It is no secret that a commercial remodel project is not one that a business owner - or any other singular person - can see through on his or her own.
A successful project requires planning, execution, and perseverance over the course of multiple months, on average.
As we touched on in one of our previous articles - Pros & Cons of Remodeling a Commercial Building - one of the downsides of a remodel project is the essential requirement of relying on subcontractors to carry out their specialized portions of the project as a whole.
There are more types of subcontractors than one can wave a stick at. Some of these include, but are not limited to the areas below:
- Electrical
- HVAC (heating & air)
- Underground utilities
- Plumbing
- Interior construction (frame, wall finishes, etc.)
- Flooring
- Fire protection systems (our specialty)
- audio/visual, data communications, etc.
- Masonry
- Landscaping
- Industry specialty (the company’s/industry’s specific requirements)
- Doors & windows
As anyone who has worked with subcontractors in any capacity knows that not all of them will provide the same quality of work or service.
Because of this, it behooves a business owner or project owner to know what to look for when it comes to finding quality subcontractors. Here are some signs to keep an eye out for during the subcontractor vetting process:
- Tenure. It’s pretty simple; people in almost any industry do not last long if they aren’t good at what they do in some respects.
- Digital Footprint (website quality, Google reviews, etc.). Similar to the point above, if business people care enough to spend the time it takes to have a good online presence, then they probably care what their customers think of them, and are more likely to do good work & take care of their clients.
- Indication of thorough scope of work in their bids. A simple and short-sighted bid potentially demonstrates an inexperienced, or even worse, a low-quality subcontractor.
- Physical appearance (of the business and employees/technicians). As a remodel project owner, you will not always see the physical building or office location of the subcontractor without going out of your way. However, the physical appearance of the people with which you do have contact can go a long way in telling what kind of operations they run and what they care about.
- Licensing. This one is obvious. However, a project owner should always do his or her due diligence to ensure a subcontractor is licensed, insured, & bonded, because there are companies out there that attempt to maneuver around the rules.
Along with looking out for the above signs, asking questions of the subcontractor during the bidding process can go a long ways in determining if they will be the right selection to carry out the service they provide for the project at hand. Here are some questions that project managers could be asking to each subcontractor:
- “Do you have some references you could send my way on a recent job you’ve done?”
- “How might one of your previous jobs relate to this remodel for which I am hiring?”
- “Given the information I have given you so far, what kind of potential issues or obstacles do you envision arising throughout the course of your work?”
- “Does your line of work allow for the capability of coordinating with other subcontractors in other industries during the same workday?”
- “Would it be feasible for me to review proof of your liability insurance policies and safety records?”
- “What is your manpower like as far as labor hours go?” (to ensure they can handle the job as it relates to scheduling)
A remodel project owner should be careful to not contract out things that do not necessarily require a professional’s help. Things like furniture & fixtures, some types of flooring, and landscaping can be taken care of by the owner if they so please.
Hiring the right subcontractor shouldn't be done quickly or as something to just ‘get it over with’. After all, these are the people who will be ultimately responsible for the way the business owner’s company looks and feels in what is usually a very pivotal point of a company’s lifespan. Taking some of the advice from above could end up being very helpful for a remodel project manager during the subcontractor hiring process.