9 SIMPLE STEPS TO FINDING A GOOD CONTRACTOR

Finding a reliable Contractor has never been particularly easy and today it's more frustrating than ever. You've heard your share of horror stories about contractors and most of what you've heard is probably true. But it doesn't have to be that way! While it's not easy to find a competent, ethical, do-right somebody to work on your home or business, it can be done.

Real information on the subject is hard to find. Unfortunately most conventional wisdom on finding and dealing with contractors is authored by people who write for a living and don't have the advantage of hands-on experience in construction, so consequently their information is second hand at best. What this article deals with are cold truths that have been arrived at the hard way and hopefully outlines a process that will give you a realistic shot at getting your money's worth.

1. Trust your Instincts

It isn't easy to find a good contractor. There are lots of people who call themselves contractors, but many of those that do aren't going to make you happy so brace yourself. Looks can be deceiving and many smart people don't know the first thing about construction. A pick-up truck and a hardhat don't make you a contractor.

Of course, you've got all the traditional avenues for finding a contractor including:

• Yellow Pages, flyers, and postcards can all be invitations to disaster.
• Recommendations from friends and neighbors are a good start, but those referrals need to be qualified, checked out, and dealt with as carefully as you would anyone else.
• Material suppliers and hardware stores in your area are a possible resource
• Engineers, architects, and consultants can provide names of folks they've dealt with successfully.
• Contractors you might know will probably tell about others that they've had success working with.

The truth is, the absolute best way to find a good contractor is by trusting your instincts, using common sense, and educating yourself about what needs to be done.

You don't have to be an expert in plumbing, or carpentry, or heating and air conditioning, or whatever. A little research and some common sense will go a long way in helping you evaluate what you're being told by a potential contractor.

2. Be Prepared

Know what you want and what you are willing to spend. Contractor's can give you the price for what you want done, or they can tell you what they can do for what you have to spend. But ideally, you're going to specify both EXACTLY what you want done along with a close approximation of how much you can afford to spend.

Professional contractors will appreciate you taking care of these basics, will be more responsive as a result, will quickly determine if you can afford what you want, will help determine how much of what you want is possible with your budget and you'll have the assurance that everyone you're interviewing to do the work is pricing the same job.

3. Choose Experience

Keep in mind you're looking to find a contractor with an established business. Check references and if you are doing a large job, find out about similar jobs the contractor has done in the past.

It's always a good idea to actually talk with the people who had the work done. Past experience with projects like yours will give you a good read on how your project will go.

4. Get it in Writing

Remember that the key to a good job is a good contract with detailed specifications. Don't do business on a handshake.

If you and the contractor don't take the time to specify exactly what you want, be assured you aren't going to get it. You may get what the contractor wants, or what your neighbor would be satisfied with, or what your Momma thinks best. But you emphatically aren't going to get what YOU want.

So don't forget, the most important thing in the contract is that it specify exactly what you want. And what you don't want. Like loud radios, or trash all over the place including your neighbor's yard - (your job should be kept broom clean at the end of each work day), or strangers using your bathroom, or people doing anything else you don't want.

The contract shouldn't be adversarial or punitive. Well meaning people often include unnecessarily harsh provisions in contracts that are ultimately counterproductive to the final goal, i.e., getting the job brought to a happy completion. If you've done your homework, there should be no need for devices like liquidated damages. Contractors willing to sign contracts loaded against them are either desperate, untutored, or not worried about your being able to find them.

The point is, by job's end you and your contractor are probably going to be less than real good buddies anyway. He's violated your universe with his presence and / or that of his crew for much longer than you wanted anyone to hang around in the first place, and he's charged you lots of money for doing you that inconvenience. So if you've started off half enemies from the start by virtue of a contract couched in threats and possible injury, there's no way things are going to go well as you and your contractor proceed down the slippery slope of going about the business of remodeling or new construction.

The contractor you really want to do business with isn't going to work for you, or anyone else, without a contract that conforms to the conditions outlined here. He or she is going to insist on going about things in a professional manner. Having a good contract is basic to being a professional.

5. Stay Involved.

Your job's got to be administered closely. Again, there's not much to keep up with if all that's being done is soldering a leaky pipe, or correcting a crooked door, so a little common sense is in order. However, for more extensive work, the following applies.

• Somebody's got to look at what's going on frequently and carefully. No one's going to be more interested in your job than you!!! Take time to talk with those actually doing the work. Don't get in the way, but let workers know you're interested in the work being done. An added benefit is that you'll probably learn something. As a point of interest, workers with good attitudes indicate your contractor's up on his game.
• Whoever's looking at the job needs to be real familiar with what your contract calls for so that he or she can compare what's being done with what's supposed to be done. Remember, it's a lot harder and a whole lot more expensive to get it right the second time than it is to do things according to the directions the first time out of the blocks. And once again, changes in midstream cost big bucks and make everyone unhappy.
• Periodic progress photos are a real nice way to resolve questions and disputes.

6. The Devil is in the Details

The little things make a difference. The last 10% of the job will cost as much as the other 90% and is going to take twice as long to get done if you aren't real careful.

Make a checklist and stick to it. If something turns up you didn't see or think to list, it's going to be small enough to ignore or fix yourself. When you provide a realistic checklist, your contractor will appreciate you and do a better job at the frustratingly elusive end of your project.

Never forget, the last contractor who did perfect work lived about two thousand years ago. Your contractor isn't Him. Neither are you.

7. Talk it Out

The total effort's got to be cooperative which means communication is the standard. Everybody's got to know what everyone else wants and expects, and when they expect it. This is particularly true of the money. COMMUNICATION is key to a successful job.

8. Watch the Purse Strings

Any substantial job requires materials and resources that need to be purchased in advance. Expect a deposit to be required but don't pay too much up front. Set up any progress payments based on when certain phases of the work start, not when they're completed. There's no question about when the painting starts, there may be an argument about when the painting is finished.

9. Be Strong

Don't let yourself be intimidated. The last resort of an unprincipled contractor is to first appeal to your sympathy and if that doesn't get your money, to then become a threatening bully. Don't go for it!!!

He or she will easily be bested once you show some spunk. You might hear stories about a dying mother, or a child in need of medical attention, or a truck that needs repair, or an empty refrigerator, or materials that must be paid for before work can proceed, or a worker that needs an advance on wages ... the list of pitiful stories is endless. When this tact fails to lighten your wallet, there will then be talk of a lien on your property, or the implication that something bad is going to happen to you or your home. Stand firm. Make a police report if you like. Don't be swayed. The bad guys will simply strike their tents and go on to the next victim who they hope will be easier to con than you proved to be.

Be on Guard if you run up on any of the following.

• A contractor who wants to repair something other than what you called about, i.e., you want a sticking window fixed and they want to replace your gutters also.
• A contractor who is evasive about describing exactly what they're going to do or how much they're going to charge you. Remember, you need it in writing.
• A contractor who is vague about referrals.
• The contractor's / tradesman's attitude implies that their time is "too valuable to waste" answering your questions completely. Be wary of technical jargon or hurried explanations that are hard to understand.
• A contractor who talks in a loud, aggressive, condescending manner or exhibits threatening body language.
• A contractor who is more interested in talking about, or getting, your money than they are in taking care of your problem.

Keep all these things in mind and you'll are likely to get your job done well for a fair price. If you are currently considering a home improvement project, feel free to call us and we'll be happy to help you.

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