How do you find a good contractor? Where do you start? How do you know they can do the job? Do they have all of the proper insurance and licensing?
Let's start with the first questions, "How do you find a contractor?". 20 years ago it was a little simpler. You had only a few choices: Ask family, a friend or a neighbor if they knew of anyone, or open the Yellow Book and start flippin' through the directory and ads. Today it is a much different story. Although one can, and should, request referals from family, friends and neighbors, there are so many other ways to find a good reliable contractor.
In today's article I will discuss 4 new was to find a qualified contractor and how you can protect yourself from the get go.
The first place to look is your local Area Chamber of Commerce. Your local CoC will have a business directory listing all of it's members. They may even have it up to date online. The reason that I like the CoC is that members have to pay to participate. So only serious businesses will take the time to sign up and keep up with membership dues.
The second place to look is The Better Business Bureau. Similar to your local CoC, the BBB is membership driven. To become a member you must meet and maintain certain requirements. The greatest aspect is there mediation services. Simply put, if you have an issue with a BBB business that you cannot resolve, the BBB will step in an mediate a resolution with both parties. If the business refuses or does not comply, it will be a black mark on the business.
The third place to look is Online Contractor Services. This can be a bit tricky and overwhelming when you see all of the services trying to get your attention. I will cover the three big boys in the business: Angie's List; Contractors.com; and Service Magic.
Angie's List is a consumer based service. You will pay a $10 activation fee and then subscribe to the service at 1, 2, 3 or 4 year rates. The way it works. Say you have a dining room that needs to be painted. You log in, search for painters, review the contractors and call them to setup estimates. Once you have selected a contractor and the work is complete, you then review the contractor. All reviews are verified by Angie's List prior to posting.
Contractors.com is a business based service. Conctractor sign up and purchase the rights to different regional zones. Contractors.com does verify proper licensing and insurance. Signing up for consumers is free. You simple log in, search for painters and wait for the contractors to call. Once you choose a contractor and they complete the job, just like Angie's List you are able to submit reviews.
Service Magic is also a business based service. Contractor also sign up but instead of purchasing the right to a regional zone, they purchase lead categories based on zip codes. Signing up for the consumer is again free. And just like Contractors.com you will submit your job information and they will assign 3 contractors the lead.
And the fourth is somewhere you may not have thought of when it comes to finding a legitimate contractors, Criagslist.org. There are a lot of scams on CL, however the majority of contractors on CL are legit. They will have a nice ad, and a link to their website.
Now that you have found a contractor, how can you protect yourself?
1) Did the contractor show up on time to the estimate?
2) When they arrived what was the condition of their vehicle? How were they dressed? Did they put on shoe covers or remove their shoes when they entered your home?
3) Did they bring proper tools to complete a thurough estimate? If someone is coming to estimate a paint job a tape measure and someway to record measurements is a must. If a contractor walks in with out a these two items, this should be a huge red flag.
4) Are they licensed and qualified to complete the work? You need to do your part and research what licensing requirements your local and regional municipalities requires for the scope of work you require. Ask the contractor to provide copies of their current license and then verify the validity with the issuing municipality.
5) Is the contractor properly insured? Ask the contractor to bring a copy of their certificate of insurance when you schedule the estimate. And make sure before giving a deposit for the work have the contractor list you on a certificate of insurance. This will allow you to file claims against the contractors insurance without having to go through the contractor.
6) Get a Lien Waiver when you make the final payment. This little piece of paper gives up the right of the contractor to file a lien on your property.
Hope that this helps you in your quest to complete your home improvement projects. Until next time, what goes up, doesn't have to come down if you properly maintain it.
