of the same trades over and over again. This gives them some pull when it comes to getting the job done on time and when you require warranty work done on your house years later.

·         In the future once the project is finished, you will not have to go far to get repairs or warranty service.

·         If you plan to do a series of renovations overtime then they are always close to help you with the planning and executing of these projects.

·         They will know the ins and outs of the local building rules and can help you navigate through it to get your permit in a timely manner.

·         When they give you an estimate they will be able to factor in certain things like weather working conditions, soil conditions and some travel problems. These could end up costing you more money if you went with an out of the area contractor who will charge you extra.

·         You should be able to get them to give you tours of other projects they have done in your area so that you know the quality of work they do and the style that they are use too.

·         They employ local craftsmen; this can help you get to know the community and make new friends and neighbours.

·         Since they use local trades, they will be able to cut down the build time; they will know what trades are busy and what trades are available to do the work.

·         They will know where to get the best price on materials and the best quality of material.

In a world that keeps talking about going green; there is nothing more green then using local businesses. They do not travel as far to work, cutting down emissions, the money stays in the local economy and a lot of the material used on the project will not travel as far because it can be shipped from the source instead of being shipped to different locations.

Remember that the most important decisions that you will make when building a new home or renovating an older one is who you choose for your general contractor. The general contractor will be the one that makes or breaks your project and will be the one that helps it come together in a timely manner.

If you want to see what a quality general contractor should be check out our website www.villagebuilders.ca

If you require more information on general contractors email me at robabbott@villagebuilders.ca or if you have a project that you would like us to general for you feel free to contact me.

Rob Abbott

Operations Manager

Village Builders Inc.