subject: Skimping on home repairs now, will cost you later [print this page] Skimping on home repairs now, will cost you later
The cost of buying and owning a home is probably the biggest investmentmade by most people in their lifetime. However when it comes to making repairs on their investment, property owners oftenlook for the lowest price when choosing a contractor. Sincemost unlicensed contractors are not bonded or insured and do not pay intothe residential contractors' recovery fund or pay any unemploymentcompensation for their workers, they often under bid the licensedprofessional. This bottom line may at first be attractive to the propertyowner, as a way to lower costs and save money. In most cases the old adage holds trueyou get what you pay for.
With the unprecedented growth in the country, hundreds and even thousands of "would-be" contractors haveappeared out of nowhere. People who may have worked as a laborer or a framer for a shortperiod of time decide that they are ready to start their own business. Inspite of the fact that they lack sufficient capital and experience, theyprint up flyers, distribute business cards and place an ad in the yellowpages.
In an attempt to get "the best price", the unsuspecting customer calls thenumber listed on the flyer or in the ad and asked for a bid. Often, suchoperations are run out of a mail drop or on an answering machine, butsomeone usually calls the customer back. When you get the bid, you arereally pleased at how much this person / company says they can save you.
You may even see "licensed, bonded and insured" on the business card or inthe ad. Then the story begins. The contractor tells you he is going toneed a large portion of the money up front. He may say he needs it topurchase materials, or to pay workers for another job where the propertyowner is slow to pay. He may even tell you about the unexpected medicalbills he had to pay for a sick child (that he really doesn't have), inhopes of gaining your sympathy.
At first things may seem fine. In a day or two a worker shows up andstarts measuring, or a small load of material is delivered to the jobsite. Then the excuses begin. After a week has passed, with no work beingdone, you call your unlicensed contractor. All you get is a recordedmessage, so you leave a message, politely requesting a return phone call.Several more days passed, with no response, so you call and leave anothermessage, not as polite as the first. When the contractor does call, he isvery apologetic and tells you about some catastrophe involving either histruck, his family, his help or another job he just had to complete. Hepromises to get right on your job the next day. A week later he stillhasn't shown up, or he does show up and says he needs more money.
Sound ridiculous? Well it happens every day, often with the consumerlosing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You, as the property ownerhave little recourse other than to pursue the matter in court.
In other cases, the contractor will actually perform the repairs on your home, unfortunately more often than not, the repairs are done improperly or hap-hazardly and many times pose a significant safety threat to you and your family.
Hiring a licensed contractor offers many additional protections to theproperty owner, especially regarding residential property. First of all, acontractor cannot obtain a license without possessing a minimum amount ofexperience and must pass some type of licensing test. The applicant alsomay be subjected to a criminal history background check, and must not haveany unresolved contracting complaints outstanding.
Should you experience the above problems with licensed contractor, you asa residential property owner have significant protections not available topersons utilizing an unlicensed contractor. Among them is the ability tofile a complaint against the contractor's license, in most cases, for aperiod of two years from the date of occupancy or date the last work wasperformed. This is your guarantee should the workmanship be below standardor in violation of existing codes.
Another very important thing to consider is the re-sale of your home. When you place your home on the market and get a signed contract on your property, the potential home-buyer will inevitably hire a professional home inspector to inspect the property prior to closing. One thing that home inspectors frequently find and are required to report on, are previous repairs made to the home. In almost every case, the home inspector can tell if the work was done by a licensed contractor. If a home inspector reports that the repairs made to your home were not done by a licensed contractor, the potential home-buyer will demand that you hire a licensed contractor to repair the repairs made by the unlicensed contractor and ask for all receipts for the work performed. In the end, you will wind up paying twice the amount for the repairs than if you hired a licensed contractor to begin with.
The bottom line in almost every case, if you skimp on repairs now, you will wind up paying for it later. Protect yourself and your investment and always hire a licensed contractor. You can find many reputable companies simply by checking with the Better Business Bureau and Angie's List.
