Pick the right Contractor, the First Time

Picking a contractor can be a stressful task. Who you allow in your home shouldn’t be an easy, pick the cheapest most inexpensive one kind of decision. You need to follow a few steps to put yourself at ease for who will be in your home, and the kind of product that will be delivered.

• Ask for referrals and references. There is nothing wrong with asking a contractor to contact a few of their past clients. This will weed out a few candidates right away. If they are reluctant to giving out names and numbers, they may have something to hide and you might want to reconsider using their services.
• Check credentials such as websites, social media pages, customer testimonials and portfolios to look into legitimacy of their work. Serious contractors will take the time to set these things up to better connect to their prospective clients. Find out how long they have been in business. Do you want someone working on your home who may be inexperienced?
• Get it in writing. To put your mind at ease, don’t hesitate to ask for the scope of work to be in writing. Make sure the written agreement is fair, with a clear schedule of completion, payment schedule is fair, and any type of liability is clearly stated in the agreement.

At the end of the day, it’s all about who you feel most comfortable working with, who you will allow in your home, and who you feel an open line of communication with to ensure your needs and visions are met. Think back to a project you had completed on your home. Did the contractor meet your expectations? If you noticed something wasn’t to your liking midway through, did you feel comfortable enough to bring it to their attention? Take the extra time in the beginning when looking for the right contractor. Follow the steps, and hire the right contractor, the first time!