Construction in South Florida is unique from construction in many other parts of the country given our coastal locale and strict building codes designed to protect us from Mother Nature’s high winds, heavy rains, flash floods, heat, humidity, and anything else that comes our way.

That being said, you don’t want to hire just anyone to build your project. You want someone who is intimately familiar with the area, has strong community relationships, and a superior reputation for excellence. To get at the heart of these matters, it’s important to take the time to interview several general contractors and spend enough time with each so that you can best understand how well they will serve you and your project’s goals.

If you don’t ask these five questions of your GC, you could end up compromising the entire success of your project.

• What experience do you have specifically with projects like mine? – Why do you care how many hotels they’ve built if you need a health care facility constructed?
• Why is your bid so much higher/lower than the others? – Can they explain their bid, or do they just offer up empty promises? At Seacoast Construction, we’re happy to take a look at other contractor’s bids and explain exactly how and why we bid what we did.
• Who will be my main point of contact, and how will I communicate with them? – You want to work with someone you can trust. Make sure you have a chance to meet this person before jumping on board.
• How can you be sure that you will complete my build on time and on budget? – A trick question that gets at their planning and project management skills. If their answer doesn’t include pre-construction, you probably want to move on.
• Will I be able to occupy my building while you complete the renovation project? – Your life and business operations shouldn’t have to stop because of a construction project. The best GC will be able to offer effective and efficient solutions to minimize disruption on your daily needs.

The best GCs are the ones who put your interests and needs at the forefront, and you can get a good sense of the kind of partnership you’ll have with them by asking these important questions before making the hire. If you’re looking for a GC in South Florida, get in touch with us today.