For DFW construction contractors, business is bustling. Scroll through the projects listed on The Dallas Business Journal’s Crane Watch and you’ll see a huge number of current and pending projects. For each of these jobs, critical decisions are being made by builders, preconstruction directors, and estimators as to who they will partner with. The “who” is more important than the how when it comes to success.
Timelines and budgets are the lifeblood of construction projects. As a project planner and manager, time and money are paramount to all of your plans and decisions, but never at the expense of quality. The guidelines below provide some ways to qualify the kinds of contractors who will help ensure the success of your next project.
Look Two Levels Deep
When you choose vendors or construction contractors, you’re also choosing to work indirectly with their partners and the accountability cascades from there with each party they involve. It makes good business sense to see that your contractors are using reliable vendors, but how can you know for sure that they and their vendors have sufficient infrastructure in place?
Here are two major considerations:
● Cover the basics first. Do your homework to ensure you’re working with a trustworthy company with an extensive history of good work. That means doing background checks, asking for references, and verifying the company’s insurance.
● Look for a specific experiences. When you have a job that you need done correctly, at or under budget, and on time; it’s critical that you hire a company that you can trust. This is particularly important if you’re a commercial company, and have multiple contractors on deck waiting for the concrete to be poured correctly and on schedule. The DFW concrete contractor you choose should be capable of providing the basics, such as concrete foundation systems (like slabs and basements), concrete paving solutions (like driveways & sidewalks), and ancillary concrete solutions (like stairs and retaining walls).
Keep a List of Qualifying Questions
In addition to the considerations above, it’s important to keep a list of questions you ask anytime you’re considering a new partner, and add to it when you encounter a painful lesson. It’s best to ask these questions in person, but the important thing is to ask them upfront. Don’t allow the urgency of the project to cause you to make hasty decisions.
Here’s a list of questions we find helpful to ask:
– How long have they been in business?
– How would they handle a redo? What’s the process? Can they offer an example of a recent instance?
– What’s their process for maintaining quality standards on the specific work you need done?
– Are they and their vendors insured?
– How long have they been working with their vendors?
– Do they have a good grasp of the plans and drawings?
This “up front” work is easy to overlook when the heat is on. Taking the time to do your diligence will not only save you time and money down the road, it will also relieve you of undue worry and anxiety.
What are some of your suggestions for choosing construction contractors wisely?
FraserCon has more than 26 years of experience and would love to be your DFW concrete contractor. We’re ready to serve you with our tenured, strong, and knowledgeable team. Over the past two decades FraserCon has established tried and true systems and developed a reputation for honesty, integrity, and tenacity.
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