|
How hire The Right Contractor
1. Get recommendations
Start with your friends and family and then check in with the National
Association of the Remodeling Industry for a list of members in your area. You
can also talk with a building inspector, who'll know which contractors routinely
meet code requirements, says This Old House general contractor Tom Silva, or pay
a visit to your local lumberyard, which sees contractors regularly and knows
which ones buy quality materials and pay their bills on time.
2. Do phone interviews
Once you've assembled a list, Tom recommends that you make a quick call to each
of your prospects and ask them the following questions:
•Do they take on projects of your size?
•Are they willing to provide financial references, from suppliers or banks?
•Can they give you a list of previous clients?
•How many other projects would they have going at the same time?
•How long have they worked with their subcontractors?
The answers to these questions will reveal the company's availability,
reliability, how much attention they'll be able to give your project and how
smoothly the work will go.
3. Meet face to face
Based on the phone interviews, pick three or four contractors to meet for
estimates and further discussion. A contractor should be able to answer your
questions satisfactorily and in a manner that puts you at ease. Tom says that
it's crucial that you two communicate well because this person will be in your
home for hours at a time. On the other hand, don't let personality fool you.
Check in with your state's consumer protection agency and your local Better
Business Bureau to make sure contractors don't have a history of disputes with
clients or subcontractors.
4. Investigate the facts
Now that you've narrowed your list, put your research to use. Call up former
clients to find how their project went and ask to see the finished product. But
Tom says you shouldn't rely on results alone. Even more important, visit a
current job site and see for yourself how the contractor works. Is the job site
neat and safe? Are workers courteous and careful with the homeowner's property?
|
 |
QUICK SEARCH
"