Chosing a contractor
Choosing a contractor:
What a scary task this can be. How do you know who does a good job. How do you know who does a good job for a fair and reasonable price. How do you know what you’ve got after the job is finally done.
OK, I’ve asked several questions, and any one of them may give you heartburn. Where do you get the information you need to make an informed, intelligent decision on which contractor to use?
We’re very fortunate these days. Just about every piece of information you need about anything is available on the Internet. And, of course, everything on the Internet is true, verified by an impartial agent of the federal government, right? NOT! The Internet is a tremendous tool and does have a great deal of true and accurate information, but you need to be careful where you go and make sure that your information source is credible. You can feel pretty safe on the .gov sites that originate in the governmental departments that are responsible for regulating the subject you’re researching. Just be careful of commercial sites that talk about the .gov sites or even link to the sites. Remember that most sites have a disclaimer. Even some of the government sites have a disclaimer. And as much as I hate to say this, you should verify things you find on my site too. Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of the information on my web site, as well as the information in this book. You just have to remember that they’re intended as a tool to help you, not the final authority. And unfortunately, we can’t be responsible for consultation over the web or in a book. Now that all the disclaimer stuff has been said, let me try to help you choose a contractor.
Most people choose a contractor based on a referral from a friend or relative. This is probably the best way to find a reliable contractor assuming they didn’t destroy your brother-in-law’s house or run over your neighbor’s cat. Unfortunately, most of us don’t know someone that has a friend or relative in every home improvement business category available. So what do we look for in a contractor?
The first qualification you should look for in any contractor, from the guy that mows the lawn to the person that replaces the roof is their licensing. Don’t use unlicensed contractors! There’s not enough room in this book to recount all the horror stories that involve use of unlicensed contractors, but I’ll go over a few anyway. In most places, believe it or not, the law is on the side of the unlicensed contractor. At least it can seem that way. You may not have any recourse against an unlicensed contractor that damages your property or doesn’t complete the job or doesn’t comply with local building regulations. Not only may you not have recourse to recover damages, you may be held responsible for things that they’ve done wrong! It can cost you on several different levels and over several years. Again, don’t use unlicensed contractors. Even if you feel sorry for them and they’ve got a really good reason that they don’t have a license. Even if the license is applied for and should be here before they finish the job. Don’t use unlicensed contractors.
It’s mentioned in another chapter, but bears repeating here. If you use an unlicensed contractor, chances are that they’re not insured either. If their helper is injured on your property and the contractor isn’t licensed and insured, in most places, you become the employer and are responsible for the workman’s compensation. And since most of us don’t have workman’s compensation insurance, we become completely responsible for that injured worker. One other thing about that. Don’t think your homeowners insurance will take care of it. Most policies have a specific clause that says they won’t. You’re on your own. If you live in a state that doesn’t protect your home from law suits, you could even lose your home. I’ll say it one more time. OK, I’ll probably say it more than one more time, but don’t use unlicensed contractors.
OK, I get it, I won’t use an unlicensed contractor, I’ll just get them to show me the license and I’ll be all right. Right? Well, not necessarily. I happen to live in an area that issues occupational licenses on a local level and specific types of contractor licenses on a state level. Here’s a situation that actually happened to a homeowner. The contractor showed his locally issued occupational license that said in the body of the document, “contractor, all types”. Sounds great doesn’t it? There was more on the document, but it was very official and the extremely polite contractor showed the homeowner the line that said “contractor, all types”. Unfortunately, there was some more information on the form. It said that some types of contractors required additional state licenses and even listed each of those specific areas and the licenses that were required. The homeowner didn’t see that part, or maybe they just weren’t shown that part. The result was that the homeowner ended up responsible for the costs of materials on an improvement that never happened. It seems that the polite young contractor was actually a “con” man. Make sure you know that the license is actually applicable to the type of work being performed and that the contractor has a history of doing things right, and legally.
Don’t be afraid to ask for references. Make sure you call the references too. The home improvement industry is full of honest, ethical, conscientious, contractors that will do a great job for you at a great price while adhering to all the applicable regulations in your area. There are some that aren’t and won’t. Which one will you hire?
Insurance. It’s almost become a dirty word. You’ve got to have it though. You’ve got to have it on your car, your house, your health, your life and some people even have it on their pets. Make sure your contractor has it too. I don’t have a problem asking to see proof of insurance from a contractor, including proof of workman’s compensation insurance. Most reputable, licensed and insured contractors won’t mind showing you their proof of insurance. In fact, they’ll show it to you before you ask. It’s normal for a contractor to be required to have the proper level of insurance to be issued and maintain proper licensing. You should still see the proof of insurance. Insurance can lapse. You can protect yourself with just a little effort and a few questions.
OK, I’ve checked the licensing and insurance. I’ve checked the references. He’s had his shots. (that’s a joke for those of you educated in Duval county) Now what? Well, you know what? You should be in pretty good shape when the job is finished. Congratulations!
It’s time for a shameless plug. I’ve been in and around the home improvement industry for a long time. I’ve seen more than I want to remember of bad things and I’ve seen the best people you’ll find anywhere on the planet. I’ve seen quality of workmanship that is awe inspiring and I’ve seen jobs done that couldn’t be put in the same sentence with the words quality or workmanship. While hosting my radio show I get email and phone calls regularly asking me who to call to fix a toilet or a sink. I get calls asking where to buy a refrigerator or a vacuum cleaner. People tell me a lot of good stories and a few not so good. I decided to try to help a little bit more and make it easier to find help with home improvement service providers. Our show is heard in literally hundreds of cities and there are really good and not so good service providers in every one. I can’t personally test every service provider and give you a recommendation, but I can give you a list of service providers in your town to help you in your search. Just click on the service directory button and select your city. If your city isn’t there, tell your favorite licensed and insured service provider to get on the list.

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