Selecting a Commercial Contractor: Insider Tips for Long-Term Success

When choosing a commercial general contractor, it helps to view the decision as selecting a long-term project partner. You’ll potentially collaborate with this team for one to two years, factoring in time for design, preconstruction, project approvals, and actual construction. Obviously, the importance of trust, effective communication, and a mutual comfort level can’t be overstated.

That’s why selecting the right partner for your construction project involves more than just scanning through portfolios and pricing. It’s about understanding who can truly translate your vision into reality while ensuring transparency, accountability, and craftsmanship throughout the project.

The following tips aim to guide you through vetting potential contractors effectively, ensuring that you partner with a firm that aligns with your project’s scope and values.

#1 Define your project goals and contractor expectations. Before you start your search, clearly outline what you want to achieve with your construction project, including your budget, level of quality, and timeline. Understanding your needs will help you communicate more effectively with potential contractors and gauge their ability to meet your expectations.

#2 Assess their portfolio and experience. Experience in similar projects is a strong indicator of a contractor's capability. Review their past projects to ensure they have a track record of delivering quality work within similar scopes or industries. Visit current or completed projects, if possible, to get a firsthand look at their craftsmanship and attention to detail.

#3 Check references and past client feedback. Contacting past clients provides insights into the contractor's reliability, adherence to budget and timelines, and quality of communication throughout the life of the project. A reputable contractor should be willing to provide a list of references.

#4 Evaluate their communication and project management skills. Since you'll be working closely with the contractor, their ability to communicate clearly, collaborate, and manage projects efficiently is crucial. Discuss how they handle unexpected challenges and changes during a project. Their approach to communication, collaboration, and resourcefullness will significantly impact the project's success.

#5 Look for best value. While budget is always a consideration, choosing a contractor based solely on the lowest bid can quickly expose you to risks. Low bids might reflect compromises in quality and/or schedule, a mediocre project management plan, or hidden costs that could emerge later. In addition, inquiring with potential contractors regarding the value-add services available can have a significant impact on the project and your team’s experience during the project. Pre-Development Services offered by some contractors including site selection/evaluation, preliminary design and code evaluation, feasibility study coordination, site due diligence coordination, entitlement coordination, and procurement analysis and coordination can be worth their weight in gold and align perfectly with your project goals.

#6 Consider the fit with your team. The contractor's team will work closely with your own, so they must fit well with your company's culture and values. At the end of the day, the ‘contractor fee’ amongst prospective contractors is going to be similar, so it pays to select a contractor that you believe is a fit with your team and will serve as a true project partner.

By taking a comprehensive approach to selecting your contractor, focusing not just on cost but on collaboration, resourcefulness, and reliability, you'll set a solid foundation for your construction project. Always remember that this choice is about much more than just hiring for a commodity; it's about forming a partnership that will affect your business's physical manifestation.

Remember, incorporating a design-build construction firm can greatly simplify your project, from concept to completion. With a design-build approach, one entity holds both the design and construction responsibilities, which streamlines the entire process. The integration of design and construction by a design-builder will maximize the project budget, minimize your risk, ensure the desired schedule is achieved and prevent unwelcome surprises.

If you want to explore the advantages of working with a design-build firm or learn more insider tips, drop me a line. I'm happy to share how design-build firms operate and the specific benefits we offer.

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