Finding an earthworks company and trusting them on this new site of yours brings with it no guarantees of success. Like every stage of the project, this one has to be handled carefully.
It is crucial to use the right company, but this is as much about your role in the proceedings.
It’s not all About Price: Check out the Contractor’s Suitability
You know from other areas of life that a low price is not always an indicator of high quality – in fact it can be the opposite. If you receive a very attractive estimate for the job, you must ask yourself why this is and how they can do it so much more cheaply than their competitors.
Are they just starting out and trying to get a foot in the door of this industry? After all, we’ve all got to start somewhere and in 10 years’ time these people might be the leading name in their field in the whole of Australia. It is a risk though and not everyone is willing for their project to be an experiment so be careful and know what you want.
Don’t Settle for the Unknown: What do Previous Customers Think About Them?
Word of mouth is not just the best publicity for a business; it is an excellent source of information for the potential customer. Ask around, getting the opinions of people who have had this kind of work done in the area recently, plus the people in the building supplies warehouses and any tradies you might come across.
What do they think of this company? Or more generally, which excavation contractor has a good reputation? You should also have a look at the contractors’ websites and read through their testimonials to make sure they’ve helped people like you before.
Do They Have the Plant for the Job?
Plant is a funny word to refer to machinery and heavy vehicles, but it’s one you will come across. If a company has a substantial fleet of diggers, bulldozers etc, they will probably have them lined up for a photograph. If they don’t mention this kind of thing, you can always ask, which bring us to the getting-to-know-you stage.
Communication: What They can do and What You Need
You will have described your project to the contractor, but before they can draw up an estimate they will need to see for themselves exactly what they’re going to be dealing with. This is where you can start picking their brains and seeing what they have to offer in terms of experience. What sort of machines do they have to deal with this aspect of the terrain? What is the soil like around here (local knowledge can be very useful)? How long should a job like this take?
Can They Help With Approvals and Permits?
If you are not experienced in this kind of work, you may not know about local requirements as regards what you can and cannot do, and what you need permission for. The contractor should know these things or at least tell you what questions to ask the authorities.
Environmental Concerns and Safet
If environmental matters are important to you, find out what your potential contractor feel about this. Site safety, too. You want a great job to be done but in a responsible way.
Length of Project Time and Penalties
A good contract is one in which both parties are clear about what to expect, and if time really is money to you in this case, get your requirements down in black and white, with all the implications as regards penalties if targets are not achieved.
