10-Keys to Picking the Best Bid

Choosing a contractor is an important decision to make. Property owners not only want the cheapest prices available on their local marketplace, but they also want a contractor that they can trust, easily work with, and totally depend upon to guarantee both the quality of the work being done plus the timeframe in which the job will be finished. Finding the best contractor for your project is a step by step process that needs to be followed in order to successfully determine the most qualified bidder for the job. Interviews for contracting services should start even before finishing the design process. This way you can adjust your design to accommodate different bids or unforeseen technical setbacks that’s pointed out along-the-way. Having some flexible foresight is an efficient way of staying on track of fulfilling your overall project goals – Adaptability can be vital in successfully preventing costly delays that add to troubling over-budget issues. Small changes can usually be easily made, before, or even early on in a job, without having to normally change the project’s overall design or finishing date.

Here are ten consumer-proven tips on picking out the best contractor:  

1. Always vet at least three contractors in which to solicit bids from. Gather references just as you would if you were finding a babysitter for your child. Hiring someone irresponsible to be in charge of your houses welfare is just as scary as a bad babysitter. Call, go online, or just show up at the business for an on-spot tour.
2. When vetting potential contractors, make sure to find a service provider who is locally known and has a permanent physical address in your area. This way, you will have more contact and referencing options available to you than just a business’s phone number.
3. Utilize consumer service organizations such as the Better Business Bureau and the local Chamber of Commerce in order to inquire about a contractor’s business record. Don’t be fooled by strangers who knock on the door or try to sell you services over the telephone.
4. Don’t be pressured into something you don’t feel comfortable with. When a contractor is conducting a bid on your property, stick to your guns and don’t let the bidder push you into any changes in your design that doesn’t really fit your true wants or needs.
5. Property owners should always stay clear of contractor bids which ask for unusually large deposits up-front; before any work has even been started. As a rule, if the deposit is much more than the half-of-the price of the full amount of the total bid, the deposit being charged is suspiciously higher than the usual industry norm.
6. Make sure to have all-of-the pertinent information that’s available about your project so that you can send, or show, your plans to potential contractors. When you do send plans, number sheets, and instructions to a potential bidder, make sure to send the file in a non-editable format so that all of your work isn’t accidentally erased or altered.
7. Don’t take a contractor’s word alone on the material or equipment costs. Look up materials, heavy equipment rentals, and product costs, online, with a simple Google search. You will then have some possible valid grounds to question or negotiate on any bid’s itemized costs.
8. After receiving estimates from potential contractors, and then choosing the best three bids that will closest meet your specifications; go check out your top three bidders local examples of work and then take a good look for yourself.
9. When you have finally decided on a contractor, before signing any binding agreement or giving the full go-ahead to start any work involved – “See the contractor’s paperwork first!” Make sure that the contractor you hire is totally licensed, fully insured, and able to cover any damage that may happen to you or your property.
10. Remember: Get full names, actual addresses, and local phone numbers. Include every pertinent detail in your design specifications. Establish clear completion dates, budget limits, and don’t be afraid to pre-set some boundaries either during home installations or during business hours at the workplace. Don’t allow yourself to be overly inconvenienced by contract workers; set clear boundaries ahead-of-time. Remember, contractors and their employees are really working for you, not the other way around. Remember to follow these 10 simple tips to finding the best bid and both your project and your experience picking the right contractor will be a success.

Finding the best security gate and garage door installer in New York’s City’s Five Boroughs is simple; just contact New York Gates for a competitive, itemized, and easy-to-understand bid of your property’s job installation or repair. Call NYG now at (718) 614 – 0616.