Things to ask your contractor before you start your project

How is he scheduling your project?
Scheduling your project is very important as it will help in timely completion of the project, which also means lesser cost escalation. It will also tell you what project activity comes after another. This way you can plan your materials selection, deliveries, and budget. Scheduling will also help you in creating a contingency plan if anything gets delayed. 

Who will supervise the work onsite?
During execution of your project a number of situational, technical problems will arise, the supervisor should be able to tackle those problems. The onsite supervisor of your project has to be a very able professional. He should have enough experience of working on the same kind of project as yours and should have a good track record in it. 

How he plans to store materials?
Based on the availability of space in your project the contractor must devise a storage plan including duration. If yours is an individual house then storage might not be an issue but for smaller apartment’s storage is a big question. The storage should not inconvenience to the other residents in the apartment. 

How he plans to protect parts of property?
You might not be carrying out a complete renovation of the property but only a part of it. In such cases, it is very important to protect the part of the property which does not need any changes. Or it might be the beautiful garden that you have nurtured since years which stays unchanged but needs protection from the movement, dust and cement. In such cases, it is very important that your contractor has a plan to protect them. 

Should you expect any damage during the works?
Sometimes a bit of damage is unavoidable but your contractor can help you save most of it by proper planning.

Communication of work progress
The communication of work progress is very important by the contractor as it will give you an idea if you are going to finish the work within stipulated time. You need to decide with your contractor how he plans to do this. If you are someone who is staying outstation during the span of the project then daily update on the project is very important. 

Any critical parts in project
Your contractor should know his capabilities and shortcomings. There might be some parts of the project which may require a special handling or Specialist hiring. He should notify you such critical jobs upfront and his ability to handle them. 

Can you add or subtract to his scope of works in between?