The Home Owner's Contractor
|
The Home Owner's Contractor |
You
are here >> Home >> Hiring A Contractor |
 |
 |
Protractors, LLC. wants you to make the right choice when hiring a contractor even if you do not choose us. Because we have seen so much we have decided to create a page which is full of tips and things to remember when choosing the right contractor for your project. Heed these warnings and you should be ok. The first thing to remember is do your homework - Think about what you want the end result to look like. Research the different ideas you can find on many websites and in many showrooms and magazines. Go to a home show or trades show. Understand the building process basics - You can join your local Habitat For Humanity as a volunteer to get some great hands-on experience while you help give back to your community. You will have the chance at lunch time to talk with those who know what they are doing. Read some books as well. Knowing the basics does not mean you can do it yourself! - Many home owners are tempted to take on more than they are qualified to do. Don't fall into this trap as it will cost you much more to hire a pro to fix your mess. Research your area's contractor companies - Make sure you verify the important things first. Look to your states Secretary Of State (SOS) for help in getting real business information about your contractor. If you don't know how to find your SOS all you need to do is Google your states initials with SOS; example: New Hampshire SOS = "nhsos". You should then varify that they are a member of the Better Business Bureau(or similar organization). Ask to see insurance cards or certificates - This is important because the certificate will tell you what type of insurance your contractor has and the financial limits and coverages that it covers. The last thing you need is a big mistake that your contractor is not insured to handle. Make sure your contractor has worker's comp coverage as well. If the contractor is only one person and he has a waiver of liens or some contracted clause to protect your interests from injury then you may be ok. Check it out though. Call the carrier if you have any questions at all. They will not lie for your contractor. Ask for references! - If your contractor was refered to you by another person you need to think about this senerio. {John Doe hired "abc install" to build a cabinet system for his garage. John Doe wanted something in particular and had a plan. "abc install" gave him exactly what he wanted. Amy Lady works with John Doe and they talked about how good the contractor was and how he gave John Doe what he wanted. Amy Lady was impressed and now she has a reference for the contractor. Amy Lady wants kitchen cabinets and hires "abc install" to do the job. In the end she is very unpleased.} What happened? John Doe looks at life different from Amy Lady. John Doe wanted cheap, cheap, cheap because he does not think that cabinets are important in a garage. He got exactly want he wanted. Amy Lady is different, she wanted very elegent cabinets in her kitchen to match her vision. The problem is that "abc install" is not qualified to install high end cabinets because he has never done them before. Amy Lady ends up with a very unpleasing mess and lots of wasted money. Check as many references as possible. Ask lots of questions. Be persistent and never give in to the excuse "I don't give phone numbers due to privacy issues". Tell him to have his customer contact you. Remember that if you are having trouble getting comfortable with your available choices for a contractor, just say no! You will find one that fits your needs and you should never settle for the next best choice. Consider using a contractor referral service. There are many of them so you will want to make sure the referral service is an established company as well. We get calls from all over the United States and we refer many of them to the well known Service Magic. |
| If PROtractors™ is
not available in your area you can find a quality
contractor here. |
 
  If you are ready to take your business to the next level, Join PROtractors™ and we'll help you get there. Click here for more information. |
| Copyright 2008 Protractors, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy |
