Are you renovating the basement, adding a room, or doing some much-needed repairs? If so, then finding the right contractor is essential. If anything goes wrong during a home improvement project, it can cost you a lot. A big smile and a professional looking outfit isn’t proof that the contractor does quality work.
Before you hire a contractor, certain things must be in place. Certain checks need to be done. Besides making sure they are legal make sure to put everything you agree on in writing and never pay in full until the job is done. Protect yourself with these tips if you are planning on being the general contractor yourself. The same precautions apply to subcontractors.
Verify everything
Ask around, check with friends, neighbors, or co-workers to see if they have worked with the contractor before or even know anyone who has. Social media makes this very easy.
Check the credibility of the contractor online. You can ask for references from former customers. If your going to check reviews from former clients then ask for four or five of them. A shoddy con-artist contractor will always be ready to supply a few names of people they can count on to support their story, but it’s much harder to have five people names ready to support a fake story.
Do searches for their company on Facebook. If they are good than most likely you will see proof of it online. Smart con artist change their names enough that you might not be able to find any trace of them online.
Make sure to check Google reviews, Yelp, and even Angie’s list for proof the business is legitimate and does good work.
Get references, ask to see jobs they are working on
As stated before, get referrals from people who have hired the contractor. It will give you a snippet of what to expect from them. Ask the contractor to present samples of what they have worked on and what they are working on presently. Pictures will allow you to see the quality of the contractor’s work. Are they in the pictures with the work? Do they have various stages of the work? Can you verify they did the work? Keep in mind that anyone can take a picture of anything and claim they did it.
Check up on job sites
I don’t like to take a stranger’s word for anything. Go to sites where the contractor has worked to inspect the quality for yourself. Are there current projects that they are working on? Can you look at some of their job sites to see if they keep them clean and talk to current clients to see if they show up when they say. There will be many times when this is not possible. If it is then that’s a good sign, but if it’s not then don’t think this is a deal breaker.
Get multiple bids
It is also vital that you get written renovation estimates from more than one contractor. Basing the decision on price alone isn’t always the best choice. Just like expensive isn’t always the best, cheapest isn’t always the worst. There is nothing wrong with going with the low bid if the contractor checks out and you both understand what will be done. Nevertheless, let’s elaborate more on these things you need to know before hiring a contractor.
Verify licensing and insurance
It may be very tempting to hire the contractor or home service provider with the lowest bid. But there are other things you need to consider before signing the contract, like verifying if the contractor has a license and insurance. The reason is so that you won’t be liable for any injury or damage while the contractor or employees are working on your property. Take the following steps to verify the contractor’s license and insurance.
- Check for contractor license and qualifications: Ask the contractor to provide a contractor number and check with your local agency to verify they are still licensed.
- Check for bonding and insurance: Always check to verify if the contractor has an active bond and insurance. If the contractor does not have a bond and insurance or is not a registered company, report such contractors to the proper authorities.
- Verify the person you’re speaking with is the same as the company information they are supplying: After talking with a person on the phone or a one on one conversation, be sure to verify the person is who they claim to be. Do a little background checking on the contractor. Find out if the person you had a conversation with is a part of the company, he or she claims to be a part of before committing. Lastly verify who they are by checking their ID.
Check the business with BBB
Check the contractor with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. The BBB is one of the oldest and most respected resources that helps provide factual information about businesses and charity organizations.
To check for more info about the contractor online, find your way around the BBB website until you get to the search column. Search for the name of the contractor and click on the search toggle button. If the name of the contractor doesn’t appear, that should raise a red flag. On the other hand, if it comes up, then go ahead and read what BBB has to say about the contractor.
Check with your local city office
Another place worthwhile to check to learn more about the contractor is your local city office. If they have had any reported issues with the contractor usually they will be happy to share. It is recommended to hire local contractors who have a record with your local city office. If you find any issue that should raise a red flag about hiring such contractors, don’t hire them. While you are at it check to see if there are any contractor scams in the area to look out for.
Educate yourself before you hire anyone
Educate yourself on what you want to do before actually hiring a contractor. The more you know about your job to be done, the easier it will be for you to understand the plans and estimates.
Watch videos and read websites: Unless it’s an emergency, you have time to watch a few YouTube videos and read a few posts. There are hundreds of sites on how to do your project. The prices will not be exactly the same as the estimates you see online, but at least it will give you an idea of what to expect and how its done.
Never pay in full upfront
You should never pay in full upfront to a contractor. A genuine contractor wouldn’t ask you for an upfront payment. Even after verifying the contractor, do not pay in full upfront. Be on the safe side by always having a certain amount of work done before you pay. Some contractors will require a portion for materials upfront. This can be a sticking point. Contractors don’t want to get ripped of either. Materials can be expensive and they don’t want to be stuck with the bill if you change your mind about paying them. A good option would be to negotiate payment of materials as they show up to the property. That way the contractor gets reimbursed right away and you know what you paid for is available to you if the contractor doesn’t return.
When to pay
The terms should be in detail in the contract. Yes, you need a contract. A well-structured contract will allow for multiple payments during the process as milestones are completed. I personally always make sure that they have more work done than what I am paying them for. This way if they don’t come back, I don’t get ripped off.
Have a contract
Make sure the details of the job are in writing and what to do if unforeseen problems arise. Maybe they tear into a wall and find a beam that needs replaced. Payments, timelines, and details all need to be written and agreed upon. Make sure you read the contract in detail and understand it.
- Have boundaries: Make sure the contract has a timeline and penalties for not completing by a particular time (allow for unexpected circumstances). It will ensure the contractor is serious about the work. It will also help if the contract is a written contract, and both parties sign it. For better understanding, it will help if you first ask the contractor how long it will take to get the job done and plan on a penalty if this is not met.
- Payment structure: Make sure the payment structure is in the contract (always have more work done before payments begin and only finish paying after they have completed). Agree to a payment structure that you feel is fair for both parties.
Any part of the contract you do not understand, take to an expert for more information. Do not leave any part of the contract blank to be filled in. The whole essence of the written contract is to have a solution of what to do in case of an unforeseen problem. Because there is a signed document, everyone knows who is responsible for what and who isn’t.
Always pull all required permits
Property permits may be one of the things you need to pull as required by the law to enable the contractor to work on your property. It also makes sure everything is done to code. You should also ask the contractor to provide their permits to work in the area to avoid running into problems while working.
Protect yourself and your things from a scam
Fraud and Scams are everywhere. Scammers are good at what they do and even the smartest people have been conned of big money. Here are a few things that you can use to protect yourself:
- Always Confirm Contractors and Subcontractors you would like to hire are the real deal.
- Set Up A Camera: a lot of people think it may be crossing the line by setting up cameras in their home, but you shouldn’t. The truth is that you can’t have your eyes in every corner of your home, but a camera can. Even when you’re not at home, you can still keep a close eye on your property.
- Don’t leave children alone with contractors: no matter how friendly contractors may seem, do not leave your children alone with them. The fact remains the contractor is a stranger to you, and as such, you should not let your guard down.
- Never let a contractor come and go as they please: first off, never give a contractor a set of keys to your house if your living there. When a contractor can come and go to your place as he or she wants, dubious ones can use that as an avenue to take advantage of you. Be sure to have a set time when they can come and when they should leave.
- Make them stick to the agreed timeline and Price: Make sure they show up when they say and do not take excuses for not completing work. If a contractor cannot meet the terms of the contract then simply fire them and move on to someone who can.
- Always make sure they clean up after themselves every day: Make them keep the job site clean to prevent accidents and maintain the appearance of your property.
