I have often went with my husband to do bids on an home and found that the homeowners had recently been scammed, it’s sad but it does happen, and it’s happening more nowadays then ever.
This article is to help you choose the right contractor for you and to help you avoid being scammed your hard earned money.
The first thing is to always read reviews and research the company. Bad reviews doesn’t mean it’s an bad company, or that they will scam you. More often then not most people only leave reviews if they had a problem or didn’t like the person, but it’s a good place to start.
The second thing you do is schedule an estimate, this is so you can meet the person and get a feel for who you think they are. Yes, there’s a lot of “good talkers” out there they could sell ice to an Eskimo and so you can’t always go by this either, but it does give you an chance to enter act with them and see what type of person they seem to be.
Thirdly, always ask for proof of insurance and make sure they have an business license. If it’s a lot of work make sure they have contractors license and can pull the correct permits for the job being done. Do not listen to any excuses they may have, if they don’t have these things then don’t hire them!
Last, but definitely not least, if they ask for money up front to help cover materials cost, ask if you can just purchase the materials needed yourself and pay them for the labor cost when the job is completed in full. Never pay someone for anything until it’s 100% to your liking. It also doesn’t hurt to ask for references and to actually call those references. I have actually had people ask for certain references that left reviews on our site before. Look for the bad reviews and contact them and ask what the real issue was.
Also, always make sure there’s an contract that outlines your terms, date the job is to be completed by, no payment until final walk through has been done and approved by you. This is to protect you, the home owner. Liens can be placed on properties which help the contractor, this can cause you to not be able to live in your home or anyone finish the job until you pay the person and so make sure you read every word carefully before you sign any contracts. If you don’t agree with something, have it changed.
This is my advice to anyone getting work done on their home and trying to find a good trust worthy contractor.
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