The Contractor Evaluation Form is a practical worksheet designed to help you compare contractors on evidence before making an appointment. It is Tool 8 in the From Land to Home companion toolkit and supports Chapters 13 and 14 of From Land to Home. The form allows you to assess up to three contractors using the same criteria, score each area from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) and examine where individual weaknesses appear rather than relying on the total score alone.
Choosing a contractor can have a major effect on the cost, quality and management of your building project. A low quotation or convincing conversation does not tell you enough about a contractor’s experience, capacity, paperwork, communication or payment practices. This form gives you a structured record for comparing contractors before you commit.
Compare Up to Three Contractors Side by Side
The main evaluation table allows you to assess Contractor A, Contractor B and Contractor C using the same information and scoring approach.
The assessment covers:
- Previous work you have seen
- Length of time in business
- Evidence of business registration
- Past clients contacted
- Quality of sample paperwork
- Communication
- Team and project capacity
- Payment terms
- Reporting method
- Verifiable online presence
Using the same criteria for every contractor makes the comparison clearer and reduces the risk of choosing someone based only on personality, price or recommendation.
Review Previous Work
The form prompts you to look at completed projects and understand the contractor’s actual role in each one.
This can help you distinguish between someone who genuinely managed a project and someone who only participated in a small part of the work.
You can also record how long the contractor has been operating and what evidence supports that claim.
Check Registration and References
The Contractor Evaluation Form gives you space to assess how the business is set up and what proof the contractor provides.
It also encourages you to contact previous clients. The worksheet specifically recommends speaking with at least two past clients, ideally including someone whose project experienced a difficulty.
This can give you useful information about how the contractor responds when things do not go according to plan.
Review Their Paperwork
Clear paperwork is an important part of good project management.
The form asks you to review examples such as:
- Quotations
- Progress reports
- Contracts
You can consider how clear and specific these documents are before you appoint the contractor.
Assess Communication and Capacity
The worksheet helps you consider how the contractor communicates, including the clarity of answers, speed of responses and willingness to put matters in writing.
It also asks you to consider:
- The contractor’s own team
- How many projects they are managing at the same time
- Who will actually be on your site each day
This can help you assess if the contractor has enough capacity to give your project the attention it requires.
Examine Payment Terms Carefully
The form encourages you to look at how payments are structured.
It favours payment arrangements linked to completed stages rather than large unexplained advances. This helps you compare contractors on the basis of how they propose to manage money as well as how much they charge.
Check How Progress Will Be Reported
You can also record how and how often each contractor intends to report progress and spending.
This is especially useful for owners who cannot visit the site frequently or who are managing a project from another city or country.
Ask the Right Questions at the First Meeting
Page 2 of the form includes a dedicated section for questions to ask each contractor during the first meeting.
These questions cover which previous project is most similar to yours, who will supervise the site daily, how progress will be reported, what is excluded from the price, how changes will be handled, how disagreements are managed and what the contractor needs from you as the owner.
Recording all three contractors’ answers in the same table makes comparison easier after the meetings.
Make a More Informed Decision
The final section provides space for your notes and decision.
The worksheet reminds you not to rely only on the total score. A contractor may achieve a reasonable overall score while still performing poorly in an area that matters greatly to your project, such as payment terms, communication or capacity.
What This Toolkit Helps You Do
The Contractor Evaluation Form helps you compare contractors on evidence, examine their previous work, check references, review paperwork, assess communication, understand team capacity, compare payment arrangements and ask consistent questions before making an appointment.
It gives you a written record of how each contractor performed against the same criteria.
Who Is This For?
The form is suitable for first-time home builders, families comparing contractors, Ghanaians living abroad who are building at home, owners replacing a contractor on an existing project and anyone who wants a more structured contractor-selection process.
How to Use It
Use the form after you have shortlisted up to three contractors.
Review their previous work, documents and references. Meet each contractor and ask the same questions. Score each criterion from 1 to 5, record your observations and examine any weak areas carefully.
Use the final notes section to record the reasons behind your decision rather than selecting a contractor based on the total score alone.
Product Details
Product: Contractor Evaluation Form
Series: From Land to Home Companion Toolkit
Tool Number: Tool 8
Related Chapters: Chapters 13 and 14
Format: Digital PDF worksheet
Length: 2 pages
Author: Adams Bediako Asare
Website: asarebediakoadams.com
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