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Most
licensed contractors are competent, honest,
hardworking and financially responsible.
However, home improvement is a top source of
consumer complaints nationwide. By avoiding
these mistakes you will greatly reduce the
chances of having a bad remodeling experience.
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Choosing
The Lowest Bidder |
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| According
to Consumer Reports - The biggest mistake
consumers make is "being seduced by the
price alone." Would
you hire the cheapest surgeon in town to operate
on you or a member of your family? There
is a saying, "Some of the most expensive
work you will ever pay for is cheap work."
Consider that your home is your
biggest investment, and you should always think
long-term when it comes to doing remodeling and
also consider the effects saving a few dollars now
will have over 3, 5 or 10 years of living
there. "Some contractors use
low quotes to win the job, then jack up the
price later", says New York Assistant Attorney
General Nick Garin.
Your
most important tool in evaluating the cost of a
project is the value of what you are getting for
your money. Low prices are usually a trade off
for cutting corners in materials, workmanship or
warranty. Remember that most average paint jobs,
tile installations or other aspects of the
project can look good when completed, the true
test is how will they hold up over the next 18
months, 5 years,
10 years? Did the painter use a proper primer or
just paint over things ensuring in a year the
paint will begin to peel? Did the tile setter
install the proper under-layments or just tile
over the problem, ensuring the grout will begin
cracking next year? These differences are
usually the difference between a lower and a
higher estimate.
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Not
Getting It In Writing
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Insist on a written contract. The
contract should be dated and include your name
and address, as well as the contractor's name,
address, phone number. It
should also contain a detailed description of
the project, (the scope of work) including plans, materials,
sometimes model
numbers, quantities, colors, and the
approximate starting and completion dates.
It also should outline how changes in work
orders will be handled and the notice required
for cancellation.
Finally, specify a payment schedule. The contract should allow you to schedule
your payments at different stages tied to
completions of specific aspects of the
project. Have a final payment due upon
completion and your satisfaction.
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Too
Large Of A Down Payment |
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Avoid
contractors that require large down payments. A
small deposit to schedule the work is fine, 10%
is standard. If a company needs a large down
payment this can be a warning sign that all is
not right. Stable companies don't need their
customers down payments to pay for materials or
worse to pay for company overhead. Other
warning signs, being asked to write a check to
the contractor personally instead of to the
company, or being asked to pay cash. |
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No
Guarantee |
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is one of the most forgotten questions for
customers. You wouldn't buy a new car without a
warranty would you? Ask about the warranty and
ask if it is in writing. Never accept a verbal
warranty of "If something breaks, don't
worry, I'll fix it." a verbal warranty will
be worth the paper it is written on. Always
insist on a warranty in writing. The warranty
should clearly spell out what is covered and
what is not and how long the warranty is good
for. A one year warranty is the minimum you
should expect, two years is better.
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Not
Checking References |
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A
good contractor will be happy to provide you
with dozens of written references. When
speaking to the contractor's customers, ask such
questions as:
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Did
the contractor keep to the schedule and the
contract terms?
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Were you pleased with the work
and the way it was done?
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Did the contractor
listen to you if you had a problem, and seem
concerned about resolving it?
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Did the contractor
willingly make any necessary corrections?
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Would
you hire him again?
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Would you recommend him to
others?
You
may also wish to check the contractor out with
your local building department, trade
association or union, local consumer protection
agency, consumer fraud unit in your city or
district attorney's office, and the Better
Business Bureau. Call these organizations to see
if they have information about the contractor
you are considering.
Ask
the contractor for the address of his or her
business location and business telephone number,
and verify them. A contractor who operates a
business out of the back of a pickup truck with
a cellular telephone may be difficult to find to
complete a job or fix something that has gone
wrong after the last bill is paid. |
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Not
Knowing What You Want |
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silly doesn't it, but not really. If
you don't know what you want, you might not like
what you get. Also, if you change your mind and
change the job halfway through, the contract -
the price will change also (Hint: it won't get
cheaper). Know as clearly what you want done as
possible. You don't have to know the details of
each and every facet of what you want done but
you do need to have a good idea of the broad
things you want. Changes midway
will keep increasing the price, especially if
completed sections of the project have to be
redone.
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Not
checking a contractor’s insurance coverage. |
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If a contractor says he has insurance coverage
for himself and any workers, he should be happy
to show you documentation from the insurance
company. Don’t expose your home owner’s
policy to claims for contractor negligence. With
home owner's insurance rates climbing all over
the country the last thing you need to do is
have to make a claim for no reason when a simple
verification of your contractors insurance could
protect you from it.
Ask about their General Liability Insurance. A
one-million dollar policy is now considered
standard. Make sure he requires the same
coverage from any sub-contractors that will be
working on your home. Sub-contractors without
insurance won't be covered under the general
contractors insurance and will default back to
you.
Ask about Workers Compensation insurance.
Without it if the contractor or any of his
employees get hurt on the job site they can go
after you personally to pay for medical bills.
Imagine the nightmare of a debilitating injury,
you could lose your house for innocently asking
someone to work on it. |
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Not
Insisting on Lien Waivers. |
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Anyone who works on your house should provide
you with a lien waiver that waives their claim
to future payments for the project. Typically a
general contractor will provide waivers for all
the workers and for the businesses that supplied
labor for the job. You don’t want to pay
the final remodeling bill, yet leave yourself
liable for payments to a subcontractor or a
lumber yard. |
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Not
Asking Questions About Their Professional
Affiliations |
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established companies are affiliated with
professional organizations such as the Better
Business Bureau and industry related
organizations such as the NKBA (National Kitchen
and Bath Association), NARI (National
Association of the Remodeling Industry), or NAHB
(National Association of Home Builders), In all
cases, these organizations only attract
conscientious contractors interested in
bettering the industry and in weeding out
unprofessional contractors. In order to become a
member, the contractor’s background and
references are thoroughly investigated. While a
new contractor may not be a member of any
professional organizations, it is highly
unlikely an established contractor would not be
a member of at least one, unless there is a
reason that he cannot join. |
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Not
Ask
Questions About How They Work |
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can't stress how important this information can
be to you, ask questions such as how do
they perform their work, what time do they
start, how will you protect my carpets, how will
the trash and debris be handled, do you work
straight through a project? The answers to these
questions will give you a clear picture of what
type of contractor you are dealing with. |
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Bonus
Mistake |
Not
Asking Questions About Their Experience With
Similar Work As Yours? |
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The
time for a contractor to experiment or get on
the job training is not on your project! The
more experience a contractor has with the work
involved in your project the smoother, less
delays and possibly cheaper you can expect your
project to be executed. Ask the contractor how
many times he has completed projects such as
yours. What issues does he believe he may run
into during your project? What procedures does
he have in place to eliminate problems that
might surface during the completion of your
project? |
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Now read "The
Top Ten Questions To Ask Every Contractor Before
You Invite Them To Your Home" |
