On Jul 19, 7:40*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
News article:

http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=207414451=35000

My favorite anecdote:

When asked why it was taking so long to install a garbage disposal, the
worker replied: "When they showed me this morning at Home Depot, I thought I
understood."

It's sometimes hard to find an honest workman; give him cookies.

# 11. Dont blindly accept that the copy of his insurance certificate,
or lisence that he gives you is real, call his broker, they will
inform you if he is covered now and when it expires, a broker usualy
will mail you a copy. I recieved one that was a phoney. Call your city
clerk also

# 12 Go to your local courthouse, records are open to the public. I
hired onecontractor that I found out to late he would loose 1-2 cases
a year in court for the last 10 years. Contact anyone listed if there
were cases, I hired a guy that owed near 10 people, but nobody could
collect since he rented and had anything of value in his girlfriends
name. He put in my windows, a week later it rained, they leaked, I
went to court and won, I never collected, his nickname was "Speedy"
from Ind.

# 13 A permit pulled is your friend, not a tax. You get free unbiased
inspections as the job progresses if you request them, put in contract
you dont pay in full until it passses the final inspection. [ To many
folks get half assed jobs done and dont ever know it until its to
late] I am almost never 100% satisfied, and catch mistakes on most
every job I hire out.

# 14 Hire someone else that Knows the business to oversee the job and
can make sure your contract and job dont get you in the position of
partial paying before finish points are met.

# 15 Most important, check refrences and go see work, a guy in
business 10 years should have a list so long you will never have time
to check them all. If a guy gives you refrences of 10- 5000$ jobs and
with the size of his crew and completion time you know it represents 2
months work for him, you have to wonder that he isnt showing you much,
because he cant.

# 16 Depending on type of job big advance Down payments can hurt you,
as in they dont show up. I attempt to negotiate, to pay most when they
actualy start, by check.