If you want to build your house and you are thinking of choosing a construction company to carry out the work, there are some things you need to know. In Spain today we have good construction companies with extensive experience in the market, however, there are also problematic construction companies that do not comply with regulations and mandatory payments. In this post, from Rudrani we give you several tips to avoid problems with the construction company and not drive you crazy while you wait for the house of your dreams.
MAKE SURE IT’S A REPUTABLE BUILDER
Do not stay with a single budget, get at least three to buy and present to the technicians who will supervise your work, the architect and quantity surveyor, if possible, who are independent of the construction company and of your total confidence.
As you can imagine, the solvency of the construction company is one of the most important factors, since nobody wants to go into business with a company in debt. Surely you are wondering how I can know if a company is solvent. Well, here we tell you one of the ways to put you on alert. If a construction company asks you to pay an amount in advance before starting the work, they usually ask for a 30% advance for materials, etc., it may be an indication that it is not a solvent company.
If possible, it is preferable not to pay anything in advance at the signing of the contract, although it is legal, it is normal that you may suspect an irregularity on the part of the construction company.
For this reason, we recommend that you do not hire a construction company that asks for this kind of advance, since it is an indicator of lack of funds and they can use your money to cover their debts and disappear. In any case, if you are going to give in to give an advance that is as minimal as possible, the first thing is to protect your assets from possible scammers.
THAT YOU HAVE UP TO DATE INSURANCE AND OBLIGATIONS WITH THE TREASURY
Another criterion for choosing a construction company is to require Construction Civil Liability Insurance for any unforeseen event related to work accidents and breakage of structures due to inclement weather. This insurance must have important coverage and its policy in force. In addition, you must be aware of all legal obligations with the Tax Agency and Social Security, and also that workers comply with all safety regulations (in case of accidents at work and safety on site).
It is important that you ask them for as many reports as possible to make sure they are up to date with all payments and insurance.
This forces them to have all the bureaucracy up to date, we summarize the reports that you can request: be up to date with tax payments, social security, civil liability insurance, agreement and accident insurance, mutual payment and social insurance for all Workers.
Many construction companies do not meet these requirements, and the client does not usually ask for this documentation.
Our recommendation is that you always ask for it to avoid responsibilities and major problems if there is an accident or a work inspection when the construction company is declared insolvent. Complying with all these requirements increases the budget, but guarantees total security.
CHOOSING A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY: NEVER PAY IN CASH
Do not pay anything in cash or in B, neither as an advance, nor at the signing of the contract, nor during the execution of the work. Burn this with fire, since it is usually done a lot, but it should not be done since you expose yourself to never seeing that money again. This situation gives rise to many serious problems, especially in the face of unforeseen events and budget increases in the work.
The problem comes because if you pay in cash there is no proof that you gave that money to the construction company, so, in the event of any setback, it cannot be claimed or proven before a judge.
In addition, we also advise you never to pay the builder for the entire work if it is not finished. This is because, in case of construction defects or faults in the work, you have to be covered with part of the payment still to be given so that they can fix it. Sometimes the contractor asks for the full payment and does not finish the work or delays the deadlines endlessly. For this reason, it is better to retain an amount of money retained until the end of the work and that is reflected in a clause of the contract.
In addition, make sure that all payments must be endorsed, signed, signed and accepted by the project management team, that is, by the architect and quantity surveyor who are not part of the construction company or the contracting company of the work, but technicians hired independently by you. When the contractor passes a record of the work done and valued in so much money, it has to be reviewed by the surveyor or architect who endorses it or not. Do not pay before having the approval of these independent technicians to work, since they make sure that everything is correct.
REVIEW THE CONTRACT WITH A LAWYER
First of all, the work of your house, due to the magnitude and capital it has, must be protected with a contract that is also reviewed by a lawyer.
If a construction company you contact offers you only a budget to carry out the work, do not accept. When you choose a construction company, a contract must be established, where it appears: the budget, delivery time and penalty in case of not meeting the deadline.
Ensure all the guidelines of the work in the clauses of the contract to avoid problems of delivery times and major problems.
CHOOSING A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY: CHECK THEIR EXPERIENCE
It is true that there are good construction companies that are less experienced, however, in this type of company, experience is a point in favor to generate trust in the client.
The construction company you hire has resources and clear things that know how to solve the various problems that may arise on the construction site without having to ask you or the project management for help.
Probably the companies with the most experience will ask you for a higher budget. But they are more likely to convey more confidence and provide features that we value positively.
To do this, take a look at the construction company’s resume and, if possible, personally visit the buildings and investigate whether or not there have been problems.
The truth is that, if a company has a good track record, it will give you more confidence and peace of mind in the face of problems, having a better experience with the work of your home.
