Never Hire a Contractor without Following These 5 Steps First

Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:40 AM PST
How to Find a Good Contractor & Save Money

If you’re like me, your home is your baby. You wouldn’t hire the first
babysitter that you found in an ad without first asking some questions
and doing a little research, would you? So why do the same with your
home?

When you hire out a contractor to do work on your home, you want
things done right and at a reasonable price. Over the years, I’ve seen
a number of people get screwed by hiring a ‘jack of all trades
handyman’ who said they could just about everything. In reality, they
could do a lot…. of destruction, that is (oh snap)!

No, really folks – to protect yourself from getting ripped off by a
contractor, make sure you take these steps:
1. Verify the Contractor’s Insurance

A contractor’s workers compensation insurance protects you if a worker
is injured on your property. Liability Insurance protects you if any
of your property is damaged. Call the insurance company to ensure that
the contractor’s insurance it is up to date. You can also request to
have your name on the insurance certificate. By having your name on
the certificate, you will be notified if the contractor cancels the
policy during your project.
2. Verify the Contractor’s License

Every state should have a licensing database. If a license is
applicable for your project, the state may help protect you in case of
faulty workmanship. If a permit is needed, ensure that the contractor
gets it. To verify licenses in your state, try Googling “(your
state.gov) licensing and registration”. If you hire a contractor
without insurance or a license, you’re playing with fire.
3. Get at Least 3 Quotes from Contractor’s

finding a contractorWhatever you do, don’t just rely on first Google
result or the first ad in the Yellow Pages. I always get estimates
from at least three contractors for every job that I’ve done. You’ll
be amazed at the price differences between them. Don’t always go with
the cheapest quote, just because it’s the cheapest. Reputation should
carry a lot of weight, especially if it is a difficult project.

In order to help you compare, I usually ask the contractor to break
the total price down by line item. It helps you make sure that the
contractor knows exactly what you’re looking for and it helps you
compare them against each other. If one contractor is vastly
overpriced on a particular part versus the others, it can help you
keep them honest and weed out the ones trying to rip you off.
4. Get Estimates & Warranties in Writing

Get all warranties and estimates in writing. Again, it’s very
important for both you and the contractor to avoid any confusion over
exactly what you want done. Also, you want to make sure that there are
no hidden charges or fees. EVERYTHING that the contractor is charging
you for should be in writing. You also want to know what is included
in the warranty, how long the warranty is good for, and what form of
payment the contractor will accept.
5. Check their References

Before you even start your search, it’s good to ask for referrals.
However, the key here is to not feel obligated to use someone that
your peer recommends just because they recommended them (this
particularly holds true with their friends and family).

Ask the contractor for referrals from past clients and peruse ratings
in Google local business or elsewhere. Talk with previous customers
and ask them if they would use this contractor again, did they honor
their warranty, did they get the job done on time, and would they
highly recommend them. Also ask if there was anything they didn’t like
about the contractor.

If you just follow these five simple steps, you’ll be a lot better off
than most people hiring a contractor. And you’ll save money on the
cost of the job now and in the future.
Contractor Discussion:

* What rules do you follow when hiring a contractor?
* Do you have any contractor horror stories that you have learned
from?
* Where have you been able to find the best contractors?

http://20somethingfinance.com/never-...-5-steps-first

In article , Ablang wrote:
Never Hire a Contractor without Following These 5 Steps First
[copyrighted material snipped]

I see that:
1) You're still adhering to your old pattern of never posting anything
original, only simple-minded articles that you've copied from somewhere else,
and
2) You've lost your obsession with Hilary Duff, now that she's an adult.

Which child actress are you going to fixate on next?

Doug Miller wrote:
In article
,
Ablang wrote:
Never Hire a Contractor without Following These 5 Steps First
[copyrighted material snipped]

I see that:
1) You're still adhering to your old pattern of never posting anything
original, only simple-minded articles that you've copied from
somewhere else,
and
2) You've lost your obsession with Hilary Duff, now that she's an
adult.

Which child actress are you going to fixate on next?

So plonk him so we don't have to see them in your replies.