When building infrastructure, many people consider hiring a contractor to do the construction on their behalf. Contractors can ease the burden greatly by taking charge of the hard labour of building.
However, a number of individuals have been disappointed by the conduct of selected contractors who have failed to deliver high quality products. Weak controls have also resulted in loss of materials to contractors who may have dishonest employees.
When choosing a contractor, it is necessary to consider the following 10 Golden Rules
10 GOLDEN RULES OF CHOOSING A BUILDING CONTRACTOR
- Never choose a contractor without checking previous work and doing site visits
- Compare contractors in terms of price, quality, safety record and delivery time
- Avoid contractors who have never built anything, even if they promise to deliver
- Carry out reference checks on all contractors
- Check the competence and qualifications of their contractor personnel
- If contractor will need plant and equipment, check the availability of such equipment. Ignoring this will make charges for plant hire skyrocket on your side.
- Consider specialists in certain building trades e.g. tiling, painting, bricklaying. Be careful with contractors who claim to do everything.
- Choose a contractor who is able to read building plans accurately and is able to translate the information on the plan to the ground.
- Consider contractors who are members of professional associations and are reputable in the industry.
- Go for experience when choosing a contractor, not necessarily the cheapest. Some contractors are cheap but have no experience, hence produce sub-standard infrastructure.
