10 Essential FAQ to Add to Your Construction Business Website

In the business of construction, there are a lot of questions coming your way on a regular basis. People are eager to begin construction projects, and yet there is so much that they don’t know that they might also be hesitant about where to begin. Offering a well-planned and thoughtful FAQ for your audience in addition to the rest of the resources on your website is one surefire way to make sure that you give people the answers that they need. 

Today’s online audience wants more self-service, and they want more instant answers than ever before. They expect to be able to look something up online and get all the info in one place. If you can’t offer that, they’ll find someone who can. Even if the answers to your questions aren’t exactly what they seek, they’ll be an honest explanation of why they can’t have that answer, and how you can go about helping them find it. 

For example, people often want to ask, “how long will my project take?”, when in reality, every project is going to have its own unique timeline. These are the types of questions that you can leave on your FAQ page so that people can get a better idea of what to expect. You may not be able to say that their project will take “X” days or months, but you can better explain the process and what to expect, which is actually more along the lines of what they’re usually looking for. 

Tips for success when setting up your FAQs

When considering which FAQs to use, you have a lot of options out there. Of course, it’s all about planning and giving your audience what they want. If you notice people asking the same question a lot, add it to your FAQ. If you think you need to divide up your pages and offer separate sections or entire pages for different areas of your business (such as if you do both residential and commercial construction), do it. 

The entire goal here is to make it easy for people to get the information that they need. More important than the questions that you answer is the way that you provide the answers and empower your audience to help themselves when they need answers. By offering FAQs, you’re giving people 24/7 access and insight and showing them that you care enough to be transparent and give them the answers even if they haven’t committed to working with you. That goes a long way in building your reputation. 

Whatever you decide to do with your FAQs, make sure that you choose the relevant ones, word them the way that people would normally ask them, and keep them organized so that people can easily find what they need. As long as you’re able to do these few things, the rest should fall into place. 

Don’t waste too much time on generic FAQs or filler responses. Look for the real questions that you can provide value with by answering and the ones that people need to know. If you do want to answer some basic questions, consider cordoning those off into their own page or section so that people can look at them if they’d like, but otherwise, they can carry on searching for the information that they want. 

Setting up your FAQs isn’t rocket science. It’s about making it easy for your audience to get the information they need. Speaking of which, let’s talk about what information should be at the top of your list. 

The top 10 FAQs your construction business needs

1. What type of training and certifications do you have?

This is a very important Q&A to have available. In addition to having it on your “About” page or even a dedicated “Certifications” page, you need a straightforward FAQ that explains exactly what training and certification you and your construction crew have, the kind of work that you’ve done in the past, and how much experience you have in the field of work that you do. The more professional certifications or training that you have under your belt, the more favorably most people will look upon you when considering someone for a new construction project. 

Bear in mind that not all fields require certifications, but people still like to see them because to them, it’s proof that you’re actually trained and experienced in what you do. As a bonus, if you’re limited on professional certifications or even just want to bolster them a bit, this is a great place to pitch your customer reviews or client testimonials that talk about your previous jobs from firsthand experience. 

2. Is your company licensed and/or insured?

Licensing, bonding, and insurance are all important for several different areas of construction, from general contracting to more niche areas of the field. There are all kinds of requirements that vary by state and industry, but ultimately every company needs to be properly insured and licensed to do business. Not only should you tell people that you are, but you should explain what all that entails. 

Licensed and insured can mean one thing to one person and something different to another. Spell it out. Remember, transparency is your friend and it’s what will set your brand apart when people are looking to do business with someone they can trust. 

3. What kind of construction do you specialize in?

If you’re a general contractor, this is your place to boast about the variety of work that you’ve done and how versatile your skills are. Or, talk about your one favorite area of work. For specialized construction teams, such as roofers or commercial remodeling construction companies, this is where you can talk all about the projects that you have undertaken in the past and the work that you are capable of doing. 

It's also a good place to welcome people to come to you with new ideas if you’re open to that. If not, that’s fine, you can stick to telling them about what you do offer. However, for those who are looking to expand their audience and have the skills, feel free to offer up more services or suggest new areas of expertise to explore here. 

