Wood framing is the very foundation of your home. If you are wanting to have a house built from scratch, you are going to have to bring in someone to construct the wood framing. This will be what starts the look of your home and ensures that you are going to live within a safe space for many years to come.
If having a house built to reflect your idea of the perfect home is something you want to do, you are going to have to hire contractors for the job.
The question is, who is the right contractor out there? Considering this is the wood framing of your home, you are going to want to get the best that you can. But there are a lot of companies out there and you may not know who is the best. You certainly do not want to end up paying more for the job than you should have and you certainly do not want to bring on a contractor that isn’t going to do good work.
Choosing wisely is just that, but you are probably worried you don’t even know where to start. There are false reviews online, so while you think you’re getting the best, they could be the worst in disguise. Shoddy work is not just disappointing, but can be outright dangerous. And could leave you in a bad financial situation that your dream of building a home from scratch goes right out the window. No one wants that, but it can be a possibility when you aren’t sure where to look.
Here are some tips for selecting the best wood framing contractor.
Referrals
Referrals go a long way. If you have any friends or families that have also had wood framing work done, you should see how they liked the contractors that did the job. If they are happy with who they used, then you may want to consider consulting with this company for your dream house. Or if you’ve found a contractor online, but either see bad reviews or know someone who was unhappy with the work that contractor did, you know to not use them.
Shop Around
Just like real estate, you don’t want to go with the first wood framing contractor you find. Even if the estimate given to you seems like a fair price, you want to shop around to at least three different choices before making a decision. This is going to be the home you live in for a while, so make sure it’s done right.
Red Flags to Keep an Eye Out For
In this case, listen to your gut. Keep an eye out for red flags along the way. If any of the things listed below happen, you will want to look for another wood framing contractor.
What are red flags? Examples:
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Look out for companies that look for those who ask for money upfront. Most will not ask for money until the job is complete; you may be dealing with a scam where someone could just take your money and run with it.
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Make sure to keep an eye on the level of professionalism the contractors display. If they seem like they are unsure of their abilities as contractors or you believe that they do not know how to professionally conduct themselves, go with someone else.
Look for Other Work the Contractors Have Done
Before locking down a deal with a wood framing contractor, you should see what else these contractors have done. Typically, you want to hook up with a contractor who has plenty of experience. See if they have a portfolio for you to look at, so that you have the peace of mind knowing that they know what they are doing. You will want to know that this contractor has experience in creating the kind of home you are looking for, so you should definitely take a look at prior projects they’ve finished.
Open Communication
A good contractor will keep an open line of communication with you. You will want updates on the progress and process of the wood framing project that they are involved with. A lot of planning goes into this kind of job, so it is well within your rights to want to be involved in the steps along the way. If it seems like the contractor is not interested in keeping you in the loop, then you know that you should probably look into another option. The last thing you want is the project to take too long and not getting any definitive answer as to why; or knowing when the project is even going to be finished.
Understanding the Price
This is a project that is going to cost money. We would love for everything to be free or to pay as little amount of money as possible. Unfortunately, you are going to have to shell out cash for a wood framing project. The price will definitely factor into your decision making, but you shouldn’t just automatically go with the cheapest option. They may be the cheapest option for a reason i.e. they’re not the best contractor. Make sure that the pricing is laid out so that you understand everything you are paying for. You should also compare the price that they ask for any certain project with other contractors to see if you are overpaying or suspiciously underpaying.
Almost everyone dreams of building their dream home. You’ve saved up for this moment for most of your life. You’ve compiled Pinterest groups of houses just to have an idea of what you would want. The problem is, there are plenty of bad wood framing contractors out there that it might be frightening to even make the step to start this kind of project. You want to pick the right one to give you exactly what you want, while being somewhat kind to your wallet. This may seem like an impossible task at first, but the decision can be made easier by following the simple tips listed above.