Advice on choosing a builder.

[A34]

Hey Guys,

I'm searching for a builder to do my garage. I would appreciate any suggestions on choosing a good GC, and where to get a contract that protects me as well as him.

Thanks!
Randy

 

[Desertwndrr]

I'm a GC. I always tell people that the best way to find a General Contractor is to check in with the local suppliers and subcontractors. They will tell you who is good and who is not. I see a lot of GC's that I know don't pay their bills very well, and do scab work, stay pretty busy because they can talk a good game. First place that you should start looking is at the lumber yard.

As to contracts, I actually use a contract that I got from uslegalforms.com but the gold standard is to use AIA forms (American Institute of Architects). They may be hard to get unless you go through an architect.

 

[cleveman]

There are some garage builders here which advertise in the newspaper and have for years.

You may start with such an outfit and see what their contract looks like.

I'm pretty old school and I'm not sure why you would pay for something like this before it is completed. The contractor will surely have 30 days to pay for all materials and I would think it would take a week for most on-going concerns to complete a basic garage.

You can surely ask for addresses of projects they have completed and go and look at them.

Companies building garages will offer you some package which will be with the most inexpensive materials, and you may want to examine this carefully and update as you like. For example, they will price you out something with a tiny window and an $88 steel door with spf wood and code minimum sheathing, all topped with 20 year asphalt singles and 15 pound paper.

 

[Thumper68]

Do you know anyone in the trades? If so ask them who they would use. When I was contracting my best referals were from others in the trades.

And I still go to my friends who are active to get referals on who to use for what.

Get a list of jobs they have done and go and see them, talk to the home owners, they will be sure to let you know the things that they think went wrong with their job.

Best advice is to know what you want before you talk to any GC.

I always hated it when someone would call and not know the basics of what they wanted.
Do you want 2x6 or 2x8 walls
What roof pitch do you want
How many doors
How many windows
How tall
etc...

Then you need to consider all the finishing, if you aren't doing it yourself.

Personally if I were to have one built right now I would go with a local garage company for the shell, the one that I would use has a great flatwork sub and has a good contract that lists all the materials and work to be preformed by the concrete sub and their own guys.

Itemizing the materails and the work leaves no room for misunderstanding by either party.

 

[CNGsaves]

Drive around . . .. talk to your neighbors . . . SEE actual builds that you like.

Quality has a price . . . . also, knowing all that you possibly can (AHEAD of time) will drastically improve the odds that everything will go smoothly, as you will have planned out everything in advance. Good luck.