How To Find A Good Contractor And Weed Out The Wrong One

One general tip when looking for a contractor is to gather a few contracts and keep them. Finding one isn't something you want to do in a pinch. It takes some time to check out your potential contractors, and you don't want to make any hasty decisions.

What Do You Need Done?

The first step is to get yourself organized. Before you start the process, decide exactly what you need done. Look for contractors with experience in this kind of job. For example, you don't want a windows guy doing your roof!

You should also learn as much as possible about what needs to be done. You won't be doing the work, but it'll help when you're communicating about specifics with the contractor. You should also know exactly what they're going to be doing. This will help you decide on the job cost.

Word of mouth is the best way to find contractors. Talk to friends, family members or co-workers. But, just because they recommend someone to you doesn't necessarily mean they're right for the job. You should still go through the process of interviewing them and checking their credentials.

You can also find good service providers by asking anybody who works regularly with them, like engineers or architects. They have lots of experience dealing with them and they can recommend somebody reputable. You can also ask at hardware stores where they might be buying materials.

The Process Of Picking The Right One

Once you have a few in mind, it's time to check them out. Check out their past work, licenses, insurance and references. They should be happy to provide all of these. If they're the least bit hesitant about it, skip them and move on. They should also have a permanent business location.

You should check each candidate with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB will tell you if there's ever been a complaint against them. If they've ever done a lousy job or ripped anybody off, the BBB will be able to tell you.

Your service provider should do everything by the book. Bad ones will always tell you that you don't need to worry about permits and things like that. Make sure they're doing everything legally and correctly.

Finally, your service provider should be someone you can talk to easily. You'll need to keep lines of communication open with them, so make sure you're comfortable.

It's not hard to find a contractor, but sometimes it's tricky to tell the good from the bad. Let these guidelines help you pick the right one for you.