Make sure the contractor is sound …
§ 201 § Parishes will search for contractors who exhibit skills appropriate to the scope and significance of the project and who are properly licensed and insured. Candidates should demonstrate their ability to finance and to fulfill their commitments completely and on time and should exhibit skills in the areas of management, supervision, building technology, and construction methods and procedures. They also should have a record of good labor relations supported by positive benefit practices that are consonant with and reflective of the Church’s teachings on social justice. Most dioceses keep careful records of the competence, working methods, completion practices, and fiscal responsibility of the contractors who have worked on church buildings in the diocese to assist parishes with the competitive bidding process. This information can be readily available to the pastor and the parish building committee.
All texts from Built of Living Stones are copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
4 December 2012 at 6:42 pm
Btw, if one is going to be serious about this, it means the parish should take reasonable measures to discern how the contractor has treated and will treat sub-contractors. The usual practice is that general contractors put screws to the subs, and frequently unjustly (I’ve personally witnessed one situation in reverse, but that’s a black swan, I guess), and the work quality will also be more at risk if that’s the case.