When you are ready to hire a concrete contractor, how do you find the right one for the job? It starts with a bit of research and asking the right questions. It helps to prepare your questions ahead of time, so you don’t miss or gloss over any crucial issues that could affect the outcome of your project later.
How long have you been working in the concrete industry? What about the individual crew members? Having a few new people is okay, but you don’t want a completely green crew working on your project. How often have they worked on commercial projects like yours? How does the contractor ensure that everyone on the crew follows the highest-quality standards?
Any professional concrete contractor with experience will have a portfolio of previous projects on which they’ve worked. They may have this on their website or provide it to you personally. Either way, you will want to see examples of relevant past projects.
A concrete contractor likely has current projects already in progress, so they may not be able to start immediately on yours. But they should still be able to provide a reasonable estimate of when they can begin your work. It is important to know sooner than later if there will be problematic issues with the project timeline.
The length of a concrete project is determined by several factors, including weather and site conditions. Once the contractor has seen your space and understands your needs, they should be able to give you an accurate estimate of the timeline for the project. This timeline should include the steps involved in bringing your concrete installation to life. Every detail should be outlined in writing.
Too often, companies will get a few estimates and choose the candidate with the lowest number. That is a mistake. While you want to protect your bottom line, many other things will affect the outcome of your project, and it is crucial to investigate all of them thoroughly.
Before you hire anyone, take the time to vet their credentials and get satisfactory answers to all the essential questions. Talk with 3-5 companies and get quotes from each. But the final estimate is only one thing to keep in mind. Be sure the contractor meets your needs by asking these questions too.
Also, ask if they have any past clients you can contact regarding previous work they’ve completed. When talking with references, you are looking for a history of success with past concrete projects as well as excellent communication and customer service.
Try to speak directly with 2-3 recent clients who have done the same concrete work that you are hiring the company to do. Ask them:
Many concrete companies have started outsourcing their projects. At Randahl Construction, Inc., we never outsource. We self-perform all of work and assign a project manager to oversee the work on your concrete project.
Your contractor should be able to tell you who will be present and in charge throughout your project. This is who you will contact if anything goes wrong. So it is essential to find out who that person will be and how you can expect them to interact with you.
“Randahl Construction did an awesome job of updating our business exterior. The concrete work, building exterior refurbishment, painting and new canopy were completed on time and exceeded our expectations. If you want the job done right, on time by an honest and ethical business, contact Randy at Randahl Construction.”
Randahl Construction, Inc. only works with commercial and industrial applications (we do not service residential needs for concrete). So we can focus on our industrial customers and projects. Our Minnesota projects usually begin with a client meeting, a site visit, and a discussion of the project in further detail. We want to learn as much as possible about your project so our estimating team can offer you the most accurate pricing right from the start.
