Hiring a Contractor
When you’re doing a remodel, you want it done right. And a lot of that depends on getting a good contractor. But in a field where cheap pay is frequently equal to cheap work, how do you know who to hire?
First off, make sure they’re licensed. Be aware that licensed is different than registered. A registered contractor just paid a fee, while licensing usually entails taking a competency test. This doesn’t mean they do the best job, but it shows a little more dedication to their work and can help narrow down your choice.
When you’re looking at bid offers, realize that a lower offer is not always equivalent to a poor job. But be suspicious of extremely low offers. This may signal that the contractor doesn’t have many customers and is in need of work, or that there are hidden costs you’ll be paying for later. To find out the actual value of the bids, check and see if the prices they’re giving you are actual or just estimates. Sometimes they’ll tell you a lot lower price than the final cost ends up being, and you’ll be the one to pay the difference.
Checking references is always a good idea. Even better than seeing pictures or reading testimonies is setting up an appointment with one of the contractor’s previous customers. If you meet the customers in person and actually see the work, you can get a better idea of the quality. Be sure to ask insightful questions, not the least of which is, ‘Would you hire this contractor again?’ If the contractor avoids giving you references or gives little information, be hesitant to hire them.
If the contractor tries to rush you into a deal, you may want to take a step back and figure out why. When they say you have to fix it soon, make sure they aren’t just trying to get you to hire them without checking references. Or on the flip-side if the contractor refuses to sign a contract, be especially wary of signing them on. If they don’t seem to want the deal to be officially documented, don’t work with them.
Another red flag is if they ask for a large payment upfront. Without the motivation, the work slows down to a crawl. Or they may do a partial job and leave you with a mess. Make sure all the work is done to your satisfaction before paying the full amount or signing anything that says the job is finished. Another good idea to make sure the work doesn’t lag is not to go on vacation. Being present can push the contractor to get things moving.
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