Renovations or home building are very exciting, and often times daunting. While many people looking to renovate or build their homes have no trouble hiring a reliable contractor to do their work, many others have trouble finding someone who they know will be professional, reliable and skilled. If you, like many other home-owners seeking to renovate, are worried about the quality of the work that will be done by a contractor you hire, we are here to help. As hiring the best possible contractor is essential to your project you should take the utmost care when selecting your worker. This short guide will help you find the best person for the job. Here is what it takes to find a great contractor to fulfill your renovation requirements.
Look at References, Reviews and get Referrals
Professional contractors will have an established network of customers. Your neighbours, friends and family will all be able to give you references for a contractor and his work. Talk with people you know personally, and trust to give you good information. In addition, a contractor should be happy to give you a list of previous projects. Take a look at some of their previous work to decide if it was done to the best of their abilities, and whether this works for you. Their website should have reviews from previous customers. Avoid hiring anyone who has not had work experience which can be confirmed by positive reviews.
Verify their Licence
Hiring an unlicensed contractor is always a risk, as only licenced contractors with proper certification are really liable for their work. In addition, a licenced contractor must have worker’s insurance on him at all times. Hiring a licenced contractor protects you from unnecessary costs should something go wrong on the job, while an unlicensed contractor may leave you with shoddy work you will have to replace.
Ask About Everything
It’s your job as the contract maker to be aware of all specifics of the job you are hiring for. Be sure to ask plenty of questions regarding how the work will be done, how much it will cost, how long it will take, etc. If you are unsure about a contractor’s methods, do your research and perhaps consider another hire.
View their Work
Viewing past and present work is a must. In addition to references showing how you’d like your job to be done, you should know how the contractor goes about doing his job.If you are at any point unsure about something that is being done, take the time to tell your contractor during the process and ask for changes to be made.
Get Estimates and Proposals
A contractor who will not give you an accurate estimate and timeframe for the job is not a person to hire. Ensure that you have a detailed list of materials needed as well as the costs they will incur, in addition to having a clear outlook on how much the contractor will charge for his time.
Make Sure you have Everything in Writing
After all negotiations are through, ensure that you have all of what you agreed upon in writing should there be a dispute later on. While extra costs might happen during the work, it’s best to know exactly how much money was agreed upon in the beginning to have a clear outlook on reasonable pricing.
We hope this quick guide has given some good tips on how to find the best contractor out there for you.