When you are looking for a contractor for your renovations it can be tricky to figure out if you chose the right one. Many businesses will show up to your home and make a million promises and swear they have all the information they need to give you a proper price and ultimately fulfill the renovation for you. Unfortunately, many times what will happen is the scope of work will be lacking information which will not reflect an accurate price for the project. Then you will hire the contractor, and the scope will expand which means so will the price, it feels almost like a bait and switch! Not all contractors who do this are doing it intentionally though but because they have not created the systems in their business to bring accurate estimates with full reviewable scopes of work.
We have created a checklist for you to accurately find out if you are choosing the right contractor.
Is your contractor licensed and insured?
Look into your local contractor organization and verify the necessary licenses needed in your area.
Check their website for license numbers and qualifications
Verify their licenses are updated and valid It's important to pick a contractor who has the basic licensure for your area because it assures you that they are qualified enough to at least be seen as a professional by your state. If any problems do happen and you need to go to court, it will make it easier to track down the person performing the work and for the state to track them down. It also is important because it lets you know they have at least some level of qualification to perform the work you're hiring them for.
Verify their insurance is up to date
Make sure the insurance also meets the requirements for your state
Acquire proof of insurance for your records
Insurance cannot be more important! Accidents happen no matter how qualified the contractor is and knowing the contractor you chose has an insurance company representing them when those accidents do happen is peace of mind.
2. Are they asking YOU questions about the project?
Make sure the contractor is genuinely interested in your vision
Make sure the contractor is not constantly talking about how great they are
Are they confident in answering the questions you have? A huge red flag when looking for your next contractor is when they talk about their business the whole consultation. Saying things like "We do the best work in the area" or "We give a really great warranty" or "We have been in business for x number of years, so we know what is best". If you're truly looking for the vision you have to become a reality, then the contractor you choose should be digging into all the information about why you want this project done or what you hope happens when the project comes to a close. You are going to have some really great questions about the project because it is very personal to you, and you see the space every day. If you come across concerning situations in your home that may affect the project and when you bring those concerns up to the contractor, they should not be giving you answers like "Well there is a bunch of things we could do about that" or "that is nothing to worry about" without giving you actual evidence that they know it won't affect the project.
3. Is their proposal professional?
Make sure their proposal is tied to some sort of Scope of Work
Is the proposal delivered to you in a format that looks professional?
Is it detailed?
The vast majority of contractors are going to give you a quickly thrown together for the work you are looking to have performed. Now, if it's a small task or a honey-do list then I wouldn't expect the proposal to be very formal. It may even be just verbal. This is for a larger project, maybe you're getting your house painted, or you want to have a kitchen remodel performed. If you are getting ready to hand over a significant amount of money to someone you trust, then there are a few things to look for. An SOW or Scope of Work NEEDS to be defined before any money is exchanged. This is because either party can say that was or was not included in the agreement. If everything is broken down by room or trade, then you can clearly see what you're paying for, and the contractor knows exactly what they are performing for you. This is the responsibility of the contractor to provide but you as the client will need to do your due diligence in reviewing the SOW to make sure everything you want is included in the proposal. Is the SOW detailed? Some contractors may put "Interior Painting - x amount of money" this shows you that they at least know your wanting them to do interior painting but what are they painting in the interior of your space? Are they painting every square inch of the space? If not then it should be broken down at least a little more, for example: "Interior Painting: Painting of all ceilings with 1 coat of primer and 2 topcoats of owner supplied paint color.". This is a much clearer SOW and if you wanted them to paint the walls as well then you can bring this to their attention, and it can be fixed.
Lastly, does their proposal look professional? Is there a logo of the company somewhere, and does the layout of the proposal look aesthetically good? It sounds like a small issue, but it tells you how they run their business. If your relationship is starting off with sloppiness and incoordination, then you can expect that to follow right into the project.
4. How did they arrive to your house for a meeting?
How does their vehicle look?
Are they on time?
Are they clean cut?
Did they bring all the necessary tools for taking notes and measuring areas?
First impressions are everything! If the person you called to come out to your home is late to the meeting, pulling up in a rust bucket of a vehicle leaking oil, flicking a cigarette butt into your yard and looks like they just rolled out of bed then don't even waste your time with the meeting. If that is how your first meeting ends up, then you can only imagine how the rest of the experience is going to be. Now we all have bad days, and you shouldn't write someone off if they happen to be late, but if they are going to be late then a quick phone call stating that their running late should happen before the agreed upon meet time.
Make sure when the contractor shows up that they have some way of retaining the information you are going to give them. Just saying I have a good memory is not enough. If they are not writing information down in their phone or on paper, then you can be sure that some details are going to be missed.
5. Communication
Did they answer their phone when you initially called?
Are they competent with email?
Are they respectful about times they call back?
Part of any good relationship is communication, if you are hoping for a successful project then they key is to make sure they are a good communicator. When you initially called did it take them hours or days to get back to you? If that's the case, then it is a good sign that they are a poor communicator or that they are way to overwhelmed by their business to give you the attention that you are looking for. Are their emails professional and is proper grammar being used? Technology is so advanced today and there is no excuse to have a bunch of grammatical errors, the computer can basically correct anything now adays when it comes to grammar. If they are calling you back before your first couple conversations past 6pm on weekdays then it shows they are not respectful of your personal time, unless you prior approved of this. It may not seem like a big deal but it's another red flag that shows they may be desperate for the work you are giving them, or they are truly not in touch with client interactions. It could be a sign of poor communication in the future.
If this content gave you any insight and you would like some more contractor related content, then visit us at www.goldingdawncontracting.com
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