Planning a renovation? Looking into expanding the possibilities of your home? If you’re not a pro builder yourself, you’ll have to take the way most of us mortals do – hire a contractor. So many choices though, isn’t that right? All of them are most qualified, all of them are the most professional, all of them offer the best prices and terms and all of them will get the job done on time of course. So how can you sift through the massive amount of available contractors to find the right fit? Well, we have some pointers and tips to make sure you get the perfect contractor for your project.
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Let’s start with some basics:
- Credentials
- Referrals
- References/Past projects
Checking out the background of your potential contractor is critical, so approach it with focus. Look through his website and verify that he has all the required licenses. Does he have any additional course diplomas or has he passed any rigorous tests in his field? Next, have a closer look on all past projects and whether the contractor worked on something similar to your own project or if he specializes in completely different ones.
The last step of this first stage is to get some quality feedback and referrals. Word-of-mouth is still the leading way of finding the right person for a job, so don’t be afraid or ashamed to contact past clients of your potential contractor – they can share valuable information with you, whether regarding the contractors working habits and price policies or the quality of his work.
Do a check-up like this on at least three contractors before proceeding to the next stage.
Who is doing what?
You should consider the size of your contractor’s company and the number of employees he has at his disposal. Always demand an employee list, to verify if the contractor actually has all the staff he says he does, or if he hires casual labor of the streets. This can really be a deal-breaker because labor hired in this way tends to be unqualified for most of the tasks required of them. Ask what will be done by the contractor and his company and which tasks will be done by subcontractors.
Get everything in writing
Do not under any circumstances rely solely on what you agree between yourself and the contractor. You’re both human, so you both can easily forget stuff. Take notes, blueprints, plan everything on paper, before proceeding to actually realizing your renovation dreams. Sign a valid agreement between your contractor and yourself regarding the project’s focal points before you start and there you have it: the search is over, your project can begin.
We are confident that you’ve learned a couple of new things about choosing the right contractor for your project. We ask you to help out everyone else searching for the right man for the job and to share your own tips and tricks regarding this topic in the comments below.