We have all seen botched automotive repairs by people who were either not qualified or who tried to save money by attempting to do the repair themselves. And in the end it cost more money then it would have originally been because now the job has to be done over or completed correctly. The same holds true when building an addition or new facility.

Picking a General Contractor is perhaps one of the more crucial steps if you are going to expand your facility or build another facility from scratch. Unless you have experience in construction or your family is in the construction business, I would not recommend doing it yourself. You need to pick a qualified General Contractor. There are just too many areas that you may not be qualified in.

In my case, the general contractor picked up many questionable items during the design stage that would have cost me money down the road. Also, the coordination of all the different contractors is mind-boggling. A good G.C. knows the right contractors and will hand pick the best people for the job. The G.C. gets paid a percentage of the total job, but it’s well worth it.

For me, I need to know that the project will be taken care of from start to finish so I can concentrate on building and running my business. My expertise is the automotive business, not the construction business.

When choosing a G.C. ask people in your local area about well-known builders. Also, ask your customers. There just might be a G.C. or builder in your own database. Try to stay with a local company. It will be easier to go and see some of the work that the G.C. has done before. Plus a local G.C. knows the area, has dealt with the town before and will be familiar with your local building department, planning board and zoning board members. This makes a huge difference, especially if you live in a small town.

As we speak, the framing is started and the property is finally graded and ready for new blacktop.

Stay tuned!