Getting a House Built in Jamaica (or anywhere).

No house can stand the test of time without a good, sturdy foundation. That why you need to be very careful when choosing a contractor to build your home. It’s unfortunate that scammers keep popping up all the time, giving a bad name to the construction industry in Jamaica, but it’s still possible to find a good contractor if you look out for certain characteristics.

For one, find out where they get their materials–and how. You’ll want to be sure that they buy quality supplies from a reputable organization (like Stewart’s Hardware), and that they have sense when it comes to storage and weather-damage avoidance. Also, see if they can provide photos–LOTS of photos–of work they’ve done, and be sure that they send you plenty of visual updates of your own home as they build it.

A good contractor should also be able to give you low, medium, and high price estimates based on the material quality–a choice that is yours (if you suspect that differences in price mean a difference in work quality, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction).

Be sure that the contractor you choose gives a reasonable time-frame …but don’t forget to be reasonable yourself. Give some leeway for delays, and above all, facilitate good communication.

A good contractor should allow you to explain what you want, and not try to push his own personal ideas of what you should (or what he/she would) do. He or she should let you know if something you’re suggesting is unsafe, unpractical or illegal, but not try to tell you what you should like to have.