Choosing a Builder

April 7, 2021
Posted by: Kimberly Ponto

From minor home renovations, to home additions, to ground-up custom home builds, you're going to need a contractor you can trust with confidence to get the job done right, on time, and without major complications. But before starting a job, how do you confirm the right one?

Our work of manufacturing and installing high-end door systems in homes and businesses always requires us to work with a homeowner’s or business owner’s contractor to prepare the openings and ready them for our installations. So we’ve been around the block with contractors and have some insight into what traits confirm a great one.

Experience Is Everything

During any build or renovation, problems are going to come up (unless you’re one of the lucky ones). You need someone with the right knowledge and experience to solve these issues, often coming down to numbers. How many builds and renovations has your contractor done in the past? How many years have they been in the game?

For instance, over the past 14 years, we’ve installed over 25,000 custom shower enclosures. There’s nothing we haven’t seen or dealt with, and an experienced contractor is going to be the same. Seasoned pros have the creativity and technical know-how to problem solve anything thrown their way.

A Contractor Is Only as Good as His or Her Subs

Connections to a great team of subcontractors and skilled craftsmen is a must, as it’s rare for contractors to employ a full team of specialists to work on your home. Case and point: unless we’re hired by a homeowner directly (which we often are), then we are one of many subcontractors on a new build or renovation.

Ask the contractor what subs he or she uses, then do a little research. A quick glance on social media will often result in great (or not so great) images of the work these other companies and craftsmen have done.

Honesty During the Unexpected

2020 saw unprecedented rises in various building costs, especially for lumber. For many people in the midst of a build or remodel, this meant that they were suddenly hit with substantial overages. These kinds of factors can’t truly be planned for, but the best contractors are always upfront with their clients about overages.

We stock the most popular colors in our aluminum profiles, which we use in the manufacturing of our Glass Depots Visionary Series Bi-Fold Door System. For instance, unlike home-building where fluctuations in lumber costs can drive up the build price, our clients can always be sure that the price they’re quoted is the price they’ll pay.

A Friendly & Collaborate Spirit

As the client, you should always feel that your ideas, desires, concerns, and thoughts are being heard and addressed. Any contractor/homeowner relationship should feel collaborative, with investment from both sides and a commitment to open dialogue throughout the project. Make sure you’re being heard and you rely and trust the expertise of the contractor you’ve hired.

Walk-Throughs

Finally, if possible, arrange a walk-through of a home your contractor is currently building or has recently renovated. Happy clients are often excited to share their beautiful homes, and we’ve known plenty who were willing to let a contractor’s potential client check out the renovation or home-build that was done for them.

In 2018, we built a beautiful showroom to allow our customers hands-on access to our Visionary Series Bi-fold Door System, our Signature Aluminum Slider System, and over 25 different custom shower enclosures and configurations, plus all the hardware to boot. We have Covid safety measures in place and would love for you to come in and check out our offerings first-hand.

At Glass Depots, we pride ourselves on integrity, expertise, and exceptional customer service, providing our customers with the best possible experience. And we strive every day to make that happen.