Residential Home Improvement Contractors: Protect yourself With These Tips

As I say so frequently that I’m beginning to bore myself, “most remodeling contractors are honest and reliable individuals who want to do quality work at a reasonable price.” Unfortunately, there are just enough contractors out there (or people who claim to be contractors) who take advantage of their customers that some reminders and tips are helpful if you want to do everything possible to protect yourself and your property during home improvement.

1. Don’t make assumptions about referrals. Exercise the same due diligence in evaluating and checking out all contractors. You might have friends or relatives, co-workers or neighbors referring you to contractors they have used with good results. Many people are also simply trusting recommendations from home improvement stores. Even when you are referred to a contractor, check him or her out before you sign a contract. Consumer Reports recently released findings from a study of people who hired contractors to whom they were referred by the two leading home improvement stores. Their survey indicated that people who used these referrals had more problems and were less satisfied with the work than people who used other contractors.

2. Build your remodeling budget in a way that creates a 20% cushion for unexpected surprises. Although the National Association of the Remodeling Industry suggests an allowance of 10% to 20%, I think you are safer to budget for a 20% cost overrun due to surprises. There are literally hundreds of things that can happen or that can be discovered once remodeling begins that will result in a cost overrun. It is not uncommon, for example to discover termite damage, dry rot, damage from leaking pipes, outdated wiring, etc. My point is that you should not use your entire budget on the basics. You will be much more comfortable with your budget if you leave room for surprises.

3. Get a contract — don’t deal with a contractor on the basis of a proposal. If at all possible, get a contract that states a final price for the work, not an estimated cost that can go up or down. Your contract should be as specific as possible and as detailed as possible. It should also contain some kind of warranty for both the installation and the products or materials. You can also specify in the contract that all materials used will be new materials and meet the standards outlined in the contract. It should also state that any changes made during the construction period will be authorized only by written change orders that explain the difference in cost up front. If a contractor is unwilling to sign a contract stating the final price of the remodel, find another contractor.

4. Know what your insurance covers and take out a liability policy if necessary. It is usually easy to call your insurance agent and ask what is covered in terms of damage to your property, loss of property or possessions, and injury or death of a worker on your property during the construction period. You should also be certain that the contractor carries workman’s compensation insurance and liability insurance against injury or death of a worker and against damage or loss to your property or possessions. If you have any concerns about adequate coverage, discuss it with your insurance agent and consider taking out an additional policy during the construction period.

5. Monitor all liens placed against your property during construction (construction liens) by any contractor or subcontractor and ensure that they are removed when the project is finished and the contractor is paid in full. There are unscrupulous contractors who accept payment for a job and then do not remove the liens. In most of these cases, the homeowner is not aware of the lien until some time later when trying to sell the home or take out a loan for further improvements. When homeowners try to resolve the issue, the contractor claims that the bill or part of the bill was never paid and demands payment before removing the lien.

6. Never do business with someone who comes to your door offering their services.

7. Never pay a contractor the entire bill up front. Work out a payment schedule that reflects work completed, and put the payment schedule in the contract.

8. Specify the quality of workmanship and the quality of materials to be used in the remodel or addition in the contract. Not only should you specify materials quality, you should check materials to ensure compliance with the terms of the contract as they are delivered to the construction site. Insist that the costs of all building materials be specified.

9. Include all job specifications in the contract. The more specific the description of the work to be done, the more protection you have. Job specifications state exactly what work is to be done, how it is to be done, the quality of materials to be used, when it is to be complete, and that it must pass inspection.

10. Check all licenses, permits, proof of insurance, and state or local certification before you hire a contractor or subcontractor. Check to be certain the contractor has or obtains all necessary permits, licenses and certificates. Check with issuing agencies or insurance companies to confirm that insurance and licenses are current.

11. Insist that the contractor show you proof of bond coverage for the total replacement cost of the project.

12. Be sure the contract includes the appropriate information about how conflicts will be resolved, when and how the contract will be or can be terminated, and that lien releases will be provided upon payment.

13. If you give the contractor a key to your home for use during the construction period, change the locks as soon as construction is completed.

14. Take the necessary steps to protect your property and your possessions. Put away all valuables in a safe place. Define the construction area for everyone — tell your family not to enter the area during working hours; define limits of access to the rest of your home for the work crew. Protect your landscaping by covering shrubs if necessary and taking other steps to reduce accidental damage. Seal off the construction area from the rest of the house to confine dust, etc.

15. If you are remodeling an old home, make sure any work with potentially hazardous materials is done under the safest conditions and that hazardous materials are completely removed from the work site immediately and disposed of as instructed by your local government. Be sure any lead paint is properly removed; be sure any asbestos is removed and disposed of correctly; be sure old horse hair plaster (that could contain arsenic) is disposed of properly.

These tips will help you protect your family, your property and the people working on your remodeling project. Residential home improvement contractors should be very willing to cooperate on all of these points.

Copyright 2008 by ABCD Publishing

Find Local Appliance Repair & Pest Control Contractors Easily

Finding a quality contractor, as anyone will know, can be a bit hit and miss. However, there are precautions you can take, to minimise the risk and make sure that job is completed safely, on-time and more important on budget.

The first thing to do is take your time. Although it is hard to know what the future brings, having a number for a reputable plumber, electrician, or gas fitter could you save you a lot of hassle in case of an emergency. To do this you will need to do some research. Resist blindly contacting companies from the yellow pages as this can be a bit a hit of miss. In fact, finding a good contractor can be broken down into easily follow steps:-

Perhaps the most important aspect to find quality contractors is to get referrals. The best kind of referrals is from building companies, architects, or if these are not available, family or friends. Maybe you can even get a look at the work they have done first hand. Try to find a trend amongst your referrals of contractors that appear more than once in your list.

Once you have this list you can do further checks via websites such as the Better Business Bureau, and also run names by your local DIY/Hardware store.

Now you have a list of quality contractors like Local Appliance Repair contractors, AC Repair Companies in case of an emergency, however if you have more time on your hands such as house remodelling or major renovations, then you may want to consider refining even more.

Take your list of contractors and contact at least three per job, more if this is a major renovation. This is where the screening service really starts.

1)    Contractor Premises – Do they have there own premises, do they have at least a business phone?. Be careful with contractors who turn up with a cell phone and an unmarked van.

2)    Ring referrals – Don’t be afraid to ring referrals and get there opinion on the contractor. They won’t mind you ringing and will give you a honest appraisal of the contractors work.

3)    Rapport – While you are never going to be best buddies with your contractor, they are invading your property and making a lot of mess in the meantime, if you find your personalities just do not match, use your common sense and try and find a contractor who you get on with.

4)    Insurance – Make sure you get to see there Workman’s Compensation and General Liability certificate, before letting them carry out any work on the property.

5)    Contract – Make sure you get a written contract from the contractor. Detailed description of the scope of work, this should include a guarantee that the work will be completed on time and outlay costings and budget. This will allow you to spell out exactly what you expect from the contractor and make sure the project fits your specifications.

6)    Budget – Never pay more than 25% upfront for the job. Make sure the contractors knows your budget and what you can afford, and bases his project around these costings.

Following the above advice, will help minimise the risk of hiring a bad contractor, and help you get your project completed safely and on time.

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