Selecting a contractor/supplier

[eandg]

Just wondering if you've any advice (or experiences to share) around selecting a supplier for your superstructure (or contractors more widely). In most trades you want your retailers to be really keen and engaging but with construction (for repair/refurb anyway) the general rule is if they're available and keen then they might not be that good. We've started to engage with companies and have had a mix of completely uninterested (two companies who've not even acknowledged an email enquiry, were then contacted in person/by telephone and have still not followed up) to fairly professional and detached to really keen and maybe a wee bit too salesmany. How did you pick/pursue your supplier? 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by eandg

[recoveringbuilder]

When we put our plans out for pricing for the timber frame we did so at the Homebuilding show thinking that speaking to them directly would be preferable to email enquires however this didn’t work as it is their most busy time, of the 5 or 6 we gave plans to only 2 got back to us, one within the 6week timeframe they had given us and the other about 6 months later. We went with the one who did what they said as that seemed to stand them in good stead for future dealings.If you are asking them to give a quote for a timber frame it does take them some time to go through plans etc and yours will not be the only set of drawings on their desk if they’re a busy company. We have never regretted going with the company we did as having recently looked at other builds nearby we realised we had got a good deal with ours.

[ToughButterCup]

7 hours ago, eandg said:

[...]

a mix of completely uninterested

[...]

to fairly professional and detached to really keen and maybe a wee bit too salesmany.

[...]

 

I venture to suggest that every single one of us on this discussion group has had to face this problem. 

There's a fairly detailed thread about the matter here