How To Negotiate With Steel Building Contractors

Steel buildings are a cheap and efficient way to construct a new building for your company. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small structure like a shed, or multiple residential steel buildings, steel structures are a great way to go. After you have made the decision to go forward with a specific project, there are a few things you should know to get the most out of your money when negotiating with contractors.

To get the best price for your company, leverage quotes between different contractors and let them bid against each other. For example, if you get a bid of X amount of dollars, and another contractor offers a lower price, go back to that first contractor and see if they will lower their original bid to beat out their competition. This will ensure you are getting the best price.

Another thing to keep in mind is to carefully read each section of the contract before you approve it. Sometimes materials you would like to use aren’t available; because of this you need to beware of substitution clauses in your contract. Don’t let your contractor substitute materials you would like for cheaper materials. You don’t want your contractor to save themselves money and leave you with something you don’t want. Instead have the substitution clause state that the replacement materials must be equal in value to the materials you are asking for, or have them be approved by you. The more specific you are the less likely you will end up with something you don’t want.

Ask for references from a potential contractor. You get references for potential employees, why not for your contractor? You are hiring them to perform a service, just as you do employees, so cover your bases and check them out thoroughly. Go online and search for their company. If they have any bad press, or if there are people who are not happy with their services, it’s very likely you will find out about it online. Also see if you can get images online of different steel buildings they have done in the past, this should help you get a good referencing point of how well their buildings turn out.

Don’t let the contractor intimidate you. After all it’s the contractor who needs your business. As long as you do your homework and shop around, you should be able to negotiate the perfect contract for your company.

Shannon Suetos is a writer based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation and VoIP Service, an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Image by US Army Africa.