1. What is the history of your company?
Before hiring a commercial construction company, you should learn about the company’s background. This is where you discover why this company started, their values and what makes them unique to their competitors. This can help you decide which company to pick for your project. Some standout qualities include communication, work ethic, drive to satisfy clients and more.
2. What other commercial construction projects similar to mine have you worked on?
A commercial construction company should have relevant experience and references for your project. For instance, if your project is a ground-up commercial construction project, you will discover references and experiences that the company has relevant to ground-up commercial construction. This will either assure you that this is the right company to work for you or realize that this company is inexperienced in your project.
3. How many subcontractors and site supervisors do you work with on commercial construction projects?
A seasoned commercial construction company should already have strong relationships with subcontractors and site supervisors like engineers and architects. Thus, this question will indicate whether they have a lot of experience working on commercial construction projects as well as how well they maintain relationships with others. This is important because when working on your project, they will maintain a strong relationship with you.
4. How do you manage scheduling for commercial construction projects?
Commercial construction companies should be organized and have a timeline for a project. This question will ensure that they will complete your project on time and within the budget that you want. Experienced companies may also have a unique process and timeline that they have over time with experience. For instance, they might add extra days for uncontrollable events like poor weather to create a realistic timeline for your project.
5. What are your safety protocols for your commercial construction company?
Commercial construction companies should have safety guidelines in place to ensure that no one gets seriously hurt on-site. With correct planning, supervision and protocols of your project, no one should be injured. Whether it is weekly safety briefings or on-site safety supervisors, companies should be cognizant of safety protocols for your project. This leads to the next question.
7. How often will I be updated on my commercial construction project?
Response to this question will be very indicative of the communication that will happen for the entirety of the project. If they give an assertive answer, this will mean that they probably have a system in place for communicating with their clients. If their answer is a range or along the lines of ‘whenever I need to,’ they probably don’t communicate as well as other companies. This will differentiate one commercial construction company from another, so pay attention to their answers!
8. What’s your payment schedule?
Although discussing money may be an uncomfortable conversation, this question is important to ensure that both you and the commercial construction company are on the same page. For instance, most will not require that you pay full price upfront but discussing payment terms and due dates are important for creating a good relationship. This conversation will also be important for realizing whether you can communicate on professional terms with the company and if they are the right fit for you.
If you are looking to start a commercial construction project or have any questions, contact Bhogal Bros Construction at 510-468-4620 to schedule a call with us. We have worked on commercial construction projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area on restaurants, medical facilities, office buildings, retail stores, and more. Our experienced team of architects and engineers will assist in every request and ensure that your project is completed on time and on budget.
Bhogal Brothers Construction Inc.