|
Make sure to start by doing your own research. If
you can, see what you can find online or in project manuals so you
have an idea of what the scope of your work might be. This research
will help you understand your options, and tell you just how much
work actually needs to be done. Contractors need to know what
exactly they’re working on, and it helps you as the customer to
understand what they should be doing at each stage.
Make sure you ask your friends and family for referrals. See what
past experiences are with contractors in the area. You should find
people willing to share their experiences, for good or bad. One of
the upsides of online communication is you can find such
recommendations online as well.
When you speak with potential contractors, don’t just ask if they
can do the work or what they will need. Make sure that as part of
any estimate, you know how long they expect the job to take. If a
quote has a high amount of labor, and they are charging for five
days’ work when your research shows it can be done in three, that’s
a problem.
Don’t just hire the cheapest contractor. Try to find competitive
bids if you can, sure, but don’t just hire the cheap option because
of the low price. There could be reasons behind the cheapness, like
lower quality supplies or a lack of understanding upfront. Some
dishonest contractors will underbid others to get work before
finding “surprise” additional costs later on, like material changes,
additional labor, or any change to the scope of the work.
It is not a good idea to pay for work up front. You may be asked to
pay sign-on fees as “good faith” payments, or the contractor may say
they need payment up front to purchase the materials, but this could
also be a problem. A trustworthy contractor has the assets to cover
cost of materials and labor upon starting a job. Other approaches
can potentially be a problem later on.
When the time for payment comes, avoid paying cash for larger
remodeling projects. Using a credit card is a better choice. If the
work you are having done is paid for by a loan or an insurance
claim, make sure the check is going to you, not the contractor.
Don’t agree to work without a contract. The contract details the
work to be provided. Even during a small job, this protects you as
the homeowner from potential legal problems later on.
Speaking of legal topics, make sure the contractor you're
considering is properly licensed. Do everything you can to find out
if your contractor is licensed, even if that means talking to
various levels of government officials and organizations. You really
should not accept a contractor's license from a state or county
other than where you live, because the law will only protect you if
the contractor is licensed to do business in your area.
[to top of second column] |
There is also a difference between a contractor's
license and a business license. A contractor's license is a
specialty license obtained through testing or apprenticeships,
whereas a business license is for anyone with any type of business.
Don’t let yourself get confused between the two.
Before you make any final payments, try to live with any renovations
or major changes made to your home to make sure you're satisfied.
Even with a warranty, it's a lot easier to get the contractor to
make any additional changes before you’ve started paying existing
bills. When you're comfortable, and you’re sure, then make your
final payment.
Don’t hesitate to speak up about something you don’t understand,
both during the project, and while hammering out a contract. Feel
free to ask them to explain conditions or terminology you don’t
understand. It’s better to clarify all aspects of the job before
work begins to avoid misunderstandings later.
Finally, don’t try to rush the process. If you are hiring someone to
do a big project, take the time to find the right person. Once the
project starts, make sure you have patience. Even a great contractor
doesn’t always have the patience to deal with overly pushy clients.
If you’re confident they know what they’re doing, and you’ve gone
through all of these steps carefully, you’ll have a renovation done
and ready to go in no time.
|
