Choosing a contractor is one of the most crucial parts of the entire process of building an ADU. We have spoke to a few people who have also gone through the processing of building an ADU or just renovating their home in general and have heard horror stories about contractors not doing their job, going MIA entirely or just working at a slow pace while they are working on their other projects simultaneously. We knew it was a big component of this entire project to choose the right contractor, so we agreed to gather bids and interview a few contractors before making the decision.
Not having any personal connections or leads to contractors, we decided to ask on a few different sources and platforms. We first asked the professionals we were already working with- the expeditor, drafter and engineer- if they knew of any reliable contractors that they have personally worked with who we can speak to. They all gave us contractor leads, but unfortunately the contractors were already slammed with other projects and didn’t have time to dedicate to our ADU.
Next, we decided to post our inquiry on Angie’s List. This was an interesting site because you post your inquiry and the potential vendors contact you directly. So we received a few phone calls and lined up three different contractors to come by our home and meet them in person so they can also check out the garage that would become the ADU.
Unfortunately, all three contractors that we met through Angie’s List seemed a little green. One potential contractor showed us photos of projects he had completed and I swore one of them was a picture taken from Pinterest that I had come across before. That was a little disappointing. All of the contractors we interviewed mentioned that they have worked for other companies and decided to branch out on their own. While this may have been OK, we personally felt more comfortable choosing a contractor who has plenty experience under their belt. Even though this is a smaller job compared to other renovations and construction work, to us this is a big deal and we wanted to make sure that the contractor we chose had completed similar projects.
Then we decided to post on the Next Door app to see if we can get any recommendations there. We received two solid leads! Both contractors were local and have had experience working on and building ADUs. The first contractor we met with was completing an ADU that was less than a 10 minute drive from our house. We were able to drive up to the project he was working on at the time and saw his banner posted on the project, so we knew this was his work. It seemed like things were rocking and rolling and the person who gave us his contact information highly recommended him! Unfortunately, when it came time to get his bid, it was very thorough and detailed but also very expensive. The bid was almost double our budget and what we projected to spend. There was no way we could afford him.
Finally, we met with another contract whose information I also received from the Next Door app post. The person who commented on my post mentioned that her husband is a contractor and lived in the area. We met with him and instantly felt like we were on the same page. I think that is another important point when choosing a contractor. Not only do you want to make sure they are experienced, detailed and licensed but you also have to make sure you connect with them personally. Afterall, you will be working with them over a period of months and have to feel comfortable enough to be able to ask questions and work with this person and their team. Their bid was on par with what we expected and budgeted for. We also met with his team who has had years of experience. We felt the most comfortable with them and decided it was time to lock it in and move forward! So far they have been here on site every day, all day and have been kicking butt. We are so happy with our choice and look forward to finishing up the project with this contractor.
