You have many choices when it comes to Omaha Basement Contractors. But what many homeowners need to realize is that there is more going on behind the scenes.

Very few (if any) of these companies can fulfill the entire basement finishing on their own. Thus, they rely on subcontractors who are specifically licensed to do that very kind of work- such as electricians or plumbers.

Furthermore, there are other trades that don’t require licensing including framers, drywallers, tilers, cabinet makers, and carpet layers.

Here’s the important thing.

Your basement contractor should be discerning enough to know how to select the best ones to work on your basement.

Here’s how Hawthorne Finished Basements screens our crew

Knowledge and Expertise

This may be the most important factor we use to screen which subcontractors we choose for your basement. The company must be experienced and knowledgeable about their trade.

What this means is that they are able to do the job well, efficiently, and often consequently for the best price.

We often cross-check with other people within the industry about their reputation, especially when it comes to knowledge about the trade.

For the homeowner, this translates into a subcontractor that can understand long-term implications of the work they do on your home and code requirements (so we don’t encounter a violation during inspection).

Reliability

Have you ever known anyone who’s remodeling project took way longer than expected?

Nothing can ruin a basement finishing timeline quite like an unreliable sub. The timeline of the project is often structured with contingencies so if subcontractor A doesn’t do his job then subcontractor B can’t do his/hers.

Part of this falls on the project manager to diligently communicate with all parties so everyone is working as efficiently as possible.

As a homeowner, this means your project will often get delayed. And often times, with very little reason or understanding why. We have selectively picked subcontractors that we know are reliable.

This means they show up when they say they will, respond to our messages (often urgent matters), and do the work that’s required of them. And this is exactly what all homeowners want.

Price

This often is the first factor that many basement contractors use to select a subcontractor.

While price is important to consider, it’s not the end all, be all. At least we don’t think it should be.

When we are bidding out your basement remodeling, we’re looking for the best value. This means they are able to justify the cost- either way.

If they’re significantly cheaper than other subcontractors, we want to understand why. If there is any indication that they are cutting corners (inexperienced workers, cheaper products, shortcut methods) then we won’t use them.

On the other hand, if they are significantly more expensive than other subcontractors we will ask why. It may be that they’re shorthanded and need to “overprice” work in order not to get it or that they are inefficient and therefore need to charge more. Either way, this also doesn’t work for us.

We gauge price as a factor when ultimately choosing who works on your basement, but it comes with a  lot of thoughtful consideration on value.

Summary

Selecting the right basement contractor means trusting that they are select the right subcontractors. We hope you’ll take the time to diligently screen and understand how your basement company chooses subs.

The construction industry is riddled with horror stories. Our goal at Hawthorne is simply to give you the best experience and change your perceptions on how basement remodeling can be.

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