Choosing a Qualified Miami Commercial Contractor
When your success relies on just how rapidly you can get your space prepared, it’s crucial to have the right Miami general contractor looking out for your interests. The challenge is in the fact that not all commercial general contractors have the necessary skills, business experience and track record they say they have – and that can lead to putting your project behind schedule, over budget and making you live from that point on with flaws or compromises in how good the space looks or how well it functions for you.
Whether you own a café, restaurant, shop or a suite of professional offices, you want to ensure you select the correct commercial remodeling contractor. Here are a couple of ideas for getting it right:
1. Be certain the contractor’s experience is commercial. General contractors with residential experience can offer a valuable sense of style to retail and office renovation – so long as they can also show you a solid history of commercial remodeling projects. You certainly don’t want to pay for a residential builder or remodeler to practice all it takes to be a commercial general contractor. Furthermore, you want to make sure the contractor has expertise handling the scale of the project that you have. However, don’t assume that a general contractor that specializes in residential remodeling can’t provide you with quality commercial interior build-out services. As mentioned earlier, residential remodeling contractors that also offer commercial remodeling services can provide an excellent source of style and interior design knowledge.
2. Ask to see the certificate of insurance. Most Miami commercial general contractors will be prepared to show you proof of general liability insurance policy, however a general business policy doesn’t always go far enough and may not cover the contractor for liability affecting your property. And what about insurance for the contractor’s personnel – and for the vehicles they drive? The bottom line is that if there are any accidents, you don’t want to find that you or your company can be held responsible. That’s why you should only hire a commercial general contractor who will show you a certificate of insurance for sufficient commercial coverage from policies that include: workers compensation, vehicle insurance, general liability and builder’s risk.
3. Look into your contractor’s financial footing. You don’t want to risk picking a contractor who vanishes before finishing your job. One other increasingly widespread problem on commercial projects is that financially unstable contractors use up-front payments for new jobs to satisfy fees on the last project, leaving them with virtually no funds to provide material or labor for the new job. That could leave you having to start all over again with some other commercial general contractor. And so, don’t be scared about asking for references – including a bank reference who can provide you with some assurance of the company’s financial wellbeing. This is common business practice and a good contractor should have no trouble giving you this reference.
4. Ask to see the contractor’s licenses. Don’t be satisfied with a list. Anyone can say they have a commercial general contractor license – you want to see the real thing. It’s also a good idea to check with your county or city government to make certain your contractor has all the appropriate licensing and that all those licenses are current.
5. Check references. Ask past commercial clients hard questions about their experience before, during and after the project. Has the workmanship held up? Was the contractor easy to do business with? How well did the contractor satisfy guarantees about price and delivery time? Don’t stop there! Miami commercial general contractors count on the work of subcontractors – so get a list of them and check their references completely, as well.
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