After the Disaster
Finding a contractor after a disaster can be difficult and stressful, especially on short notice or under the conditions of a disaster. Construction work is something that most people have a difficult time dealing with, even when they have had time to prepare and plan. Dealing with it with no notice and no place to live or under poor living conditions is especially stressful. The National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers (NABIE) has put together a few recommendations to help you find a reputable contractor and to reduce problems during reconstruction of your home or business. These are just general guidelines, but they should help you to avoid some of the pitfalls under difficult conditions.
Define the work to be completed.
To reduce misunderstandings, wide differences in estimates, and future stress, you should define the work that needs to be done to repair your home or building as much as you can. You may need assistance from a professional to assess the scope for these repairs. This scope can be in your own words, but works best in a bullet format in writing. This is the process of “defining the scope of work” and can be used in your agreement with the successful contractor. Your first draft does not need to be perfect, but…. Read More for Profengineering.com a NABIE contributor.
