2020 Fall Home Improvement

Page 6 2020 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT Lincoln Daily News September 24, 2020 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. 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. Continued n