Tips on Hiring a Home Contractor

For a lot of homeowners, the biggest challenge with any renovation project will not be the work itself but getting the right contractor for the job. It has become increasingly hard to find a professional and competent contractor. It will be more challenging if you’re looking for the contractor on the internet as you can never know what shoddy contractors and companies are willing to do in order to get business. In this post, we’re going to highlight some tips that will come in handy if you’re looking to hire a home contractor.

Know What You Want

You can’t go out looking for a contractor when you don’t know what you want to achieve. There are home contractors that are specialized in specific remodeling projects. Are you looking to do renovations in the kitchen or the bathroom? Such decisions will have a bearing on the type of contractor that you choose. It will be a lot easier to get the right contractor if you’re specific with the requirements.

Get Recommendations

This is the first thing you should be doing when searching for a contractor. Ask for recommendations from friends and family as they might know of a reliable contractor that you can trust. Since they won’t have any skin in the game, the recommendations will be legitimate. Word of mouth is the most effective recommendation that you can get. You could also ask for recommendations from specific contractors that you’ve worked with in the past.

Compare Quotes

You should never settle on the first contractor you come across, no matter how tempting it might appear to be.  It is important that you’re asking for multiple quotes so that you can know what you’re expected to pay. The quotes will break down the costs so it is clear what you’re paying for. A contractor is likely to be fair with the pricing if they’re aware you’re talking to other providers. You should be wary when you receive a quote that is suspiciously cheap compared to the other ones you’ve received. Such a contractor will have hidden charges which you will only find out when you’ve started working with them.

Schedule Face-to-face Interviews

Once you’ve shortlisted the potential candidates, the next step will be to meet them in person. You want to establish if there is chemistry. It is also the perfect opportunity to ask any questions that you could be having. A good contractor should be able to answer your questions patiently and satisfactorily. You should be careful not to let personality fool you. There are some contractors that are good at persuasion but will be disappointing when it comes to the actual work.

Investigate Facts

You should not take the contractor’s word for it. You need to follow up with the references provided to make sure the information provided is accurate. When you reach out to former clients, ask them about the quality of service and the communication process with the contractor. Did the contractor finish the project within the stipulated time frame? Were they kept abreast of the developments? These are the questions that you should be asking references about when you intend to work with the contractor.

Set a Payment Schedule

You might be planning an extensive remodeling project. Since the funds might not be available all at once, the best way to go about the process would be to set up a payment schedule. A good contractor shouldn’t have a problem with a payment schedule. The schedule should be based on deliverables. This will mean breaking down the project into phases so that it is clear the work that needs to be covered within a particular time frame.  For big projects, you might be required to pay 10% at the signing of the contract.

Don’t Be Guided by Price Alone

Even though you might not have a lot of money for the renovation project, you should not go for the cheapest quote. As they say, you get what you pay for. The same applies if you’re handling the remodel on your own, especially when it comes to equipment and materials. You might be looking for Drill Presses and don’t know where to get good-quality ones. Make sure to do research before making a purchasing decision.

A contractor that is cheap will likely be cutting corners, or worse doesn’t know what they’re doing.  The contractor that you’re working with should be experienced and have a proven track record for excellence. If you can’t afford the renovation, you can postpone it until when the funds are available.