By Matt Le Vesque
First,
make sure the contractor has a license. Why? Because if he does, he will also
have a license bond. That means that if you end up in a dispute, you will have
a chance to collect on the bond (up to $12,500) if the contractor flakes out.
Also, generally, it means the contractor presumably knows enough to pass a
licensing test.
Second,
do some homework on the contractor. Go online to see if the license matches his
story. "Contractors" have been known to use other people's licenses
or maybe "forget" to mention that they have a long list of consumer
complaints.
I
can't begin to tell you all the horror stories I've heard or written reports
about.
Third,
check some references. Naturally, if you ask anyone for a reference they aren't
going to have you call their worst customer, right? So, go beyond calling the
friends and relatives of the person you're planning to let into your house.
Ask
contractors what they've been working on the last several months and call those
people. Recent past is much more predictive of the near future, right?
Fourth,
get it in writing. A home improvement contract is a very detailed document that
should be several to dozens of pages. There should be a complete description of
the work and lots of details. If there are plans, they should be professionally
prepared and approved by the local building department. And no licensed
contractor should tell you that permits are not required. They should be able
to prove they're not required.
Fifth,
don't hear what you want to hear. This goes hand-in-hand with number four.
Someone may appeal to your more frugal side (cheapness) by telling you that you
can save money by not getting plans, permits or inspections. As far as I'm
concerned, that's akin to selling or receiving stolen property. If you want a
"deal" like that, be prepared to pay the consequences. Chances are
very good that you're being conned.
That
leads to number six, which is all about money. I wouldn't go with the cheapest
bid. There's usually a reason they're cheap and I also suggest being careful
about keeping work in line with payments. I don't recommend giving down
payments and will only make a payment when a major milestone or inspection is
complete. Basically, if it doesn't seem right, ask more questions.
Number
seven is the most important item: Communicate. Have an open and honest,
business-oriented communication. You're not pals or buddies. You're not a
shoulder to cry on and neither is the contractor. Keep it professional and you
will generally get professional results. If you get to be friends after the
job, that's great too.
