As a homeowner, there are times when things break or need replacing. When those events happen and depending on the severity of the problem, you can make the decision to fix those issues yourself or hire a contractor to come and do the work for you.
There are, of course, certain home renovations you can do on your own to save money, but when it comes to hiring professional contractors, you can’t just hire anybody or any company. Why? Because there are just too many risks involved. Not only can hiring the wrong contractor to lead to project delays and less than satisfactory work but it can also lead to legal issues as well… And there’s no home repair worth the hassle of legal issues.
When it comes to repairs, renovations, or remodeling your home, you want quality work done at a fair price. In order to get that, you’re going to have to do your homework. Take a look at the following tips for hiring the best contractor for the work you need to be done on your home.
Ask For Proof of Licensure and Insurance
Maybe you’re looking for a dwelling contractor to work on your home and you ask friends and family for recommendations. Let’s say they give you a few names of independent contractors and companies, which is great! But from there, you’re on the hook to vet your options, and one of the best ways to check their credibility is to ask for proof of licensing and insurance.
If a contractor can’t provide that information to you, there’s a high chance that they’re not licensed and uninsured, which can not only cause legal issues for the unlicensed contractor but for you, the homeowner, as well. For example, many people will hire unlicensed and uninsured contractors “under the table” because they’re cheaper and it saves money on the renovation. But if that “contractor” gets injured or damages a sewer line, not only are you responsible for the damages but that contractor can sue you for medical damages as well.
This happens because there’s no worker’s compensation policy in place and the person isn’t licensed. All contractors, no matter the location, must be licensed when working on projects over a certain dollar amount. Make sure the contractor you hire is adequately insured and meets the requirements for the scope of work you need done.
Check References of Previous Work
If a contractor or company is as good as they’re making themselves out to be, they should have no problem providing you with references from previous clients. This will give you the opportunity to talk to their previous clients directly and get the real facts of how well they performed the work, if it was completed on schedule, and if they felt the pricing was fair for the quality of work done.
A credible company should also be able able to provide pictures of previous projects whether from their website or if they can show you before and after pictures in person. The takeaway here is that no one will tell you the real truth as a previous client will.
Find a Contractor That Specializes in the Area of Work You Need Done
General contractors are great and have a general knowledge of a wide scope of work. But if you want proficiency, you’re going to want to go with a contractor that specializes specifically in the scope of work you need to be done on your home.
Depending on the type of work you want to be done, it wouldn’t be uncommon to have three different contractors in your home all at once! Say, you need to get rid of some old structures in your yard. Make sure to get in touch with a company that does professional service excavation. For roofing, you’ll benefit from hiring a contractor that focuses specifically on roofing services. You get the idea.
Check Prices From Multiple Contractors in Your Local Area
Just as you can’t just hire any contractor or any company, you also don’t want to go with the first company you see. Check online for a few contractors and then check up on the contractors that your friends and family recommend as well. You want to do this because not all contractors are created the same. You want to keep in mind that just because a contractor may be “expensive,” that doesn’t necessarily mean that their work is of high quality. In the same token, you also want to note that if a contractor’s price is “cheap” to you, that doesn’t mean that they produce poor work either.
Those opposite-end theories are the exact reason why, in addition to checking multiple prices, you also want to look at their previous work, check their references, and look for proof of licensure and insurance.
When it comes to the improvement of your home, whether for repairs or renovations, you want to always do your due diligence to ensure you’re not paying for shoddy work. Search locally and give yourself multiple options to choose from before making a final decision.
