There are many great contractors available for you to hire. But hire the wrong one and you could end up with a nightmare! Here are a few tips you should consider before hiring any contractors.
- Always get 3 estimates: Any good contractor will give you a complete written estimate for free. By getting 3 contractors to give you bids you are assured of getting a good price for your project as they will be competing against each other. Hint: make sure it is in writing. If it isn’t in writing, then it isn’t going to happen.
- Don’t hire by price alone: I know I just told you to get 3 estimates to get the best price, however make sure you don’t just hire the least expensive contractor. Sometimes there is a reason their bid is so much cheaper than the others. Hint: If one bid is much more expensive or much less, don’t be afraid to ask why.
- Compare apples to apples: Make sure your written bids cover the same work to be completed. If one contractor left something off or added additional items it can be hard to compare evenly. Hint: You can draw up your own list of items to bid on and hand it to each contractor, that way they will bid on the exact same items.
- Consider the bid appointment to be a job interview: If the contractor is late for the first appointment, it may be a sign of bad time management. Make sure they are listening to you when you speak. Ask questions to see how they respond, this may be a preview of their behavior during the job. Hint: if your instincts say you are not comfortable with this contractor, then go with your instinct and don’t hire them. It may be a simple personality clash, but you will be interacting with them throughout the project.
- Know the time frames of the bid: Find out when they would start, how many days they plan on working including what time period during each day they will be working. Don’t assume they will be there until it is completed, ask them specific questions. For a complete list of questions you should ask every contractor Click Here. Hint: Find out if the contractor is going to work on other jobs while they are working on yours.
- Understand the payment schedule: Make sure you and the contractor are on the same page when it comes to getting paid, when and under what conditions do they get paid or a partial payment know as a draw. Hint: Never pay upfront for work that isn’t completed. Check with your state to find out the laws regarding what percentage a contractor can ask for up front for material costs.
- Make sure the contractor can do the job: This one seems silly I know. However many people hire a contractor that did good work for a friend, only to find out that the new project was in a area of expertise that they were not very good at. Hint: If they don’t have good references for the same type of job you require, let someone else be their guinea pig.
- Always find out if a permit is needed: Some contractors will tell you a permit is not needed so they can skip the process. This can be a major red flag. You should check with your local building department to find out for yourself if a permit is needed. Hint: Familiarize yourself with the permit paperwork. Know when an inspection is called for and the results of any previous inspections by the building department.
- Never start a project before you have completed all your homework: No matter how anxious you are to get the project started, you should complete all the items listed above and more. You can access my complete checklist for hiring a great contractor by clicking here. Hint: Find pre screened contractors in your local area with our free search click here.
.