How To Find The Best Contractor For Less
Unfortunately, not every has the skills or the time to do DIY home improvement projects. If that is the case for you, than finding the best contractor is extremely important. You need to keep in mind that this in itself can be a time consuming process. You can't just call one person and hope they're the best. Read on to learn how to make sure you hire the right person for the job.
Make sure that you are looking at actual reviews when you are looking to choose a company. A business will never put a bad review on their homepage. Instead, look at forums and blogs. You may even ask family and friends for a recommendation. This will give you a more realistic overview of what to expect working with a given contractor.
Now that you have a short list of companies you are considering, it is time to contact them to get quotes and discuss the job. Price is not the only factor in this decision. Too low of a bid, and the contractor will need to take shortcuts to get a reasonable profit margin. The right contractor will be able to bring a good mix of quality and affordability to your project.
Take a few minutes to verify that all necessary licences and permits have been obtained before any work is started. If the company does not have all of their paperwork in order, you could end up paying unexpected fees and fines. Along these same lines is insurance. If someone ends up damaging your home outside of the scope of your contract who will pay? Make sure this is spelled out in your contract. You may also want to check if your homeowner's insurance will help you out just in case.
There are several places to check if you are researching a given contractor. The Department of Consumer Affairs is a great place to get started. This is where most people lodge complaints about a given company. This one simple stop can tell you if it worth even looking further for information, or if you can simply cross a contractor off your list.
When you are first talking with a contractor about a job, you may want to do some bargaining. On the other hand, you may just tell them what you want and ask for a quote. Regardless of how you agree on a price, make sure that the entire contract, including the work to be done and the price you will pay is in writing before the contractor begins any work. If nothing is written down it will be difficult to prove what you were originally quoted for the job. No matter how good the contractor, this could leave you legally obligated to pay more than you expected.
This might all seems like a lot of work just to hire someone to do your bathroom, but it is well worth the effort. Taking the time to find the right person can ensure that everything goes smoothly in your renovations.
