Choosing a contractor for your renovation, remodel, or build out can be intimidating. Make the wrong choice and you’re looking at a delayed project, hidden costs, and lost revenue from failing to reopen on schedule. With the right choice, your space gets an upgrade on budget and on time. To help you achieve the latter, we’re revealing the best hacks to evaluate construction companies in Virginia Beach.
Define your project
This may seem contradictory but the first step to choosing the right contractor is to look within. To find the best contractor for your project, you first need to define:
- The scope of work: a small repair is much different than a remodel. To determine the scope of your project, jot down what needs to be done and any “nice-to-have” upgrades to your space.
- Residential vs commercial: residential and commercial contractors are as different as apple and oranges. Make sure you have the right one for your project.
- Your business’ vision: if you believe construction is only about new floorboards or knocking down a wall or two, think again. A good contractor will ask about your business goals and ideate ways their work can build the best space for your business to expand.
By taking even thirty minutes to clarify your project type and business vision, you can save yourself time and headaches as you research and talk with different construction companies in Virginia Beach.
Construct local
The phrase “shop local” is a great one, and we’d recommend expanding it to your commercial construction project. If your contractor is going to finish your project and then run off to complete a project in Tennessee, they may not be as committed. The contractor who has grown their business in the Hampton Roads, Tidewater area, lives nearby, and is part of the local business community is more likely to care about the future of Virginia Beach and your project.
Plus, local contractors understand city laws and regulations, speeding up the permit process. Centerville Commerce Park realized the benefit of working with a local contractor since their project required permits in Virginia Beach. Their contractor was familiar with the permit application process and got approval faster than other contractors would.
Narrow your choices
If you’ve ever been at a restaurant with a twenty page menu, you understand how overwhelming too many choices can be. To ensure you don’t suffer from decision fatigue, narrow the number of construction companies in Virginia Beach that you request a proposal from.
When refining your search, consider these must-have traits in a contractor:
- Can clearly articulate the value they bring via their website, social media, and other marketing materials
- Has a proven track record of success
- Is well-known within the Virginia Beach community
- Makes it easy to get in touch with them
Compare proposals
What’s one cliche you should always remember when looking for a contractor? The devil is in the details. Construction projects are long with many unknown variables. A permit could get rejected or a project may have to pause due to a supplier not getting a product in on-time. When these hiccups occur, you want to make sure you’re in good hands. And you can tell that ahead of time from a contractor’s proposal.
For Ruff House Stay and Play, finishing a project during their “slow season” was essential to the bottom line. Their contractor understood this and not only completed the project on time, but gave them regular updates throughout the project. Ruff House Stay and Play also received a robust proposal before the work started. That proposal outlined the contractor’s process, an estimated timeline, and outlined the process for if any obstacles appeared. which outlined any potential costs and how a contractor would handle any obstacles that come up.
Price matters
Along with a proposal, each contractor should provide a project estimate. The quote price on these estimates matters – though maybe not in the way you’d expect.
The lowest construction price isn’t always the cheapest. Let’s say you got three proposals and decided to opt for one that was 25% cheaper than the other two. Once the project is underway, you realize the contractor exaggerated their skillset and they didn’t coordinate well with subcontractors, delaying the project timeline. Now, you have a half-finished (and poorly finished) space that isn’t suitable for your clients or customers.
At least, that’s what happened to Two Maids and a Mop. They realized they’d chosen the wrong contractor as soon as they started working with them. Fortunately, their second choice was a much stronger contractor and could complete the project on a reasonable budget.
Communication is key
Great communication is the basis for a healthy relationship, and that includes the one with your contractor. From the minute you reach out for a proposal, evaluate how well the contractor communicates with you. You’ll be able to tell if a contractor is a good communicator based on if you feel calm after talking to them and walk away with answers, not more questions.
You can also ask a contractor about their communication style while working on a project. Ideally, they keep the client in the decision-making process and regularly provide project updates. Norfolk Botanical Gardens, for example, went with Carlton Building Services for their construction project in part because of the contractor’s communication. In return, they received an on time and on budget renovation.
Choosing from construction companies in Virginia Beach
Choosing from the many construction companies in Virginia Beach isn’t easy, but taking your time to make the right decision will pay off in the long run. Ideally, you should look for a contractor that is:
- Local and invested in Virginia Beach’s future
- Has successfully completed similar projects
- Can articulate the value they provide in one-on-one conversations or in their marketing materials
- Is easy to get in touch with
- Presents a robust communication style
- Has a reasonable price for the scope of work
- Presents a thoughtful project proposal
When evaluating different options, consider Carlton Building Services. Our team completes on time and on budget commercial construction projects in Virginia Beach and the surrounding area. Contact us for a free estimate today.
