HIRING A CONTRACTOR

To ensure that your building, remodeling, or repair project goes as planned, do your best to select a reputable company that is properly skilled in the services you require and one that is well established with a proven track record. There are other aspects you should consider when hiring a contractor. To assist you in your search we have provided the guide below.

TOPICS INCLUDE;

Getting your act together.

What to look for when choosing a contractor.

How much will the project cost?

What a contract should include.

Timing your project with your life.

How long will the construction take?

Dealing with glitches and making them easier.

GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETHER

Choosing the right contractor can be difficult, but the results are well worth the effort.

A good contractor will use his experience to make sure things go smoothly, ensuring that you get the service you want. Before you make any phone calls, put some thought into both your project and your budget. With your ideas written down, including details and a few rough sketches, you will feel much more comfortable and confident.

Have the same information available for each contractor that is bidding on the project. Do not change any of the details between interviews or price comparisons will be meaningless.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A CONTRACTOR

Do they return your phone calls promptly... Nothing can say more about a company than how well they deal with returning customer phone calls and staying in-touch with the homeowner / consumer in general.

Do they stick to their appointments... Things always seem to come up when they are least expected, sometimes it can't be helped. One missed appointment is probably acceptable as long as the contractor did his best to contact the homeowner prior to missing the appointment.

How was their presentation... Product knowledge is hard to fake. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to. A good contractor knows that well informed consumers turn into satisfied customers.

Is the contractor bidding the job you are looking for, or the one he would like you to do... A good contractor will listen, figure out your intended goals, and advise you on how to best accomplish them.

Does your contractor inspire confidence... He should provide intelligent ideas, creative thinking, and good advice. His knowledge and experience may tell him that there is a better, more cost-effective way to complete the project, which can ultimately provide more job for the buck.

Can you trust him... This strange person that you hire will be working in and around your home, your family and your most private possessions.

Do you actually like him... Good contractors are never pushy, arrogant, or hard to talk to. Look for someone that is reasonably relaxed and not in a big rush. Choose someone that encourages your ideas and enjoys your input.

Always try to maintain an open mind and listen to suggestions, after all, it is his trade and business experience that you are really paying for.

Get three to five estimates on a major project, two to three for the smaller jobs.  Fewer estimates won’t properly compare products and prices, and anymore than that is unfair to the contractors that take the time to bid.

Selecting a contractor based on lowest price can lead to a catastrophe.

The majority of problems that plague home improvement contractors are usually a direct result of a that contractor underbidding a job. 

If one bid is seriously lower than any other, ask that contractor why. It could have been a mistake. Most contractors purchase their building products at relatively the same price. Ask the bidding contractor to double check his specifications and his price.

Ask the contractors that had higher bids why they charged more. Sometimes their reasons can make enough sense to sway your thinking.

Often you will find many quality conscious contractors like to put more time and labor into a specific project, which can carry it's own added value.

Getting the lowest price on a contract is not worth the trouble it can cause.

Be prepared to make changes in your life and accept the fact that every improvement project will have minor problems and setbacks.

While almost no project goes exactly as planned, if you take the time to choose an experienced contractor with a reputable track record, you can be fairly certain everything will work out fine.

HOW MUCH WILL THE PROJECT COST

The first thing you should discuss with any contractor is how much you can really afford to spend. Be honest and be completely up-front.

Sharing this information can be scary, but keeping it to yourself only leads to problems and frustrations, especially when someone shows you plans that fulfill your every wish, but completely destroys your budget.

Good contractors know the only way they will earn your business is by developing a responsible plan that meets your remodeling goals and at the same time stays within your budget constraints.

Friends and neighbors who have recently completed similar projects can be good sources of information about how much money it will cost.  Many contractors will happily share ballpark planning numbers with you as well.

If possible, try to set your initial project budget ten to fifteen percent below your affordable budget, to allow for add-ons or design changes.

WHAT A CONTRACT SHOULD INCLUDE

Once you’ve agreed on a bid with a contractor, you must now get it in writing, and you should make sure it includes the following information.

Total amount of the contract and a completed schedule for payment.

Exact description of all work to be performed, including as many details as possible. The more details you get the better the contract you have.

If it is a major project your contractor should provide a blue print, a floor plan, or sketches showing exactly what sections of your home will be remodeled, visually describing what work will be done.

A detailed list of the materials or products to be used, including a description of each individual brand of product or material and respective warranty for each.

Liability insurance information on the prime contractor and workers compensation coverage on his employees and any subcontractors.

Contractor’s specific warranty on workmanship, including a mutually agreeable pre-arranged process to follow for follow-up service if required.

Clean-up provisions, especially if a good deal of debris will be generated.

Who is responsible for getting required building permits.

Include a time table with a starting date and expected completion date.

TIMING YOUR PROJECT WITH YOUR LIFE

A modest bathroom remodel can take as little as several hours to design, but it normally takes a week or so to build.

Major remodeling projects can take as much as six months, or longer to get from the designing stage to actual completion.

Be prepared to meet with your designer many times to iron out details.

Don’t expect work to begin immediately. Your contractor may have other jobs to finish before he can start yours.

If you are remodeling your kitchen, it can take six weeks or more to get kitchen cabinets and it often takes three weeks or more for windows to arrive once they have been ordered.

HOW LONG WILL CONSTRUCTION TAKE

A rule of thumb is that most jobs take a week for each $4,000 to $6,000 of work. Thus, you’ll live with construction crews for two to four weeks on a typical kitchen remodeling, two to three months on a $50,000 addition.

Don’t expect full crews of workers at your home every hour of every workday. On most jobs there is a flurry of activity early as crews do the rough, quick work of demolition and framing. Later, as workers wait for drywall compound, paint and other finishes to dry, work proceeds at a much slower pace.

DEALING WITH GLITCHES AND MAKING THEM EASIER

On every job there will be problems and surprises.

Dealing with them will involve immediate decision making on your part.

It is best to maintain close contact with your contractor so he will know immediately when you are not happy with something. The best way to do this is to schedule a daily or weekly meeting with your contractor or lead carpenter.  To make these daily and weekly meetings productive, take a close look at each day’s work after the work crews have left for the night.

If something is wrong, by all means bring it to your contractor’s attention as quickly as possible. It’s better to deal with job site surprises calmly. Few mistakes are intentional, they’re often the result of a mix-up in communication by the workers.

What if you get that irresistible urge to make changes after the project starts? Normally, that is not a problem as long as the contractor hasn't started on that part of the project yet. Such changes or additions will cost you less if you mention them early in the job.

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