{"id":1656,"date":"2024-04-24T08:33:22","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T12:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carltonbuildingservices.com\/?p=1656"},"modified":"2024-03-29T15:36:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T19:36:14","slug":"construction-bids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carltonbuildingservices.com\/construction-bids\/","title":{"rendered":"How to evaluate construction bids and choose the right contractor"},"content":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s time to renovate your storefront or condo complex, and you\u2019ve collected construction bids from multiple contractors in town. The only problem? The bids are overwhelming, to say the least. You have no idea how to choose the right contractor for your commercial construction project.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, you\u2019re in the right place. This guide overviews the most important parts of a construction bid and offers tips to ensure you work with the <\/span>best commercial contractor in Virginia<\/span><\/a> for your project.<\/span><\/p>\n Before deciding on a contractor for your commercial renovation, you want to accept bids from multiple contractors. These should be local, licensed contractors with great reputations (though we\u2019ll get to how you evaluate a contractor\u2019s reputation later).<\/span><\/p>\n Once all construction bids are in, read each one carefully. Highlight anything you don\u2019t understand and write down any questions. Take those questions and points of clarification into a final conversation with contractors before deciding who to work with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The most important, and often overlooked, part of a construction bid is the scope of work. For each bid you receive, judge how well the contractor described the work that would be done and if they set a <\/span>realistic timeline<\/span><\/a> to finish the work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When evaluating scope, the inclusion of a <\/span>general conditions clause<\/span><\/a> is a good sign that the contractor understands the work necessary to complete the project. A general conditions clause lays the groundwork for how a contractor supervises and manages projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This clause will also lay out the pricing for specific parts of the project, like administrative work and having a project manager on site. It will also review different processes the contractor has in place to successfully manage your project. A clear, defined general conditions clause is a good sign of a transparent contractor who understands the manpower, supplies, and logistics of completing your renovation, remodel, or build out.<\/span><\/p>\n While the scope and price are important, the reputation of the contractor matters too. At a minimum, you want to work with a <\/span>licensed commercial contractor<\/span><\/a>. But this is at a minimum.<\/span><\/p>\n You should also look for other signs of a contractor who knows what they are doing and is excellent at communicating about projects. These signs include:<\/span><\/p>\n While it\u2019s important to judge a contractor\u2019s reputation, you should also look at the overall quality of a proposal. If a construction bid leaves you scratching your head or correcting the myriad typos, it\u2019s a sign that the contractor may not be the best communicator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The construction bid you accept should also be professionally designed, and there should be a way to reach out to the contractor if you have any questions about what\u2019s in the proposal.<\/span><\/p>\n The feature most people pay attention to in a commercial construction contract is the price. We get it; price is important, but maybe not in the way you\u2019d expect.<\/span><\/p>\n And you don\u2019t want to hear about pricing and estimates until a contractor has reviewed the scope of the work.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you get three construction bids for a building renovation. Two are around $10,000, and the other is only $7,000. It may seem like a no-brainer to choose the third option, but all three contractors have to pay for the same supplies and cost of labor. How is the third company able to offer it for less?<\/span><\/p>\nRead it carefully<\/span><\/h2>\n
Scope of work<\/span><\/h2>\n
Reputation<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Proposal quality<\/span><\/h2>\n
Pricing<\/span><\/h2>\n