Trust, but verify
If you are anything like me, you probably do some research before making a major purchase like a car or a TV. This may include reading reviews from independent sources or consumers online and talking with friends. Heck, I even have to read the most recent reviews for a restaurant before I try something new.
We all like to know what to expect, right?!
So why not employ the same due diligence when selecting a contractor, engineer or architect? Here are some basic tools to do just that.
Start with your state regulatory agency.
Want to know if your prospective general contractor holds a ‘Class A’ license? Or do you want to be sure the architect your neighbor recommended can practice in your state? For Virginians, look no further than DPOR (pronounced DEE-pour,) the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. DPOR issues professional credentials and enforces standards of professional conduct. Businesses and individuals alike are found in the database. Here is an example of useful information found through DPOR’s license lookup portal:
License description (e.g. Contractor, Architect, Engineer, etc.)
DBA (Doing business as)
Rank (e.g. Contractor Class and specialties)
Initial certification and expiration dates
Related licenses (e.g. Business in which the professional's license is associated, all licenses under a business)
Disciplinary Action (Open and closed cases)
Google Search
While this may seem obvious, a quick Google search of the firm and/or the professional’s name will yield results from a large amount of sources.
So what are we looking for? Let's say Company X has an impressive website offering soup to nuts construction services, but the principal's LinkedIn page states they only do basement renovations. Perhaps there’s a specific person at a firm that was recommended to you and is listed as an employee, but the individual’s personal site states they left the firm a year ago. Trust, but verify.
Do a Google search of: the company's name, any DBA discovered through the state's site, name of the owner of the firm/business, individuals listed under the business listing found on state's site.
Just a few things to look for:
References to the firm or individual on websites other than their own (e.g. awards, articles, affiliations, community activity)
Reviews from sources other than the company's Google or social media pages (e.g. BBB, Nextdoor, Alignable, etc)
Company and individual LinkedIn pages (look for inconsistencies between sources)
Employees and their credentials
Ask for References
Current / Past Clients
Any architect or contractor should be proud of their work, ongoing and completed. If it is a commercial project, those will be easier to access if they are open to the public. For residential projects, the architect or contractor will likely need to get permission from the client to share information with a prospective client due to privacy concerns. Either way, you should be able to get a referral from current or past clients.
Local jurisdictions
Your local building and planning departments may also be a good resource. Not all jurisdictions will want to express opinions on architects, engineers or contractors. These individuals see and evaluate the quality of work from these professionals regularly, so their opinion would be valuable.
Why is all this important?
Whether your project is a new home, a small renovation or a new business location, it is your money paying for design and construction services. You should be confident in the skills, experience, transparency and honesty of your team and their dedication to putting your project’s best interests at heart.
Take the time to interview the team members for your project (e.g. Architect, Engineer, Interior Designer, Contractor.) If something odd comes up in your research, ask them about it. Typically, your research will confirm your initial impression of these prospective businesses and professionals giving you the ability to make an informed decision.
I have some clients that wish they had taken the time to do some research on the referrals they hired and subsequently fired.
Some real examples which cost money and project delays: a client learned their contractor for a $300k addition only held a Class C license, one discovered the contractor’s specialty was “painting” and had no commercial construction experience, another contractor failed to file for building permits most likely due to having their license previously revoked which was discovered after the fact (this one was a doozy.)
