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WHAT TO LOOK FOR BEFORE YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR
Having been in the building and remodeling business for nearly 40 years I feel some what qualified to give you some useful tips and things to look for before hiring a contractor.
Number one ask friends and people you know who have recently completed a project for the names of contractors or check with your local lumber yards for names of people they would recommend they will generally give you good references for people (their customers)who pay their bills on time,they also get feed back from the contractors customers as to how satisfied they were with the job they had done for them.
Once you get those names give them a call,tell them what you are proposing to have done and set a time for an interview.When they pull up into your driveway take note of the vehicle they are driving.After they introduce themselves and give you a business card invite them in.
Before you present your plans ask them a few questions like.
1.How long have you been in business?
2.Did you work for another contractor before starting your business if so how long?
3.Are you a licensed contractor and are you insured for liability and Workman's comp.(if
they have more than 2 employees)?
4.Can you give us a list of your recent customers and their phone numbers.
5.would you object to us calling them?
6.Do you have an office or do you operate out of your home?
7.Can you draw plans and specification that would be acceptable to purchase a permit?
8.Do you require a deposit up front,is it a percentage based on the total job or what?
9.Do you work with reputable sub contractors?
If their answer to question No.1 is less than 2 years and they pull up in a $40,000.00 pick up truck be careful this can be a red flag as you can bet they are making large monthly truck payments and not paying there suppliers from the up front deposit or draws.
If they worked for a contractor less than 5 years prior to starting their own business,again another red flag,they should have at least 5 years experience , only on the job experience is going to help them make proper decisions when confronted with unexpected problems that may come up in the process of completing your project.The more experience they have the more they will be able to for see potential problems and avoid having to compromise the project by repairing our having to tear apart.Believe me in every project there will be many situations that will have to be addressed.
He,she must have a valid license to purchase a building permit,like wise the sub contractors they use must be licensed as well.They should have a liability insurance policy to protect you the customer against any suits that may arise as the result of injury to anyone on your site during the completion of your project,along with that they should purchase a risk policy after you enter a contract, this protects against theft from job site,fire damage,and damage to project as the result of acts of nature.
If they refuse to give you the names and phone number of recent customers it is a save bet there was some problems they do not want you to know about.
If they have been in business for a short time and have an office out side of there home with a full time secretary here again be careful of this,I have found over the years that on less you are a big time contractor you can not be competitive in your business and cover the cost for this type of over head.
Depending on the size of the project you are proposing to do it can be very helpful to you for them to provide you with a sketch.This at least shows you are both thinking the same.
If they require a large deposit up front after signing the agreement this is a good indication their operating capital is very limited.Chances are your deposit will probably pay for materials from the previous job,make a truck payment and rent for the office.
I hope this article will give you some incite into what to be aware of when hiring a contractor to complete your future remodeling or building project.
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