I was honored to be a reference for one of my favorite tradesman, Abby Vasquez owner and operator of Vasquez Construction. I have known Abby for almost 13 years, completed 6 projects in 3 cities.
Abby was sly, and never told me I was on his reference list. I was not prepared and neither was the client. When I took the call there was a short introduction and then a long pause. Neither one of us had a plan.
Looking back on it, I would have liked to share the following information.
When did you work with the contractor last?
Good idea to know the contractor's work is current and if the client worked with the contractor on multiple occasions.
What type of work did they do for you?
Always a good idea to know if the contractor is doing work relevant or similar to your project.
Why did you like working with them?
Construction projects are absolutely challenging. Get to know how the contractor deals with endless and unexpected issues like; change in city codes, maintaining a safe & clean construction site, design changes, delivery problems and more.
How did you find your contractor?
This is helpful if you decide to keep searching for a contractor.
What was the bid process like?
Did the contractor respond with a scope of work and bid on time? Did the client give the contractor enough information or plans to bid from? How organized was the written response?
What was the hardest problem on your project and how did it get solved?
Demonstrates contractors ability to solve a tough problem or have the right resources to get it done correctly
Did the contractor manage the subcontractors efficiently?
The right contractor will have a large list of qualified subs and get them scheduled at the right time. Waiting for a sub is never necessary.
I am going to stop my brainstorming here. A call between reference and client would not last more that 5 minutes. I did notice Angie's List posted 9 fantastic questions that can be added to the mix.
Cheers, make your project everlasting, enjoyable and easy on the environment
#vasquezconstruction #questionstoaskcontractorsreferences #angie'slist #contractorreferences #project38LB