Why You Should Hire A Contractor Directly & Not Through A Third Party

Many people have trouble looking for contractors to help them with their construction needs. Especially if they are new to the contractor hiring process. Often, they turn to third parties to help find a reliable contractor. There are two types of third parties that seek out uninformed customers to hire them for their services. The first type of third party are those online websites that connect the customer to a pool of contractors depending on their project needs. The second type of third party consist of an individual(s), that are unlicensed and have no contractor experience or credentials. However, this is a mistake, and I will explain why.

Online Websites That Connect Customers to Contractors

Most customers are often swayed by the online websites that promise to pair a reliable and affordable contractor for their project for FREE! However, this is a standard marketing tactic by these companies. This is not free, and I will explain why. Contractors pay for construction leads on these websites. Generally, it may be a standard percentage based on the projects value, they may pay a high subscription fee, or pay a fee to get your contact information. As a result of the cost the contractor assumes from these ridiculous fees and shakedowns by these third parties, the cost is then pushed down to you, the customer.

Not only is the cost of unnecessary third-party fees pushed onto you, but the quality of the overall project is greatly reduced. I will explain why this is. For instance, if I am a general contractor and I am competing with 10-15 other contractors, to get the project, I would have to cut cost significantly. As a result of cutting cost to be competitive as well as factoring in the third party’s shake down fee, the overall project quality will suffer. As a contractor, I would have to spend less on skilled labor, materials, and equipment. Would you feel comfortable knowing your ceiling was being built with the cheapest quality material, equipment, and labor? I do not think so. In addition, to make up for the low profit margin by the project, the contractor will have to seek out numerous additional projects to make it up. As a result, customer service will decline and timeline for your project will stretched out. Nothing is more stressful than struggling to get into contact with your general contractor or having to hear that your project will not be completed on schedule.

Ultimately, these third-party websites act as unnecessary middlemen. Often, many customers fall victim to receiving poor quality craftmanship, customer service, while paying to find those contractors.

Unlicensed Third-Party Individual(s)

Unlicensed third individuals are middlemen during the construction process, only to occur extra cost, weaken communication, delay projects, and create other potential issues for your construction project. They do not have the proper licensing or training to carry out these services directly. They do not understand local ordinances, ADA compliance, building codes, fire codes, and other construction requirements. For example, they would not be able to explain when you need a permit or inspection for a specific project. Third party individual(s) have two approaches.

First approach, they pursue a contractor and charge them for the lead, which is pushed back to the customer. This is the same concept as the website third parties.

The second approach is when the customer hires an unlicensed individual(s) to manage a construction project. For example, a customer will pay the unlicensed third-party individual(s) $50,000 to manage the project and hire the contractor. Once the third-party person is paid, they will turn around and hire a contractor $35,000 to build and manage the project for them. If, you are a customer and you hire a third party for these services, you think your getting a project valued at $50,000 but instead you are getting a project with a value of $35,000. That effects the quality craftsmanship, the timeline of the project, the materials used, and the overall construction experience.

Ultimately, it is much beneficial for the consumer to hire a construction contractor directly. I will explain how you can save a headache, time, money, and avoid a poor construction experience.

Why you should Hire A Contractor Directly

By hiring a contractor directly, you can get the experience of partnering with the actual construction company versus a website service company or an unlicensed individual that will look to the hired contractor for answers. With a direct line of communication, you can avoid any miscommunication, delays, errors, and have a smoother construction experience. In addition, there are no additional expenses that you must pay from third parties. Contractors can develop you a fair and quality bid that you can be satisfied with, instead of it being constrained. Licensed contractors have the knowledge and training to fulfill your project needs.

The more often you work with a contractor and establish a relationship with that contractor, the more comfortable your will be. The construction process will become simple and peaceful process, just like any other process in your life.

How To Find A Contractor – A Few Quick Tips

• Google for general contractors and find their website directly.
• Ask people you know if they can recommend a contractor.
• Go to review sites to find a reliable contractor – and evaluate what customers say about them
• Check your mail, often contractors mention their services thru post-cards and letters
• Check local directories of contractors in the area, you will find a list of contractors and their services.

Summary

Hiring a contractor is beneficial for the contractor and the client. However, many customers make the mistake of seeking out third parties such as service websites and unlicensed individual(s). At the end of the day, they are hiring a third party that will interrupt communications, add further expense to your project, and potentially delay or stop your project.

If you are interested in hiring a professional contractor, then partner with JMF Commercial Construction today.