#1 To make sure I'm dealing with a properly licensed, bonded, and insured Industrial Contractor, where do I start?
Washington State maintains a current database of licensed, bonded, and insured Industrial Contractors at http://www.Lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Contractors/HireCon/default.asp. 

The above website is very important to you because in order to legally do business, and to protect you (the Client) from any legal claims from the Contractor's suppliers, subcontractors, and employees; ALL Industrial Contractors MUST be properly licensed, bonded, and insured.  CLICK HERE to see copies of Puterbaugh's General Contractor's License, Employer Accounts, and Certificate of Insurance with $5 Million in liability coverage.

#2 What's your company's EXPERIENCE with the specific type of construction project we need done?
There are plenty of construction companies out there with experience; however, not necessarily the right experience.  Ideally, you want to hire a company that's already completed a project like yours – or very similar to yours – requiring all the specific engineering and construction nuances your project calls for.  CLICK HERE to see Puterbaugh's project portfolio organized by construction category.

#3 What's your PROJECT PLANNING process to help ensure things go smoothly for us?
On any given project, Contractors can tend to skip over important details in the up-front planning process – often resulting in unpleasant surprises later on.  For example, materials and equipment need to be ordered in advance for on-site delivery.  This helps ensure the project goes smoothly.  Make sure the company you hire uses a detailed and thorough project-planning document as their guide to planning and preparing the project.  CLICK HERE to see Puterbaugh's "Discovery and Planning Document".

#4 How do you JUGGLE all your work so my project doesn't take a back seat or fall behind schedule?
The Achilles heel for many construction companies is their project management and scheduling protocol.  Far too often, companies will book as many jobs as they can to boost cash flow; but soon get overwhelmed and fall behind.  At Puterbaugh, we average 70-80 projects a year.  That volume has been our "sweet spot" for keeping the company profitable and staying on schedule. 

#5 Does your quote COVER EVERYTHING needed for our project?
An honest, thorough quote will include all the necessary time and materials required for any given project.  However, there are certain services that can't always be estimated up front; thus, creating the need for "allowances" to be written in the quote.  Some examples that typically fall under the term allowances include: drafting and engineering services, permit fees, and special testing services.  Be leary of construction companies who come to you with "surprise change orders" that require more money beyond the original quote.  CLICK HERE to see an example of Puterbaugh's standard Scope of Work that includes the quote, allowances, and, our terms & conditions.  

#6 How do you handle "CHANGE ORDERS"?
There are two types of change orders: wanted and unwanted.

• Wanted: a wanted change order is for work requested by the Client.  For example: upgrades, additional work not quoted, and/or removal of work originally figured in to the quote.
• Unwanted: an unwanted change order is typically generated by the Contractor due to their poor planning, errors and ommissions, and/or other unknown conditions.  

Here's Puterbaugh's policy on change orders:
If additional work is requested by the Client (a "wanted" change order) or an unknown condition is found ("unwanted" change order), our crew will prepare a "field memo" authorizing our crew to do the work.  NOTE: our crews are NOT permitted to make changes in your scope of work without a signed field memo.  As soon as possible, a formal change order will be prepared at our main office and sent to you for your approval.  CLICK HERE to see an example of a Puterbaugh "Field Memo". 

#7 Will the Contractor gather all the REQUIRED PERMITS for my project?
Ultimately, it's YOUR responsibility to procure the required permits for your project.  However, a quality Contractor should know the best – and quickest way – to obtain permits.  At Puterbaugh, we go a step further by obtaining the required permits so the project meets code, and of course, passes with flying colors when the Building Inspector shows up.  Be cautious of Contractors who either don't pull permits (usually their way of avoiding slow downs), or, don't even offer to help you pull permits. 

#8 I've heard that even after we pay a building Contractor, if he hasn't turned around and paid his Suppliers and Sub-contractors, we can LEGALLY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.  Is that true?
Unfortunatley yes.  It's true.  This is when a "lien waiver" becomes very important as part of the overall documentation for your project. Make sure your Contractor provides a formal lien waiver.  This document PROVES that each Supplier and Subcontractor who's been hired on your project have all been paid in FULL.  CLICK HERE to see an example of Puterbaugh's formal Lien Waiver.

#9 Should I demand REFERENCES from Clients who my Contractor has done work for in the past?
Absolutely.  Furthermore, your Contractor should not only provide current references of projects that went "smoothly", but also projects that posed significant challenges for the construction crew.  This way, you get a much better feel for how your Contractor thinks outside the box, and, how they apply their experience to overcome challenges on the job site.  CLICK HERE to view Puterbaugh's current references.

#10 Should I always take the "lowest" priced bid?
No, certainly not.  Typically when first meeting with a Contractor, Clients don't have any project tasks or requirements in writing; so, you're left "telling" the Contractor what you're looking for.  The typical Contractor won't get any of that information in writing up front.  Instead, they'll draw up a quote – with a low-ball price to try and earn your business – all based on what they thought you communicated in the planning stage.  This process leaves lots of room for misinterpretation.  Here's a case where that played out (we've removed names for illustration purposes).

• "ABC Construction Company" sends Joe, their estimator, to meet with you about a concrete slab for a new shop you need built.  You're not completely clear on what you need, but you know the size of the slab (50' x 100').  So, ABC sends you a bid for a 4" slab on dirt.  The bid says NOTHING about reinforcement or what type of concrete mix they figured.  It also
  doesn't mention anything about cutting control joints or applying concrete curing.
  
• Puterbaugh Construction sends Dan, their estimator, to meet with you about the same concrete slab for the new shop.  Dan meets with you at your site to walk through Puterbaugh's formal "Discovery & Planning" document.  Dan determines that your slab should actually be 6" thick to support the heavy equipment that'll constanlty run through the shop.  He also determines that you'll need 4" of gravel brought in and mechanically compacted to provide adequate subgrade prep for the slab.  The discovery document also calls for #4 rebar spaced 18" on center (both ways) to properly reinforce the slab – again in preparation to support heavy equipment running through the shop.  Dan then makes a note calling for 5.5 sack of concrete mix (standard for floor slabs) with hand-tooled cut control joints to prevent cracking.  Finally, he lists a concrete-curing compound on the project materials list that'll be applied after finishing the slab to aid in proper curing of the new slab.  

Can you see the difference in the above scenario?  It's all in the planning and details!  Here at Puterbaugh, our 57 years in the business has taught us to ALWAYS send a written bid that clearly lists all items figured – items that are mission critical to the long term integrity and quality of the finished project.  It should be no surprise that in the above example, the Puterbaugh bid came in HIGHER than ABC's bid.  You'd hope so!  In business, price should always match VALUE.