You want a post frame building for your farm or business. Regardless of what purpose your building is for there are certain technical aspects that you will want to consider before signing a building contract.

Don’t make the mistake of overlooking contract details. Here are some of the highlights one should consider.

Pricing

Pricing is always a concern, but should not be the only concern. It is also important to look at the true value as you compare contractor bids. Understanding what you will be getting in terms of quality materials, flexibility, experience, and in what timeframe all way into the final purchase decision. Finally, it is important that you get everything specified in writing.

At Pacemaker we handle this by putting the project details in writing during the design and budget proposal process. We design a floor plan drawing of the proposed project showing all details. When we sign our contract agreements with our clients every detail is covered in terms of : what is to be built, what is included, where it is to be erected, who is handling the site work, pulling the needed permits, time to start construction along with estimated completion time. By cover every detail upfront we avoid the hassle and cost of having change orders during project construction. This means no surprises for our clients and a satisfied customer upon project completion.

Insurance

It goes without saying that you should only ever deal with a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor. Even if you’re flexible about their licensing and bonding, never let a contractor start work without verifying their insurance coverage. Your contract should explicitly spell out their insurance situation and what it covers.

Coverage is an important part of making sure that any unforeseen circumstances won’t fall on you and created an unforeseen financial hardship.

At Pacemaker we are clear with you about our coverage by providing a copy of our certificate of liability insurance that list our insurer and the amounts we cover.

Sourcing and Subcontracting

Where do the materials for your pole building come from? The contractor should let you know what materials they will use and where they source those materials.

In similar fashion, make sure the contractor lets you know up front if they will do any subcontracting. You need to know. After all, you’re going through all this effort to hire the perfect contractor for the job.

How would you feel if the contractor simply brought in a completely different group of people to do important parts of the job? It also matters in terms of insurance coverage. If your potential contractor does subcontracting work, then make sure you look into the subcontractors as well.

At Pacemaker Buildings this is not an issue. We have manufactured and packaged our buildings in our truss plant for 40 years. We use our own experienced employee crews to erect your building. We feel this provides the most cost effective quality building for our client. This sets us apart from most other builders who purchase a “lumber yard” package and use various subs to construct the building.

Timeframes and Plans

Your contractor should be able to give you an estimate of the time it will take from start to finish. This should be a part of the contract. A really diligent contractor will give you timeframes for each stage of the project. If a contractor claims to guarantee a particular deadline, get it in writing.

Your contract should include a detailed rundown of every part of your post frame building. This should give you a good opportunity to look over the plans and make suggestions before work begins.

With Pacemaker we ensure you know the timeline by including it in writing when we sign contracts with our clients. Everything is in writing and spelled out clearly.

Change Order Policies

Always make sure that you fully understand the contractor’s change order policies. These are extremely important and should definitely be in writing. Change orders can become painfully expensive for both you and the contractor.

Make sure the contractor allows for some flexibility. But it also helps if you’re sure about what it is you want before work begins.

Working with Pacemaker Buildings early in the planning and design stages will often eliminate costly changes during construction.

Summing it up:

The bottom line is that you need to understand the details and select the best contractor for your situation. Have more questions?
Contact us today!