Choosing a contractor is difficult so it’s really important to make sure you are getting the best work out of the person you hire. It takes diligence to keep a project on time and it takes enough care to keep everything on budget. Just because you’ve hired someone doesn’t mean your work is done; you need to keep on top of your contractor to make sure the job gets done on point. Here are some tips to get the best out of your contractor including strong communications and the right construction team.

Skip the Allowances

If you have allowances on your contractor’s bid, the line item for something that hasn’t been determined yet, take it out. This type of item is usually for something like a master suite or plumbing hardware. Since the budget could range from minor to massive, it’s too dangerous to have an open-ended line item like this. Eliminate allowances by selecting everything before the itemized bid is made up. Otherwise, go shopping so that you can figure out an accurate estimate on the materials.

Communication is Key

Make sure you know how your contractor wants to communicate. Be willing to contact via cell phone, text or onsite depending on what your contractor needs. If you try a way that won’t work for the contractor, it’s hard to blame them when they don’t respond to texts or calls when they’ve asked you to only talk to them at the job site. Make sure you speak once a day to stay on track. It may help to keep a journal of the progress, things you might want to ask tomorrow, to jot down ideas and to jot down product order numbers or delivery dates.

Having Changes in Writing is Important

Make sure changes are done in writing. A structural issue that comes up or other issues that come up unexpectedly need to be written down before they are added to the contract at the end and there’s a dispute.

Don’t be afraid to check your contractor’s work at the end of the day for errors that you can bring up the next day like a misaligned trim, a model number that isn’t matching up or a location of a door opening against a blueprint. Only pay for completed work and try to be a good customer by offering a beverage, a bathroom for the workers and complimenting the hard work.