4 Criteria for Choosing the Best Contractor for Your Dental Practice

Besides making sure a contractor is licensed and insured, there are four more questions to ask that can help you determine which contractor is right for your dental or medical practice build-out. Find out how to pick a general contractor now.

1. Do they have experience within your industry?

Building a dental office is not the same as building a restaurant, office, or other commercial space. Medical practices have unique floorplan, utility, and design components. Look for a contractor that has successfully built within the medical industry before.

2. Are previous clients happy?

Many of our clients come from referrals and we always share references with prospective clients. Talking to previous clients is one of the best ways of discovering the quality of a contractor. You can ask them if the project came in under budget and on-time. You can ask if they had any communication issues with the contractor or were unhappy with the end results.

“I chose Real Services because they were highly recommended by people I trust.  Other contractors that were evaluated had slightly conflicting reviews, but Real Services was 100% recommended.”

-Dr. Christian Reinecker, Reinecker Dental Group

See the case study for Reinecker Dental Group.

3. Does the estimate and timeline match your needs?

Your budget and desired timeline are two extremely important factors. Find a contractor whose construction budget and project timeline match what you’ve told them you need. The main factors that affect budget include square footage, the extensiveness of the renovation, your medical specialty, and your desired finishes.

4. Will you enjoy working with this contractor?

You will spend a lot of time communicating with your contractor throughout the construction process. If your personalities mesh well and you have the same communication style, it can make the process much less stressful. Take time to meet prospective contractors and see who you feel most comfortable with.

“I felt very comfortable with the face-to-face encounters I had with Mike Montgomery during Contractor Negotiations.  I felt that Real Services was transparent about the costs for my project, no major details were left out of the estimate, and there was an assurance that changes in costs during construction would be clearly communicated.  Real Services was not the cheapest bid, but they instilled the most confidence.”

-Dr. Jose Gil, Hamilton Dental Designs

See the case study for Hamilton Dental Designs.

Your preliminary contractor checklist should include:

• Contractor’s license and insurance
• Contractor’s experience within the medical industry
• Past client references
• Checking if their estimate and timelines match your requests
• Speaking with the contractor to assess compatibility

Don’t be afraid to ask a general contractor questions! A great contractor will help you understand the process and be extremely knowledgeable at their craft. The more questions you ask, the more you’ll know if they are the right contractor for your practice.