Finding the Best Commercial Contractor

by Kevin Smith Author

Finding a contractor is relatively easy, but finding a great commercial contractor in Sacramento may take a little more effort.

Make a List

First and foremost, you need to make a list of commercial contractors in your area. This should be easy enough to put together with a Google search, but you may want to consult online reviews at the same time. Narrowing down the list initially will enable you to have something that's a bit more manageable. While you're looking into local contractors, you can also consult the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. At a minimum, this allows you to see if there are any outstanding complaints against the company. Once you have a list, you can start making a bit more progress.

Conduct Interviews

Phone interviews are a good way to make initial contact and get a feel for the contractor. This is also a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the company and see if they make a good fit for your project. Do they generally handle projects of your size? Are they able to provide financial references from banks or suppliers? Will they provide you with a list of previous clients for reference? How many projects do they typically have going at a single time? Who would be your go-to contact person? Do they have an established relationship with their subcontractors? As a rule, you're looking for their availability, reliability, professionalism, and how much attention they can focus towards your project.

Speak with Former Clients

This is invaluable. Any legitimate contractor will be happy to give you references. They want to brag about their work, and they know how important it is to present a good first impression. A few key questions should always be asked. Did they finish the work on time? Was the quality adequate? Were there any hiccups or issues along the way? How easy was it to work with them, and how responsive were they? Did they keep the site neat and safe? If you have the option, you could even visit an ongoing worksite to see it for yourself.

Meet in Person

The internet has made people much more comfortable with ordering merchandise without seeing it in person, but a large commercial project is quite a bit different. An in-person meeting gives you the chance to see how well you communicate with each other, an it you'll have the opportunity to ask any final questions. You should've already checked to see if they have a history of disputes, but you could be working with this contractor for several months or even longer. Establishing a good rapport is essential.

A commercial contractor in Sacramento isn't difficult to find, but the right one is worth a bit of effort.