Good technique to find a GC for full rehab

[Maxwell Harrell]

Anyone have a good technique to find a good GC for full rehab when out of state?

We have a house under contract and need to find someone that can handle a full rehab of a large luxury SFR. We've asked our realtor who has experience with flips but he only gave us one. I'd like to build an applicant pool and interview to find the right fit. Any ideas on creative ways to get the right referrals? The assumption is Google isn't going to cut it.

[Christopher Campbell]

The local Contractor Facebook groups are a good way to shake the trees and at least start putting together a list of numbers to call. Be sure to specify the extent of the work needed. Then it's all about vetting them out to the extent that you feel comfortable bringing them on to your job.

Another way you could track down GCs and trades is to go to your city website's permit portal to see who's recently pulled permits for their work. The city typically has their info posted there so you can get in contact with them. 

Key things to look for:

(1) Experience - however much you deem acceptable

(2) References - contact the last 3 customers they did similar work for

(3) Compliance - be sure they're following local rules in regards to permitting/inspections

 (4) Specialty - a lot of guys say they do it all. To me that's a red flag. Learn what they do best and what they'll need outside help with.   

 (5) Management - how do they plan and manage the execution of a project? Which parts of the job would they sub out and how do they manage that along with any permits that might be necessary for that trade work? What's in-house? 

 (6) Billing - how do they expect to be paid? What's their billing schedule? What is the Quality Assurance agreement? Is their a per diem agreement for past due steps in the project (outside of any crazy weather, health issues, or stop work orders) 

These are just some basics. I'm sure there will be a fair amount of additional input, this is a good subject to follow. 

I hope this helps!

Cheers!