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Your Contractor
You now need to find a contractor. Depending on the services your material provider is delivering your contractor will be responsible for each item that is not included. Finding a good contractor can make or break your project. I am going to help you locate one.
You are going to begin another investigation. You will choose contractors to interview for your project. Here are some of the best sources for contractors.
-Family, Friends, Business Acquaintances
-Local Building Departments
-Realtors
-Lumberyards
-Ongoing projects in the area
-Your Green Home Company
Ask all of these resources who they recommend if they were going to build a house. Stop by projects of similar construction in your area and ask to speak with the general contractor. After you have a solid list of general contractors it is now time to conduct interviews.
Try to think back to the last time you interviewed for a job. You cleaned up, polished your resume, and arrived 15 minutes early. While a builder may not put on a suit and tie, a contractor’s resume is their previous projects. His references are current customers, former clients, subcontractors, and material suppliers. You are now going to be on the other side of the job interview process.
Minimum Requirements
Here is what you need the contractor to provide as minimum qualifications.
- Worker’s compensation and liability insurance
- Copy of contractor’s license
- At least 3 references
- Acceptable billing and accounting practices
- Years of experience
- Construction warranty
To further whittle down which builder you will use, consider these important traits that a contractor should possess. Use your interview process to gauge their suitability.
Traits you want….
- Communication skills
- Enthusiasm for your project
- Teamwork
- Budget Control
Traits you don’t want….
- Negative comments, feelings, or experiences with green homes.
- Know it all mentality
- Arrogance
- Scatter brain