Whenever you work with contractors, you need to be able to communicate with them. Communication is going to be key in your relationship, because it will allow him to focus on the job that you have hired a contractor for, and you can rest easy knowing that you are kept in the loop.

But while communicating with a contractor over the phone or in person can be very simple, what if you need to send files back and forth? Well, file based communication can be a massive problem if it is done improperly and it can lead to frustration, confusion, delays, and more problems that could only be solved if you had some communication tips.

Thankfully, this article is going to give you plenty of tips that you can use! So start reading and you will have a much better relationship with your contractor!

1. Figure Out What Files You Need To Send Before You Need Too

Often we don’t think about sending and receiving files from our contractor until they make a request, so rather than be surprised, you can get out ahead of the problem. Talk to your contractor and ask them what type of files they might need if they have to communicate with you, and then keep that file type in mind.

While many file conversions keep the same formatting, some might require a bit of editing post-conversion to make sure that all the information is readable for the contractor, so don’t be afraid to do some research into that so your contractor can get the file open and have all the information they need without any major issues.

2. Keep Original And Converted Files

George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,” and that can be one of the biggest issues with construction communication. If you and your contractor aren’t sure that you both discussed something, then it can lead to anger and disappointment.

So whenever you convert files or send them to your contractor, you should make sure that you don’t just have the email attachments of the files, but also that you have the original files. Kee[ them stored just in case a problem happens.

Additionally, if you have had the files converted, then you should keep both the original and the converted copies, and also try to get some confirmation that your files were received.

Converting One File Type to Another, e.g. PDF to JPG

Thankfully, if you need to convert files to make them easier for your contractor to open, there are plenty of online file converters that will take one type of file and make it another type. From a word document to a google document, or from a high-quality PDF to JPG converter, you will be able to find almost any file type conversion online.

There are quite a lot of different ways to convert files, so no matter what file you have or what file your contractor needs, you will be able to make the conversion! Moreover, after converting files, if you realize something needs adjusting in your PDFs before sending them further ahead, having access to a free PDF editor can be incredibly practical.

3. Talk To Your Contractor Early In The Process

Finally, don’t be afraid to communicate about potential file needs early in the process, because you never know what your contractor is going to need from you. If your contractor needs a certain type of file, you need to be able to provide it so the lines of communication don’t fall apart.

Once you have the file needs sorted out, you won’t need to worry about miscommunication causing some very big headaches for your construction project.