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There are many choices when it comes to selecting a contractor. Everyone has a contact or someone they know in the business. When you are choosing a contractor, especially for a renovation, you are choosing someone to enter your home and to make it better, more functional, and to please you. You need to trust the team you are working with and that requires knowing some basic information. Gerard Construction knows that trusting someone can be difficult to do and it may be confusing to know what to ask.

1. How long have you been in the business? While it seems noble to work with a young upstart who is passionate about their work, contracting for new builds and home renovation requires years of expertise. A contractor should have experience working on homes to meet your standards and ensure the quality you want for your build. Gerard Construction has decades of experience under their (tool)belt to provide you with the best.

2. Do you have the required paperwork? Our first thought is to say it depends on what you mean by paperwork, but the true answer is yes, no matter what you mean. We are licensed and insured, along with appointments with several professional organizations to stay informed about new methods, safety standards, and trends. On the other hand, we will also get the necessary building permits needed for your specific project. That is part of our job and we are regularly working with local officials to make sure your home is permitted correctly, as needed. According to homeadviser.com, building permits can cost up to $2,230 and require some knowledge of the scope of the project, which we have.

3. How will we communicate? How and how often we communicate will depend on you. There are homeowners that come into a project knowing exactly what they want. They provide us with the information we need, we have a few meetings to tweak and adjust, we build through their home, and we communicate as needed. Other homeowners have more general thoughts and feelings about what their home should be and need more guidance and recommendations from our contractors or design team. We try to be as accessible as we can to answer questions and give updates on any project we do.

4. What does the day-to-day look like? Depending on the renovation, your day-to-day may or may not be disrupted. You need to know this information ahead of time so you are aware of changes to your life that need to be considered. Will you have to move out? Will you need to pack up a large portion of your home? Will you be able to stay in your home with some mess in parts of the home? How long (approximately) will the project take? We will be able to give better information when we know what your specific scope looks like and will do our best to give you advice for all of these questions.

5. What does the final walkthrough and guarantee look like? Our contractor team does walkthroughs on our projects regularly. Much of our work is done by master craftsmen who we pick and choose for specific projects. Once their work is nearing completion, we check to make sure everything is done correctly. When the entire project is done, we will do walkthroughs and create punch lists to fix any overlooked areas or imperfections that need adjustment. Once you are settled back in your home, contact us if you notice anything that needs our attention. We want the opportunity to make it right.

If you are ready to sit down and talk through more of these questions with us, contact us today. Gerard Construction wants your home to be your dream home, whether you are building new construction or renovating where you already are. We can work with you, to make your dream home a reality.