Terrified to hire a contractor

amother

Jade

Sun, Dec 11 2016, 10:59 pm

Yes! I dealt with three contractors last year. Two were great, no issues at all. One was terrible.

- First, find out the laws in your state. Be informed! Know what you're getting into before paying any money.
- make sure to use a licensed contractor!!!!
- get multiple quotes. Don't use someone who gives you a too good price to be true, there is probably something wrong with them.
- referrals! Go see there actual work from somewhere else.
- check Yelp and online reviews
- check the state contractor license (and check again after you hire them)
- ask lots of questions
- check out Home Depot for a quote too. I'm not kidding. I used them to put granite in my kitchen and they were actually the cheapest in my area (after a ton of research) and did an amazing job!!!!
- take lots of pictures before the work, during the work and afterwards. This was helpful when I had to file a case with my state licensing board with issues I had with our bad contractor. I ended up winning my case and getting a full refund!
- put cameras in your house. I actually wasn't home all the time the work was being done. We put cameras in the other rooms where the contractor should never be. Plus we could use the cameras to periodically monitor their work.
- don't pay a lot of money up front. At least where I live the deposit shouldn't be more than 10% or $1000, whatever is less. You should be making periodic payments during the work after certain phases are completed.
- ask about warranty of the contractor's work. They should guarantee there work for year or something like that. Often issues don't show up until a few weeks or months after the work is completed.

FranticFrummie

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 8:41 am

I used to flip houses for a living, so I've had plenty of experience with contractors. Several very honest contractors told me right up front "It will probably end up costing you twice as much, and take three times as long." This is especially true if you are working with a "fixer" home that was neglected by the previous owner. I could tell you horror stories, but you'd have to buy me a glass of wine (or two!)

This is going to sound crazy, but if at all possible, hire lesbian contractors. They work much harder than men, because they have to prove that they are capable of doing the work as women. They don't mess around, and they depend on your reference to get work because they are discriminated against in the construction world. Men take way too many cigarette breaks, slack off, and generally don't take you seriously.

Get a minimum of three quotes for every job. The cheapest one might be the best, or they might cut corners. The middle one may or may not do a through inspection. The most expensive one might be the best in the field, or might be taking advantage of you. Use your gut instinct, and do your research in advance, so you know what questions to ask, and what to look for.

For example, I had a house that had serious problems with the roof. The first guy gave me a low quote, without even climbing up on the roof. I asked him about the flashing, and he said "Oh, it's fine." The second guy spent an hour on the roof, gave me a detailed description of what he found, and gave me a quote to consider. The third guy went up, took a quick look, and told me I needed to do a complete tear off and replacement, at a huge cost.

I talked again with the second guy, he explained everything to me, and I got to get to know him better. It turns out he used to be in the Air Force, and I told him my dad was, too. He ended up giving me a cash up front quote that was a lot lower than his first quote, as a "military family discount". It turns out that the roof only needed an extra layer, and the flashing was the MAIN PROBLEM! He and his buddies finished the whole house in one day, and threw in the detached garage roof for free. When I needed to replace the deck and fencing, guess who I called? Very Happy

As a young woman who was single at the time, contractors looked at me as easy pickings. You have to use your seichel and trust your instincts with people.

amother

Gold

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 9:14 am

amother wrote:

Literally everyone I know who ever hired a contractor had a bad experience. At best, things took significantly longer and cost significantly more than promised. At worst, corners were cut and money outright stolen. And these are people who did their homework, they didn't just hire any old schmo. It makes me so nervous! Is there any way to protect ourselves?

Are you building a major construction or just need some changes done?

As a wife of an electrician, I can tell you that for smaller jobs, it may be simpler to deal directly with the companies you need (electrician, plumber etc). The contractors inflate the prices astronomically, and aren't always straightforward between the clients and workers.

And yes, do a lot of research before hiring one. I might also call some construction companies to hear about the contractor. Sometimes a contractor won't pay his subs (even though the client paid him) and then they won't complete the job without payment (which you can't do anything about).

Sorry for sounding so negative. But you really need to do proper research.

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 9:25 am

When you ask neighbors for recommendations, ask them what kind of work they had done, and what specifically they liked about the contractor. It's like getting a recommendation for a doctor; different people have different priorities.

In addition to getting at least three estimates, get at least three names of satisfied customers from each. They may be shills, but maybe not. I am always surprised at the number of contractors who disappear when I ask for checkable references. And actually check the references - one area contractor's list included people he had never worked for.

Expect cost overruns and delays. Ask the contractor what might cause these situations.

amother

Cerise

Mon, Dec 12 2016, 9:58 am

As someone in the field (my husband) its very very hard field when it comes to pricing .its very very hard to be accurate with the estimate because A .u NEVER really know what the job is till u actually do it what stuff ull need to buy etc... You might think its a small plumbing job , u start opening and u see what s really going on inside and ya u said its gonna take 3 hr.and? It takes an entire day .u start the job then ull need to go get a priece , home depot is out of stock u ho to next place......everyone wants the NICEST for very cheap?!