Appointing a contractor is the single decision most likely to determine whether your project finishes well. Price matters, but price without capability is just a promise. Ask these seven questions before you sign.
1. Can you show me a project like mine?
Not a glossy brochure: a completed project of similar scale, complexity and location. Ask to visit it and speak to the client.
2. Who will actually be on site?
Meet the project manager and site engineer who will run your job. If the people in the pitch are not the people on site, the pitch is marketing.
3. What is your quality plan?
A serious contractor can explain their inspection and testing regime, concrete cube testing, reinforcement checks and hold points before the next stage begins.
4. How do you control cost?
Ask for a cost plan with measured quantities, not a lump sum built on guesswork. Understand how variations are priced and approved.
5. What is your safety record?
Ask for lost-time injury data and a method statement for high-risk work. Safety discipline on site usually reflects management discipline everywhere else.
6. How will you report progress?
Weekly written reports, photographs, programme updates and a live risk register should be standard, not an extra.
7. What happens after handover?
Understand the defects liability period, response times and who is accountable. The best contractors plan for handover from day one.