How to find a contractor for home improvement?
If you are a new homeowner or have never had to bother with finding a contractor, you have to be very careful when trying to find a contractor. You may need to find a contractor either because you do not have the time or the skill to do some home improvement or remodeling projects or just don’t want to bother with the hassle of doing what professionals do best.
Contractors are sometimes as bad as used car salespeople. Contractors almost always rank at the top in complaints and cost overruns. They survive by preying on clueless homeowners. Many scam and crooks are also active in this trade who thrive through cheating and fraud. While most people know something about their cars, we hardly know anything about home repair and remodeling. Below are a few tips on finding a good contractor, according to Consumer Reports.
- Do Your Own Prep Work. Before contacting contractors, map out the scope of the project. Attend open houses, check out neighbors’ recent remodeling projects, and review home magazines and books for ideas.
- Check Out Your Choices. It’s much easier to prevent problems with a bad contractor than to fix them. Consumers should get the names, street addresses (no P.O. boxes), and phone numbers (not just cell phones) of at least three contractors, and ask each one for an estimate and several recent references. Do not do business with a contractor who can’t provide references. And make sure that you talk to references in detail and ask the tough questions, particularly those relating to overruns and delays.
- Get the Details in Writing. You should insist on a written contract with all parties’ names and contact information as well as the contractor’s license numbers. It should also contain a detailed description of the project. In addition, the project should stipulate who is responsible for getting permits and inspections, and outline how changes in work orders will be handled and the notice required for cancellation.
- Watch Out for Liens. “Mechanics lien” or “construction lien” laws grant unpaid subcontractors and suppliers the right to make a legal claim against property that has been improved by their labor or material. To protect against such liens, homeowners can pay subcontractors and suppliers directly or get lien releases from contractors with each payment.
Hopefully this should protect you from all the hassles but if you still have a problem, you do have rights. Do not shy away from complaining to the right authorities. These crooks become even bolder when people fail to complain about them. Recovering money from unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors, however, is nearly impossible. If you get burned, don’t wait too long before contacting authorities.
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