I am opening a business and would like to hire a contractor for a 1200sqft build out in a plaza. Can I use a residential contractor or should I find a commercial contractor?
I have received a quote from a residential GC (who does custom home builds) and a commercial GC (who has worked on similar businesses to ours), and the residential GC is $20,000 lower. He is confident he can do our space and works with trades and a site supervisor who all have commercial experience. I am hesitant to hire him given the lack of experience but also would like to save $20,000 if the difference between the two (residential vs. commercial) is not that different.
Thank you for your feedback!
Hello Jennifer;
I am a subcontractor with nearly 30 years of experience and 3 trade certifications(2 of which are Red Seal) I have worked on residential all the way through to new commercial projects and industrial. I get work by word of mouth and by showing new clients what I have done in the past with photos of each contract.
Have each of your contractors show you their history of projects. Ask questions about cost over-runs, completion dates etc. Most contractors are very proud of their work and will show it to you. Ask for references.
And don't be afraid to work the numbers with them. Have your commercial contractor justify the additional $20 000. It might be an accurate price given the job. Talk to your residential contractor and make sure he has not missed any details or expenses.
Its all about the fine details. If in doubt you might want to hire someone to oversee the bidding process. (ie a Project Manager)
Paul Clement, RSE
Home Handyman On Call
Hello.
Being a residential contractor myself I have done quite a few commercial projects.
Based on the square footage, your project is not too big so I am sure a residential contractor with experience in building homes can handle it very well.
Thank you and good luck with your project.
Edward
I've been in the business over 30 years mainly residential but I do at least one or two commercial projects every year and my prices are always lower than the commercial guys. As long as you did your homework on your contractor and he is reputable I would say go with him.
As long as this residential contractor building a new homes and has a good reputation and as long as he is confident to make it right and know the exact process and he is not missing anything that makes such a big difference on the price comparing to the other contractor price, it's really worse to go ahead with him and hopefully things will go smoothly. From the size of the space it seems it is not a big job anyway so nothing to worry about.
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