First Meeting with Contractors

Your first meeting with the contractors is for those contractors you chose to ask for their bid. This is the next step in the process after your planning and preparation is complete. This meeting is for you to ask the contractor more in-depth questions and for the contractor to see the jobsite, check the "conditions" and ask/answer questions of the homeowner.

This first meeting is your opportunity to ask the contractor about his experience:

• If he has installed bamboo flooring or any other GREEN construction projects recently.

• About any problems with this type of flooring, based on his past experience, you need to be aware.

• How soon after you award the contract could the work start and would the work be completed without any interruptions.

 First Meeting Checks

Now check him out for his honesty and integrity … initially, do not ask any questions you do not know the answer. You may want to talk about GREEN construction as a common point to start the conversation. Just remember this is your opportunity to ask questions that:

• You consider important not just from the list above but also from the Start Planning section and scope of work page.

• You will verify specific grades of material, installation procedure and preparation work required by the manufacturer.

• The contractor may recommend a specific material manufacturer he has had great success working with.

• You ask him questions you do not know the answers after you are satisfied he is trustworthy.

• When he asks for your business, tell him you will review the information he has given you, wait for his written proposal, and check out his references before you will be ready to go ahead.

• If he asks if you are going to talk with other contractors, be honest if you already have, intend to or you are just gathering enough information to make an informed decision about his qualifications.

 The value of researching information about the material and method of installation before you speak with a contractor, then asking him questions you know the answers will be invaluable. If anything from this first meeting annoys you, write down your concern. Then, what is wrong may be clear to you in the morning.

After The First Meeting

This is your opportunity, after you meet with all the contractors, to gather all your notes and compare the information you received from each contractor. If the contractors give you conflicting information, now is your chance to verify which one is correct. This correct information may be the deciding factor for making your decision on who you will send the bid package.

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