If you’re having a big project done on your property, you’ll hire a general contractor who will serve as the main person in charge. Whether they’ll work with one other person or a larger team, you’ll want to discuss a few important things before they start their work. This will save everyone involved stress and energy. Though you may think of many things you want to talk to them about, there are a few that definitely are priorities.
Where Shutoffs Are Located
Do a walkabout of the property and show your contractor the location of utility controls. This includes electrical, gas, and water. Some of these aren’t in obvious spots you can see. Make sure that they know if you have any circuits that can’t be shut off or appliances that can’t be unplugged, such as a fish tank or deep freezer.
Parking Concerns
If you live somewhere that doesn’t have much parking on the street and have no driveway for contracting vehicles and equipment, you’ll need to work this out first. Find out if you’ll need to get a permit from the jurisdiction for dumpsters and the like. Also, let your general contractor in Doylestown, PA know when your street will have recycling and trash pickup, as this is a time when you’ll especially want to avoid blocking any of the alley or road with large vehicles and whatever else they’ll bring.
Expectations with Schedule Hours and Days
You can’t assume that all construction companies will have standard daytime work hours. If you’re currently living in the house where they are working, they may work shorter days and try to complete more crucial parts of the project on a faster timeline to avoid you having to leave your home or not using parts of it for long.
They’ll likely want to work longer hours if the home is vacant. Either way, discuss if any phase of the project requires the team to be there late in the evening or if they’ll want to work on the weekends. It’s important to have this conversation early to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Home Access
Your general contractor in Bucks County, PA, may be on the premises when you’re not home. This is a given if you work long hours and can’t take the time off during a construction or renovation project. Explain where they should enter and where you’ll keep a key. If you have a security system, give them the security codes. You may be able to set a temporary code so that your contractor uses one that’s separate from your usual code, and then you can cancel it later with the alarm company. Discuss other security measures on your property, including signs and fences.
Contact Information and Methods of Communication
Put together a list of the email addresses and phone numbers for the contractor and an employee who is the main person on site. Give your contractor all your contact information at the start so they can reach you using various methods. It would be a good idea to give them information for an emergency contact person in case something happens and they can’t reach you immediately.
Talk to them about how they’ll communicate any details about the project. If you’d like something in writing daily on the days they are working on your home, let them know, and it’s likely they will be able to accommodate this. They may have an online project management system that makes this even easier.
Talk to Your General Contractor in Bucks County, PA Early and Frequently
Be as clear and detailed as possible with your general contractor. Set expectations for your communication early on, and you’ll have a smoother time overall with the project. KH Construction Management Corp of the greater Doylestown, PA, area is ideal for your construction or renovation project needs.