10 Questions to Ask in a Contractor Interview [+ more]
I was a contractor before I was an architect, and as a result, I was interviewed by many owners/architects as they were trying to figure out who they wanted to work on their job. Of course now, as the architect, I’m doing the interviewing, so I’ve got a whole new perspective!
Remember, your goal is to determine two things: if they are qualified to do the work and if you will work well with them.
If they’re very qualified, but you dread meetings with them or your personalities don’t mesh well, then it will be a miserable experience for all involved. If you do get along really well, but they’re not qualified, it’ll be fun for a while, but only until you begin uncovering mistakes and seeing the budget and schedule slip away…
The other thing you need to know is what your priorities are going in to the interview. If you’re looking for the highest quality and the best craftsmanship, you’re not likely to get the fastest work. If you’re looking for someone cheap and quick, you’re likely going to sacrifice on quality. And of course, especially in residential contracting, you may be sacrificing tech-savviness no matter how great your contractor is, especially if they’re smaller scale.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite questions to ask:
How/why did you become a Contractor?
Describe your ideal client.
Describe your ideal set of drawings to work from.
Describe one of your most favorite projects you worked on. What made it great?
How do you charge for your work?
How do you invoice for your work?
What kind of contract do you use? [Hint: “the one my lawyer drew up for us, and it’s non-negotiable” is not a good answer…!]
How do you handle daily management of my job? Who is onsite, who is my daily contact, who is the crew?
How often will I get updated cost reports, % to complete reports, and schedule updates?
Do you hold weekly onsite owner/architect/GC meetings, and do you keep detailed minutes?
And bonus, #11: Why do you want this job?
Remember that the content of these answers is as important as the way they respond. If they’re unable to explain their invoicing process clearly, or say stuff like “oh we just figure that out later, my wife just sends you a bill,” or balk/refuse to answer, then that’s valuable to your decision making process. These questions are absolutely above board and a good Contractor should have clear and ready answers to all of them.
These questions assume you’ve already got the basics down [like, are you insured, are you licensed, etc], and that you’ve already checked references, done a basic Google search, etc.
I’ve had some clients ask whether they should do a background check, especially if they’re living at home while the Contractor is working there. My take is, sure, if that’s important to you, it’s not a bad idea! Keep in mind that construction is a second/third/fourth chance industry, and there are many rough characters around - many of whom might just have a rough past that has no bearing on their current/future performance. And of course, there are some Contractors who have engaged in shady business practices or cheated clients that never get caught officially in a way that would show up on a background check. That’s why checking references is so important!
Good Contractors are worth their weight - and more - in gold. And as a result, they’re almost never the cheapest guys. If you’re looking for “the guy with truck who’s really good and just doesn’t charge that much,” you might be looking for a long time…especially after the last few years, Contractors - even the crappy ones - have no problem charging a premium for their work.
So my last piece of advice: don’t focus solely on the numbers. If you get bogged down before construction even starts with nickel and diming them, you’ll miss the bigger picture, and…you’ll reveal yourself to be a PITA [pain in the ass]. Because remember, just as much as you’re interviewing the Contractor, the Contractor is interviewing *you* and deciding if they want to work with *you!*
Thanks for reading! As usual, none of what’s presented here is legal advice. Consult an attorney who specializes in the type of construction project you’re doing for specific advice on contracts and other legal issues.