Fix Up Your Home! Hiring Your Contractor.

"Itch" for a New Look at Your House?

  Important Tips for Contractor Hiring!  

 

Every spring brings many home owners get the "itch" to get the new driveway, fencing, walls, new sod placement, or even a new roof project going. For a few of us this is pretty simple as we may have experience in performing this work and all that's required is some weekend time, materials, friends, and a back ache!

But for the rest of us without the experience to "Do It Yourself", it can be a daunting and expensive experience to say the least. Certainly most all contractors are honest and provide quality work at reasonable and fair prices. But being unfamiliar with construction and contracting it's important not to leave a door open for "that's an extra charge", "that's not part of our contract", or, "we'll be back next week" style contractors who can break your bank.

Tips for the homeowner seeking to hire a contractor can be quite extensive but there are some basics that can save you a whole lot of headaches and provide assurance that your project when completed not only puts a smile on your home but on your face as well. A small amount of your time spent getting some details before the project begins will save you a lot of time if troubles arise on your project after it begins.

Make sure your selected contractor has all the right tools. Be sure to speak with your contractor about their tools and equipment to be certain they have what it takes to get your job done. If your having a new roof put on your home you don't want your contractor to show up without a ladder!

A Simple Start and good practice to begin with is making notes of what it is you want, what you want it to look like, when you want it completed, relevant sizes, dimension, colors, materials or styles of materials you want to see used. You can organize your list and give it to contractors to more define your project from both of your views.

Get more than one quote. It is typical in the construction industry for clients to obtain quotes from at least three contractors. Do  not feel bad about doing this, if your potential contract has been in business for any length of time they will not be offended in any way, it's the way this business is done everyday, this is very important to do.

Getting the contractors company information is also very important when hiring a contractor and something you must do before hiring or signing a contract.

Insurance - Ask your potential contractor to provide you with proof of insurance, a insurance certificate prior to hiring or signing any contract.

License - If the project you are seeking to have complete requires a contractor or trades person to be licensed ask them for documents supporting this. Also, be certain to obtain all documentation of bonding and workman's comp insurance.If you are unsure the following link will offer assistance in licensing requirements and lists of licensed contractors in your state.

References - Ask each of your potential contractors to provide references and a list of recent projects completed in your area. DO NOT HESITATE to do this, again, this is standard practice. Be sure you are given contact information to speak with the persons a contractor has provided work for to hear or see what a great job your potential contractor has done for them.You may also perform a Google search on a contractor for complaints and issues.
Before you close any deal or sign any contract be sure you have gotten a written Proposal from each potential contractor. Request contractors provide you with a proposal which notes all of the work which is to be performed/completed. Compare this to the notes you made prior to beginning the hiring procedure to see that everything you want completed is included.

Sign on the dotted line - Have a contract written out that clearly states the time frame in which the work must be done and the payments to be made. Make sure that the items included in the contractors bid proposal are included in the contract.

As with anything else word of mouth is always a good start, ask friends who've had like work done on their homes or property for their honest opinion about a contractor!