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Hospital Design: Screening Potential Contractors

Posted on Thu, Sep 20, 2012 @ 02:55 PM

Shor-Line Blog

What should I check for when screening potential building contractors?

Plenty—especially for a decision as important as this. According to ContractorFind.com, a Web site created by Add-Vantage Software Inc. (www.addvantage.com), you’ll want to make sure the contractor is:

  • Licensed and registered in your state (ask for the state registration number).
  • Bonded (i.e., has appropriate insurance coverage, such as worker’s compensation, general liability, and builder’s risk).


Next up, verify that the contractor will:

  • Obtain all necessary building or zoning permits.
  • Provide fixed-price estimates and contracts that specify all the project costs in detail—including how changes will affect the timing and costs.
  • Provide a list of references you can call and completed
    project sites (similar to your own) that you can visit
    refrain from working on too many concurrent projects.


Finally, wrap up the process by doing your homework:

  • Request estimates from at least two more contractors. Make sure these companies bid on the same set of specifications as the first one. It’s easy for a company to offer the lowest price by lowering the specs.
  • Ask about anything on the estimates or contracts that you don’t understand.
  • Check the contractors’ references.
  • Make sure there’s an open channel of communication right from the start. If there isn’t, or if you feel uncomfortable during any part of the bidding process, it could be a sign of friction to come.

 

Tags: Facility Design, Hospital Design