How To Find Commercial Contractors: Tips To Discover The Best Ones
Written by Bridget Cooper
Whether you’re building, expanding, or renovating a workspace, hiring the right commercial contractor is vital to the success of the entire project. First, they use their experience and skills to guarantee better results. Second, they help provide more details and inputs that designers and architects might have missed to help bring the ideas to life. However, the biggest problem is finding these contractors.
This guide provides you with tips to find the right commercial contractors that other business owners might not be using.
How to Find Commercial Contractors
The easiest way to find the right general contractors or subcontractors for commercial construction projects is by using directories like ours with pre-vetted contractors.
The platform has a list of reputable and vetted contractors available. We use a multi-step verification process that cross checks the listings with Google maps, and personal outreach to make sure they are still active. These general contractors offer services like electrical, plumbing, flooring, HVAC, and drywall installation.
Downtobid includes the commercial contractor’s office address to help you locate them easily for an office visit. The contractor also provides the phone number to allow any interested client to contact them to set up a meeting or clarify any unclear information.
The company bio is an introduction to know the contractor well, including their brief history and years of operation. The area of operation helps clients choose a contractor close to them to save time and money.
The project experience section lists every project the contractor has worked on, helping them target the right clients.
The most important section of any contractor’s profile is the portfolio section. Contractors use this section to list and briefly explain all the projects they have worked on. They include the client’s or project’s name, project duration, tasks, labor hours, and any special project achievement.
A client goes through a contractor’s profile and learns more about them without contacting them. Doing so allows the client to contact only contractors they believe to be the right fit for the project.
Let’s look at a few more tips you can use to find the right contractor for your project.
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Check Google Business Profiles
Google business listing allows a commercial construction company to create a profile and customize how it appears on Google maps and search results.
Project owners who have hired these companies leave reviews and star ratings regarding their experience working with them.
To ensure better results, I’d suggest picking the top 7 commercial construction companies based on their client reviews and ratings. This way, you’ll narrow your search and focus on potentially the best commercial construction companies.
Ask for their Portfolios and Analyze their Review
Now that you have a list of your preferred contractors, it’s time to narrow it down further. Contractor portfolios give you an insight into the company’s experience and past success in similar projects. This information helps you determine which commercial contractor is more suitable to work on and deliver your project successfully.
Stating the work experience claim is easy. The portfolio helps the commercial contractor back their claims with proof. In this case, a portfolio could include any completed commercial construction projects similar to yours.
Reviews help potential clients understand what it’s like working with the contractor. Positive reviews from past clients are a sign that the contractor knows what they’re doing and is easy to work with, compared to negative ones.
Inquire a Full Scope of Services
Unless you’re looking for a contractor for a specific task, it’s best to hire a commercial construction company that can contribute more.
For instance, if you’re planning an office overall renovation, it’s best to hire a contractor who can offer many services, like flooring, plumbing, and electrical work.
Doing so has many benefits. First, you centralize the commercial projects as you’ll be dealing with one contractor. Second, it saves you time, headaches, and the cost of looking for and dealing with different contractors. Third, it’s easy to monitor the progress and receive timely feedback.
Request Supporting Documents
The best commercial contractor should have all the construction documents that come in handy during the project.
First, it’s their financial health to prove that they can run commercial construction projects without experiencing delays. Documents like financial statements for the last 2-3 years help to prove the company’s financial position. Debt-to-equity ratio explains the company’s financial leverage, and a bonding capacity letter to indicate the maximum they can borrow.
A commercial contractor also needs to have insurance coverage to qualify for any commercial construction project. The coverage offers protection against financial losses, protects the property and workers, and builds trust with the client.
A license to operate within the region is also something a client must provide. The license is proof of compliance, allowing a contractor to operate legally and take on projects. It’s usually a requirement in many construction projects, with many clients known to include it in their RFP of ITB documents.
Employee certification is vital as it helps to prove to the client that a contractor has the required labor force to complete the project. Does the contractor have certified electricians, plumbers, crane operators, forklifts, or welders? They should include this information to help convince the client.
Workplace safety is an important concern, provided the risks and dangers involved in a construction project. To ensure no accidents happen in your commercial construction projects, you must require a contractor to have OSHA certifications. This certification proves that every worker has undertaken workplace safety training and can identify and prevent workplace accidents.
Depending on the project’s complexity, the best commercial contractor must provide all the documents you request to prove they can handle the project. All these documents provide you with peace of mind, ensuring the project runs smoothly.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right contractor for a commercial project requires a lot of effort. First, you must focus your research on local contractors. Then, you should check their portfolio and reviews to determine whether the contractor’s qualifications align with the project’s demands.
A great general contractor should also offer more than one service, which helps you save time and money from hiring many contractors. Finally, you should check their relevant documents to determine their financial health, insurance coverage, license, and employee qualifications.