Quality Starts in Your Contract
Quality Starts in Contract
To ensure that quality construction will happen on your job, you must mention it in your contract. Simply saying that work will be done to "...industry standards or in a workmanlike manner" is NOT good enough! Spelling out how things will be done in written specifications that are part of the contract is the best way. Provide the actual instructions as to how things go together. These are readily available from the manufacturers and/or trade associations. You can also include simple language in the contract that says something similar to, "...all materials will be installed as specified by the manufacturer and/or trade association that is closely allied to this material group."
When to Inspect
Inspecting for quality needs to be done on a routine basis. In some instances it will be daily, in others it might be weekly. You need to show up at the jobsite to make sure that your interests are protected.
Keep in mind that things are not always perfect at the end of each day. The carpenters may not finish plumbing an interior wall before they leave. You may see it that night and have a hissy fit. Relax. The next morning it probably was going to get fixed by the workers. The time to react quickly with respect to obvious mistakes is when the work is in danger of being covered up or altered by the next sub-contractor. Don't wait for weeks to mention defects. Use some judgment and ask questions. Don't automatically assume a mistake has been made. Bring up defects softly. No one likes confrontations!
Finding a Professional
If you find a professional contractor, you can often significantly lower your anxiety level with regards to quality. Professional contractors want the job done right. They usually have a good quality team of subcontractors. Mistakes can and do happen, but they are few and far between.
The way to find a pro is to look. You need to ask questions, lots of them. I can tell you that people rarely asked me lots of questions during an interview. I assume they based their decision on a gut feeling or hope. That can be dangerous!