the Price of General Contractors

General contractor to build a 40x50 garage with attached barn. This garage and barn was built within fours months and there have been no problems since finalizing. The barn is square and well built.

The contractor worked closely with us and kept us abreast of any problems that arose. He was thorough, courteous, and cleaned up after himself. Even though it was the middle of winter in Maine, he didn't miss many days of work. When there were days he couldn't work due to weather, he called promptly in the morning and let us know. He also kept noisier work for later in the morning even without us asking. He knew my work schedule and sleep schedule and took that into consideration. I was very happy that he was so considerate. He cost more than other contractors, but the level of service and the thoughtfulness was well worth the price.

Find someone trustworthy and local. Do your homework. Ask around. Go see examples of the contractor's finished works and talk to the owners. Check out projects 5 years old or older. Ask questions of the references. Were they on schedule for the project? Did they go over the quoted price? Did the workmanship hold up? Do not trust a contractor that wants half payment up front. The furthest a reliable contractor should ask for in advance is 1 month.