4. How long does a typical construction project take?

This is one of those “million-dollar questions” that no one ever really has an answer to. Everyone wants a timeline but there’s not really a way to pin one down until a project is bid on, budgeted, planned, and ready to go to the final approval before work starts. You can find ballpark estimates online if you want to offer them, but it’s best to use this space to tell people that you’ll be able to discuss what they want and figure out a timeline that works for everyone. 

You could tell people how long previous jobs took, but make sure you factor in all the details and any considerations that came along with the timeline so that you don’t set unrealistic expectations. Ultimately, it’s best to tell people you’ll be better able to provide a timeline once you know more about their specific project. 

5. How do you charge for projects? By the hour, job, etc.?

This is another big one. People want to know what they’re going to spend and how they’re going to spend it. Some contractors charge hourly rates. Others charge by the job. Some include materials, while others will offer to include them for an additional charge. It doesn’t matter how you charge, so long as you explain it to people. Provide it here in your FAQs and make sure that you’ve got a page for billing, payments, estimates, and quotes, too, so that people can find the information in more than one place. 

Be clear about how you charge and if you offer the option between job and hourly rates, explain how that works and tell people you’ll be happy to walk them through every step of the process. 

6. Do you have your own crew or do you hire subcontractors?

A lot of contractors hire out to subcontractors once they bid on or land a job. Others may subcontract for parts of the job or if they can’t find labor. In any case, people will often want to know about this because they’ll want to know who is actually doing the work. Take this question and use it as a place to reassure your clients that even if you do subcontract, you only work with the best professionals in your area. 

7. Who is responsible for getting the necessary permits?

Permits are often a part of construction work for many projects. Depending on the type of work being done, different permits may be required to assist with the job. By providing people with the answer to this question, you’ll not only give them peace of mind, but you’ll add value to your service. 

That is done, of course, by being the one to obtain all of the permits and required approvals before beginning any work. First of all, people don’t typically have time to do this kind of work themselves. Secondly, if you do it for them, you’re the expert so they will trust that it’s done efficiently, expediently, and exactly as it should be done. 

8. Do you offer free in-person estimates?

Free estimates are a must these days and if you can deliver them in person with a more in-depth quote, all the better. Take this answer as the opportunity to explain to people how the estimate process works, what it entails, and how you charge (if at all) for any inspections or pre-construction estimate work. Typically, it won’t hurt you to offer this as a free service for most people because the amount of business you’ll earn in return is worth the potential loss. 

If you’ve got a reason for not doing free estimates, or if you only give them after a job is accepted for one example, you’ll be able to explain that here, as well. 

9. What is your service area?

Of course, you also have to let people know where you do business. Some companies work all over the region while others might specialize in one area or another. With considerations like zoning and permits at play, make sure that your clients and potential clients know where exactly you're authorized to do business and where you can’t provide service. 

Even if you have a wide service area, list the cities so that people find your company when they search online for construction companies in that specific city or region. 

10. Do you offer any warranties or guarantees on the work you do?

This is important for several reasons—namely, it gives you the chance to stand behind your work. Also, providing it as a question on your FAQ page allows you to call it out and get more attention for it, and make sure that people know exactly what you have to offer. You should offer some type of guarantee, even if it’s only a short one, as a sign that you are committed to the work that you do and that you take pride in producing high-quality results. The more you can offer above and beyond that, the better. 

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You’re in the business of construction, not customer service. And yet, your customers are the backbone of what you do. Finding the balance used to be a challenge, but today, there’s a better solution. Thanks to the dedicated virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you can ensure that all your calls, chats, and other messages are taken care of even when you’re not the one fielding the lines. 

Our 24/7 team knows what it takes to deliver a higher level of service for your clients and potential leads, and can even handle things like intake, scheduling, qualification, and so much more. Whatever you need, we’ll take care of it all, and even help you come up with the perfect strategy to manage everything so that you can get back to focusing on your construction projects. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation and find out how our 24/7 virtual receptionists can free up your time and capture more opportunities to build your business. You can also reach us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.