Beyond the Build

Management

Selecting the Right Building Contractor

How do you hire the right group to build your project? In many ways, it’s like any other major purchase decision. Price, financial stability and reputation are always a factor. Beyond these basics, to me, there are two things that prospective buyers of construction services sometimes overlook:

Culture. Does the contractor’s general approach to business sync with yours? A mismatch can make things frustrating.

Leaders. People make all the difference, both in the office and field leadership. A company can have a great reputation, but if you select the wrong people in that company to do the work, your experience might not be a good fit.

One can have a marquee name, a trillion dollar statement and a reputation that goes back decades, but it’s the current culture of an organization that matters, and who will be guiding your project from plans to completion. There can be many “right” ways to get a job done, and finding the best fit on the front end will make the building process more pleasant for all involved.

 

Merrill Stewart Jr.

Merrill Stewart is Founder and CEO of The Stewart/Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham.