subject: Tips For Hiring A Good Contractor [print this page] Tips For Hiring A Good Contractor Tips For Hiring A Good Contractor
Screening a general contractor prior to hiring one, while time consuming and frustrating, is a necessary evil as hiring the wrong contractor could cost you your home! The fact of the matter is that there is a good number of well-qualified contractors out there and while it may be difficult to find them, it's in your best interest to find one of these guys for your next home improvement project. In this article we'll look at what you can do to uncover the best contractors in your area.
One of your first goals, if you're looking for a good contractor, should be to get at least three good bids from three well-qualified contractors. You want to have comparable bids to look at to make a good decision and for that to happen you need to ensure that the contractors are all well qualified. In order to accomplish that you'll have to pre-screen and pre-qualify the contractors prior to asking them for bids.
To start off you should begin by compiling a list of contractors in your area. You'll want to start off with more then you'll need (3) so it's usually a good idea to start off with at least twice as many as you'll actually need. This way you can scratch a few contractors off your list and not have to worry about starting the whole process again.
To compile your list you can begin by asking friends, relatives and other people in your network for referrals of contractors they've worked with in the past. Personal referrals are great but you'll want to verify their credentials as well. You can also seek referrals from major materials suppliers in your area, a good general contractor if you know one and home improvement stores as well. To complete your list you can use a free referral website like http://handyamerican.com. Once you've completed your list you can move on to pre-qualifying and screening the contractors.
One of the first things you should do is to make sure the contractors on your list have a license. Contractors are finger printed, they have their backgrounds checked and they take competency tests before they are given a license so that's a good place to start. To check for a license simply contact your state's licensing board. If you happen to contact them by phone you can also ask if any of your contractors have had any complaints filed against them. The state licensing board is typically the first place a homeowner will go to file a complaint so, again, another good place to start.
Next you'll want to look for any existing feedback for the contractors on your list. You can start by doing a Google search for the contractor's name plus words like complaint or review. You can also check with the Better Business Bureau and on ripoffreport.com. The key is to look for existing feedback for the contractors on your list.
Following that you'll probably have to contact the contractors to continue pre-qualifying them. A couple things you'll want to speak about specifically are references and insurance.
Insurance is absolutely critical. The contractor you hire should have both General Liability and Worker's Compensation insurance. If the contractor you hire is not properly insured you could potentially be sued and held liable for any accidents that occur on your property. Avoid that nightmare and make sure the contractor you hire provides you with a certificate of insurance from his insurance agent.
Next you'll want to talk to the contractors about references. Any good contractor will have at least a few references that you can speak with. The best way to pre-qualify a home improvement contractor is to speak with some of his past clients and if possible check out some of his past work.
