The General Commercial Contractor business is a relationship-oriented business just like most businesses. Contractors work the best when a project is viewed as a partnership between a client and a commercial general contractor. Fortunately, we have been able to form great partnerships with dozens of clients throughout the years on work ranging from shopping center construction projects to restaurant construction projects, thanks to the negotiated contract process.
In our experience, we have found clients who care about producing the best commercial construction projects are more likely to engage in the negotiated contract process. Sure, the costs may sometimes be a bit higher, but clients know their commercial construction project will have the best level of finishes and the work will be delivered on time. By negotiating and locking in a fee upfront, clients will have the peace of mind that their costs are fixed, and, they will feel like they are working with their selected general commercial contractor in partnership. Hiring an experienced, professional general commercial contractor to help with your projects is already a step in the right direction. However, if you haven’t worked with general commercial contractors before, you may not be aware of the dynamics involved in a contractor-customer relationship.
If you’re new to the process, or just want to work on improving your relationship with your existing contractor, consider the following tips:
Be Clear About Your Needs
Project owners with a realistic and well-defined goal usually become the most satisfied clients. You need to make your expectations clear during the discussion stage, and when the contract is written take the time to read it, and discuss the details as must as it is necessary for you to fully understand it. If you have a question or you’re unhappy with any aspect of the project, bring it to the general commercial contractor’s attention as soon as possible. It’s your business, your project, and your money. One of the worst things you can do to contractors is let them get started on a job and then say you meant something else.
Be Available For Estimates
Although it depends on the scope of your commercial project, contractors may provide you with an estimate anywhere from one week to several weeks after you discuss the details about your project. The reason for this is because the general commercial contractor needs to research the cost of materials and get quotes from different places, calculate the time needed to complete the project, and decide how many workers are needed for that specific job. As a client, the best thing you can do is make the best possible effort to be available when the contractor contacts you or at least contact then back within a reasonable time frame. Driving to the site location, discussing the job and preparing the written estimate all cost the contractor time and money. A “free estimate” isn’t really free for contractors it’s an investment cost that they absorb is they receive the contract.
Trust Your Contractor
Once you verified your general commercial contractor’s experience, their certifications, verified their references, and signed the contract, you need to trust their ability to effectively finish the job. If your general commercial contractor has provided proof of a long-running track record of completing jobs and completing them properly and on time, try to avoid hovering over the job site. Doing this could delay work or bring it to a halt. This also makes your general commercial contractor believe that you don’t have faith in their work.
If you are looking for a professional, skillful, and experienced commercial general contractor to create your next commercial construction project plan, we believe you should work with us. We have a keen eye when it comes to commercial construction project planning by following the successive stages of modern construction, a proven track record of happy customers, and the ability to take your ideas and bring them to life. When you sit down with our commercial general contractors, we discuss your building project ideas in depth. This way, we at RCS Construction can see your vision and bring your design plan to life. Contact us to learn about our commercial construction services, what kind of industries we serve, and what planning and design resources we offer.
