Selecting the right contractor is a very important part of your property improvement project. You are investing money in improving your home and want to ensure that you get a quality job. You are your best advocate and you must protect yourself against scams. The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to become a smarter consumer. The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips:
- It is important to compare costs before making a financial commitment toward any home improvement project. You should always solicit at least two bids from prospective contractors.
- Discuss bids in detail with each contractor, making sure you understand the reasons for any variations in prices. Do not automatically choose the lowest price. One contractor's bid might be higher because the materials to be used are of a better quality or because the work will be especially thorough and, therefore, require more time and labor.
- Read the contract before you sign. Make sure you understand it, and it matches what the estimator told you.
- Make sure the contractor is insured and bonded.
- Check references or other work the contractor has done.
- Find out if the contractor is a member of a professional association which has standards or a code of ethics for contractors.
These are some things that you should be wary about when speaking with contractors.
- Solicits door to door. Good contractors do not need to drum up business by making "cold calls."
- Offers discounts or "gimmicks". Good contractors rely on word of mouth for a large percentage of their customer base. They do not need to offer discounts in order to drum up perspective customers. Their good work does the talking!
- Pressures you for an immediate decision. A reputable professional will recognize that you need time to consider many factors when deciding which contractor to hire.
- Asks for money up front or asks for cash. Payment should be made by check so that your canceled check can provide proof of payment, if needed. Do not pay anything up front and do not make the final payment until the job is complete.
Some of this information is from the Better Business Bureau's website. For more information, visit them at www.bbb.org.
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