Using a local licensed general contractor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when moving forward with a custom home build or remodel. Unfortunately, hiring a friend-of-a-friend, a “contractor” who doesn’t have a license, or a glorified handyman promising bottom-level pricing is not the best recipe for project success.

5 Reasons to Use a Local Licensed Contractor

First and foremost, you want to hire a contractor with Integrity. In addition to having unlimited access to your home throughout the duration of the project, your contractor is performing work involving structural components that protect both your home and its occupants.

The work needs to be done in compliance with current federal, state, and county building codes, and that requires the expertise of a licensed and reputable contractor in your area.

1. Current Licensure is Proof of Relevant Experience

Licensed contractors have to have a certain amount of work experience and pass tests proving their industry acumen. Once they have their license, they must continue their education and training, which requires further education, testing, and verification of their grasp of the everchanging construction industry policies and innovations.

Verifying prospective contractors’ licenses via state/county websites or with a quick call to your local building department is one of the first things you should do when pursuing bids from potential builders. While there are no guarantees about a contractor’s ability until you vet them further, knowing they have a valid Florida contractor’s license ensures prospective contractors have:

• Proven financial solvency to the state, including a credit score of 660 or higher
• Passed a complete background check and have their fingerprints on file with the state of Florida.
• Provided proof of current licensure, general liability insurance, and workman’s comp insurance
• Passed the Florida State Construction Exam

We want to emphasize the third bullet point, that contractors must show proof of general liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance. If any of their employees or subcontractors are injured on the job or perform faulty workmanship, these policies are the homeowner’s protection against being sued or financially on the line for monies lost or unnecessary out-of-pocket spending on repairs/redos.

Read our post, How to Find a General Contractor…, for more information on how to hire a remodeler or custom home builder you can trust.

2. Hiring Local Puts Money in the Community Economy

The “Buy Local” mantra has never been more important than in the past year when we realized just how important it is to support our local businesses and community business owners. Buying – or hiring – local is a powerful way to keep your dollars in the local community economy. When you choose a local contractor for your project, the thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of dollars you spend are largely spent within a 50-mile radius or less.

Contractors like us work with local, licensed subcontractors, lumber companies, designers, and a range of largely family-owned product vendors. It’s exponentially more meaningful to work within that family-like network than to hire big, corporate entities that are far more concerned with the power of the dollar than on taking good care of their employees and their employees’ families.

3. Work That’s Done to Code

We hinted at this above, but we can’t emphasize enough how important it is that your building project is completed in compliance with current building codes.

First and foremost, your safety and the integrity of your home’s structure depend on it. That is especially true here in Volusia County, where hurricanes and strong wind and rains can wreak havoc on even the sturdiest of homes. There are multiple reasons why construction work must be done up-to-code, including:

• The safety and longevity of your home and its occupants
• Energy efficiency
• The ability to be permitted and signed off by the local building department
• Preventing penalty fines/fees (if you complete a remodel or addition that doesn’t go through the proper building department channels, you risk having to pay stringent penalties/fees)
• To protect the home’s resale value later on (unpermitted additions or remodels are often caught during escrow, which can impact the deal and lower the value of your home)

4. They Care About Their Reputation

A local contractor is far more likely to care about his reputation. Like any professional business owner, we invest in our website, marketing, and advertising, but we take pride in the fact that the lion’s share of our business comes by word-of-mouth. Of course, we love to be found on Google, but it is far more satisfying when we get a call from a client’s neighbor, cousin, or colleague because the caller saw our work and loved it, or because our referring client believed in us so much that they promoted our work to someone in their network.

When you hire a local general contractor, we are eager to please you as our client. However, we are also aware that our work will stand the test of time and be on display for any future guests that grace your home. When they remark, “Wow, who did this beautiful remodel?” Or, “What gorgeous custom detailing…what company did you work with,” we know our name is the answer.  So, it’s essential that we can stand proudly by our finished project.

5. View Portfolio Examples in Real Life

Online portfolios are a good place to start, but pictures can hide a myriad of imperfections. When you hire a local contractor with a history of custom homes, additions, and remodels in your area, you get to visit “real life” examples of their work. Seeing their work in person is the best way to get a feel for what they do.

Current and former clients are happy to show off their new projects and can schedule a time to show you the contractor’s work. If nothing else, most clients are more than willing to speak with you as a contractor’s reference, honestly answering any questions you have about the work we’ve completed, our work ethic, and our business practices. Local references can also share feedback about what they liked and weren’t so fond of during their experience.

Are you interested in hiring a local, licensed general contractor for your upcoming Volusia County project? Then, schedule a consultation with Fogle Constructors.