7 Tips for Finding the Right Contractor for Your Home Project

 

If you need to have work done around your home, you want to find the right experienced professionals to do the job. Choosing a contractor can be challenging. If you need to have a new air conditioning unit installed, if it is done wrong it can cost you more. Here are some tips for choosing a contractor.

1. Talk to everyone you know. Tell your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors that you are working on choosing a contractor. Tell them what work you need to have done. The construction services company your friend Bill used to put in the driveway might not be the same general contractor services that you need to install a new heating and cooling system. The best case scenario is that you get the same recommendation from two people independently of each other.
2. Look online. Many localities, towns and cities have Facebook groups and pages set up to promote local businesses. If no one on the group or page has recommended the kind of contractor you need, ask the question. People love to give advice like this. You can also look on sites like Angie’s List and Yelp.
3. Talk to at least three companies. When you are choosing a contractor, you never want to only talk to one. You should never have only one option. Even if the person you saw first seems great you don’t know what you’re missing if you do not talk to other companies.
4. Get detailed estimates in writing. You want to know exactly what you are paying and for what. When you have detailed estimates on paper you can more easily compare and contrast your options. Keep in mind price should not be only criteria. The lowest bid might seem great at the time but the work they do is shoddy and you have to redo the entire thing it will end up costing you a lot more. By the same token, the highest bid might not be for the best service. It is not unusual for people to believe “you pay for what you get.” Some companies take advantage of this and charge more. This is a Goldilocks situation you don’t want the porridge that is too hot or too cold you want it just right. Of course all the bids are similar, you’ll have to look at the services they are offering.
5. Ask about their licenses, permits and insurance. Before you hire any contractor, do some research and find out what will be needed to do the work that you want done. If your contractor does not have the right kind of insurance or the right amount, you can end legally liable if things go wrong on the job. Similarly, if they working without the right license or did not procure the right permit, you will be held responsible and will cost you a lot. The city, state or town is not going to take the, “The contractor told me they had taken care of it.”
6. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Before you hire any company to do work on your home you should check their business record. You need to know that the company you are hiring has a good reputation and a proven track record. This is also a good reason to go to a local company. Well that does not guarantee perfect. will be good, you will have a better chance of not being disappointed.
7. Ask for references. All reputable contractors the contracting company we’ll have no problem giving you the names and numbers for some of their satisfied clients. When you talk to their references, and you do need to talk to them, ask what you thought of their work and if they have any suggestions about what they would do differently if they did again. Do not just ask “did you like them or not?” If the references are close enough you may even want to check out the work the contractor did. It may not matter but if you are making cosmetic changes to your home, you want to make sure that contractor shares your aesthetic.

With a little effort and time, you will get the right contractor.