MAXIMIZING THE VALUE your business receives from its construction dollars is a continuing challenge, no matter what the economic climate may be. But in today's tough economy, discretionary construction dollars are particularly precious. There is tremendous competition among contractors to win your business, sometimes with unrealistically low bids that may come back to haunt you later.

When your company has a need for construction services, the last place you should go is a telephone directory or the Internet.  Over the life of your business, you are likely to spend more money—a lot more—on building, remodeling and other construction-related services than on other professional services.

Given that reality, it makes better sense to select and incorporate into your core management team a skilled, experienced and trusted building contractor, one who is chosen carefully. Choose this person  similar to the way you have selected and established continuing supportive and consultative relationships for other professional services, such as accounting, legal or advertising.

No hit-or-miss
Choosing a builder should be based on a review of your potential future needs and a careful evaluation of their qualifications. The strangers that are common in the traditional bid market.

Work to establish a close working relationship with a firm and its people who understand your vision and objectives, and who are committed to working cooperatively to achieve your goals.

In any construction project, cost is an important consideration. But so is making certain that real value is delivered for the money spent. A general contractor who knows your company, your specific needs, aspirations and budget limitations intimately is your best assurance of receiving a benefit that exceeds the cost.

A contractor partner should be ready at any time to answer questions, prepare cost estimates and provide timely and expert advice, while functioning as your company’s “first responder” for construction-related services.

A good contractor can provide expert and economical value-engineering of your new construction, expansion or remodeling plans and specifications—a process that helps wring out excess or unnecessary costs early in the design process—as well as provide options for building material choices and scheduling concerns.