Finding a good contractor at Lake Chelan

I have clients who ask me how they can find a good contractor in the Lake Chelan area. There are resources for those of you who wish to do your research. The North Central Home Builders Association is a good place to start. They even have a consumer resources page that assists folks in finding builders, re modelers and financing for their projects.

Another good thing to do is to talk to people! In the current market, many builders have time available in their schedules. That has not always been the case. Some contractors haven’t been able to keep their crews together during this slower time. In other words today they may have better, or worse, crews than they were when they built that home in their portfolio.

Check in with the Labor and Industries web site. They have a whole section on Hiring a Contractor. You can check that they are in compliance with licensing laws and that they have a current bond in place. You can also see their record and if they have any lawsuits against their contractors bond (construction only) and if they have been cited for violations of the various construction laws governed by the department of labor and industries. You can see if they are up to date on workman’s compensation payments. A contractor who is struggling might have fallen behind. You will want to hire someone who is on a sound financial footing. If you are acting as your own general contractor, this is important when hiring subcontractors as well.

Of course, look at their work. Talk to people they have completed work for, as recently as possible. Spend some time making sure you’re comfortable with who you hire. Test your ability to communicate and how you might resolve issues that are sure to come up in a project as big as building a home. If it seems like you and your potential contractor are not quite communicating clearly now, it will only get worse over the construction of your home.

You won’t be married to the contractor who is building your home, but changing contractors can be difficult and expensive. Take the time to really check out a contractor you are considering to hire to build your home. In my own projects in the area, I’ve had both wonderful outcomes and some that are less than wonderful. Find yourself an experienced guide to your home at Lake Chelan!