It’s remodeling season. If you’re hiring out to fix up your home — especially for the first time — you’re likely at a loss when it comes to hiring a trustworthy contractor. You’ve heard about the nightmares: someone hired a contractor to redo their kitchen, paid for everything up front, and ended up with a demolished kitchen before the contractor skipped town, leaving the client needing to pay again to do the job and fix the damages. Here are some tips to avoid that scenario.
1. Know What You Want
Being indecisive during a remodel can cost you — especially when you have no bid on your plan B. Use home improvement apps and countertop/flooring/paint samples, and have pictures to show your contractor to get a detailed idea of the look you want. If you approve something your contractor is going to do, then decide you don’t like it, you’re unlikely to get your money back when you call for a major re-do.
2. Pick a Reputable Contractor
Of course you should get multiple bids (in writing) when considering contractors. More importantly, never use a contractor that doesn’t come highly recommended by a number of (real) people. Check their credentials, too — and not just whether they’re licensed. Roughly half of U.S. states don’t require contractors to be licensed, and for some states the licensing requirements are laughable.
Other things you should check out with your contractor are a legitimate company address and a decent Better Business Bureau rating (and make sure you’re actually reading about the person you’re bringing in for the job). You’ll want to know where to find these people should they take your money (or kitchen cabinets, etc.) and run. Ask for client references as well so you can get a first-hand account of their work.
3. Safeguard Your Contract
Make sure all project expectations are included in the contract–especially deadlines–lest you should still be without a kitchen at Thanksgiving. Also, make sure your contractor has insurance; many shady contractors purchase insurance policies to get a certificate, then cancel to get their money back. To beat this scam, have an original certificate of insurance sent to you directly from the insurance company, as a copy may be illegitimate.
Also keep in mind that terminating your contract will likely void your contractor’s warranty.
4. Use Smart Billing
Instead of paying for everything up front, talk to your contractor about a reasonable payment schedule — you pay a third up front, another third somewhere in the middle of the job, and the rest when the job is done. If the job isn’t being done to your liking, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to make a payment. If you want that power, get it in the contract–again being specific about what needs to be done before you’re required to make a payment. Where possible, use a credit card so you can cancel payment upon breach of contract or fraud.
5. Document Everything
Get pictures of your project before your contractor comes in, and snap detailed photos along the way (preferably including people from the hired company). Keep emails, photocopies of payments, and anything else relevant. This will come in handy in court.
6. Busting Your Contractor
Proving breach of contract can be difficult, so this is where you’ll want to hire an attorney. Even if you can’t prove that your contract was breached, proving that your contractor broke laws or codes in the process could help you out. As long as you’ve got everything documented — especially pictures of the project/damage (including before pictures) and your original contract, you’ll have a basis for lawsuit should you need to pursue one.
