You’re ready to get started on a home project and it’s time to find someone to do the work. But where do you go? Who do you hire? How much is it going to cost?
These are questions all homeowners face. Remodeling or even a simple home repair can be intimidating and finding a contractor you trust can be the most daunting part.
Just a quick search on google can show dozens of different companies and websites all saying the same thing. So how do you know who is a good fit for you? The best way to find someone you’ll be EXCITED to work with is to understand who you’re dealing with. Even though the options might look endless, most home improvement companies will all fall into one of three categories:
1. A Corporate / Regional Construction Company
2. A matchmaker
3. Local Independent Contractor
Corporate / Regional Construction Companies
These are companies who focus on investing in advertising and marketing. They will often be run by a full front office, sales team, project managers and installers. Whoever first answers your call will be different than who does your estimate, who will be different from who manages your project, who will be different from who works on your house. Often, multiple crews and subcontractors will be coming in and out of your house over the duration of the project.
These companies can be a great option if you’re looking for speed and efficiency on your project. However, customers will have very different experiences based on who they happen to interact with from that company. Finally, this is going to be the most expensive option available to you because you are also paying a premium for the large overhead and marketing expenses that enabled them to quickly complete your project.
A matchmaker
These are companies who offer to connect you with a “verified” contractor. Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack and Houzz are a couple examples. They gather your personal information through a short questionnaire and then sell it to other companies and contractors who will pay them for your personal information. This can be a good way to get some contractors who have availability to reach out, however you still need to do your own research before you hire anyone.
Local Independent Contractors
Lastly, these are licensed contractors operating out of their own local area. Unlike the first two options, finding these contractors on google will not be easy. Instead, they will usually just work off word-of-mouth referrals. If you do connect with one of these contractors, the wait time to start might be longer than you were hoping for. However, it might be a much more enjoyable process in the long run because you know who you are dealing with throughout the project.
Why is it such a big deal who I choose?
You might be thinking, big company to small company, I don’t care who they are as long as they are cheap and don’t scam me. But…
Have you heard from a friend or maybe seen online a horror story about work a construction company did? Maybe you hear about a project taking two to three times as long as expected. Or in the middle of the project, suddenly thousands of dollars of extra expenses are needed to finish.
These are just a couple common problems people run into when working with a company that doesn’t align with their expectations. It’s important to vet each company and build a certain level of trust before starting work. This can be done from the first interaction or phone call, to getting the estimate done, to signing a contract. Usually if getting and estimate is like pulling teeth, the rest of the project will be about the same experience.
What to look for
Like we discussed in the beginning, there are so many options to choose from. The first step is deciding what is important to you for your project. Here are several things to ask yourself:
-Do you want a big company who will guarantee a fast timeline?
-Are you looking for the cheapest estimate?
-Are you ok with multiple sub-contractors coming in and out of the home?
-Are you in a rush or can you wait several months before starting?
-Do you want a long term working relationship or just a one time sale?
-Are you comfortable paying a large deposit up front?
There’s not a universally right or wrong answer to any of these questions. Every situation is different, it’s just a matter of what will work best for you. If you think a local independent contractor would be the best fit for your project, consider reaching out to CMC Construction.
CMC Construction is a licensed and insured home improvement contractor based out of West Knoxville. Our goal is to be your one-stop-shop for all your home improvement and repair needs. We desire to build a long-term relationship with each homeowner who chooses to work with us. If you are interested in working together, please fill out the form below or call/text us directly at (865) 236-6139 to schedule a free consultation. We look forward to serving you!