How to Choose a General Contractor in Victoria, BC
Hiring a general contractor is the biggest decision in any renovation. The design, the materials and the budget all depend on the person running the job. Get that choice right and most other problems become manageable. Get it wrong and no amount of good planning will save the project.
This guide covers what to check before you hire a general contractor in Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt or View Royal. Most of it takes an evening of phone calls and a few minutes online, and all of it is worth doing before you sign anything.
Start With the Right Kind of Contractor
A general contractor manages the whole project. They schedule the trades, order the materials, arrange the permits and inspections, and are responsible for the finished result. If your renovation involves more than one trade, which covers nearly every kitchen, bathroom, basement and whole home renovation, you want a general contractor rather than a collection of individual trades you coordinate yourself.
Hiring trades directly can look cheaper on paper. In practice, the homeowner becomes the project manager, and every gap between the plumber, the electrician and the tiler becomes your problem to solve.
Seven Things to Check Before You Hire
1. A WorkSafeBC Clearance Letter
This is the check most homeowners skip, and the one that matters most in British Columbia. If you hire a contractor who is not registered with WorkSafeBC or is behind on premiums, you can be held liable for the premiums owing on your job. A clearance letter from WorkSafeBC confirms whether the business is registered and in good standing. You can request one online for free in a few minutes. Do it before the work starts.
2. Liability Insurance, in Writing
Ask for a certificate of commercial general liability insurance and read the dates on it. Liability insurance covers damage to your home or your neighbour's property caused by the work. WorkSafeBC coverage and liability insurance are two different things, and a professional contractor carries both.
3. A Business Licence That Covers Your Municipality
Greater Victoria is several municipalities, each with its own licensing. Many contractors carry an inter-municipal business licence that covers the region. Ask which licence they hold and confirm it covers where you live. The Province keeps a list of mobile business licence programs and the communities that take part.
4. Reviews You Can Trace to Real Jobs
Read the Google reviews, not only the star rating. Look for reviews that name a type of project and describe how the job actually went: whether the crew showed up, how problems were handled, whether the final price matched the quote. Then ask for two or three references from projects similar to yours and call them.
5. Photos of Their Own Finished Work
Any contractor can post stock photos. Ask to see projects they completed themselves, ideally in homes like yours. A contractor who does good work is usually glad to show it.
6. A Clear Answer on Permits
Ask who applies for the permits and who books the inspections. The answer should be immediate and specific. A contractor who suggests skipping a permit to save time or money is telling you how they will handle every other shortcut on your job. Our guide to renovation permits in Victoria explains which work needs one.
Experience With Older Victoria Homes
Much of Victoria's housing was built before 1960, and older houses rarely open up the way a newer one does. Knob and tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, rot under old flooring and walls that are no longer square are routine here. In British Columbia, homes built before 1990 also need a hazardous materials survey before renovation work begins, because asbestos can turn up in drywall compound, plaster and flooring. Ask how the contractor handles the survey and what happens if it finds something. A contractor who has not heard of the requirement has not done much renovation work in this city.
How to Compare Quotes
Get two or three quotes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom.
An itemized quote tells you what you are paying for. A single lump sum tells you almost nothing. Look for demolition, disposal, each trade, materials, permits and finishing listed separately.
Watch the allowances. An allowance is a placeholder amount for something not yet chosen, such as tile or a vanity. A quote with unrealistically low allowances looks cheaper and ends up costing more once you choose what you actually want.
The lowest quote is often the one that left something out. If one number is far below the others, ask what it does not include. For a sense of realistic figures, see what a bathroom renovation costs in Victoria.
What Belongs in the Contract
Never start a renovation on a handshake. A written contract protects both sides and should include:
The full scope of work, described room by room
The price, including what is and is not included
A payment schedule tied to stages of completed work, not to dates
How changes are handled. Every change should be priced and approved in writing before the work is done.
An estimated start date and schedule
Who is responsible for permits, inspections and cleanup
Warranty terms for workmanship
The 10 Percent Holdback
Under British Columbia's Builders Lien Act, a homeowner paying a contractor is generally required to hold back 10 percent of each payment until 55 days after the work is completed. The holdback protects you if a contractor fails to pay a trade or a supplier who then files a lien against your property. A professional contractor will expect it and will not argue. If you have questions about how it applies to your project, a lawyer can walk you through it.
Red Flags
A large deposit demanded before any work or materials are scheduled
Pressure to sign today to hold a price
Cash only, or a discount for no paperwork
No written quote, or a quote with no detail
Reluctance to provide a WorkSafeBC clearance letter or proof of insurance
A suggestion that your project does not need a permit when you suspect it does
Any one of these is a reason to slow down. Two or more is a reason to keep looking.
Questions to Ask at the First Meeting
How many projects like mine have you completed in Greater Victoria?
Who will be on site each day, and who is my point of contact?
Will you use your own crew or subcontractors for each trade?
Who applies for permits and books inspections?
How do you price and approve changes once work has started?
What happens if you find something behind the walls?
What warranty do you give on your workmanship?
A good contractor answers these plainly and does not mind being asked. How they answer tells you a great deal about how they will run your job.
Ready to Talk About Your Project?
We are a general contractor serving Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt and View Royal. Whether you are planning a kitchen renovation, a bathroom or a whole home project, we will walk through it with you, answer every question on this list and give you a fixed, itemized quote. Book a free consultation or call us at (250) 533-9666.
