How to find the right contractor for your home remodel
If you are contemplating doing a remodel, you may be wondering how to choose a contractor to help you manage it. One of the biggest problems when choosing a contractor is trying not to base every decision on having your remodel done "fast" and "cheap". It is crucial that homeowners understand that choosing a contractor based solely on how quickly and cheaply a contractor can do a remodel, can be a recipe for disaster. So it is crucial that before you start flipping through the Yellow Pages and calling every contractor in the book, you should have both clear expectations and the right expectations, about what your contractor will bring to the remodel. Finally, you should expect that, skilled contractors are in high demand, and good contractors are very, very busy. Here is what you need to know about how to find the right contractor for your home remodel-
|
|
- Don't be surprised when they don't immediately answer their phones. Keep in mind that a good contractor is busy and they are probably standing on a ladder somewhere, with their hands full when you call. You should not take it personally, or assume they are not interested in talking to you, because contractors won't answer their cell phones every time it rings. The reason for this is that constant interruptions slow down a jobsite, and for this reason alone, most contractors wait until they are away from the jobsite before they return your calls.
- Don't be surprised if they take a few days to get back to you-Once you leave a message it can take at least a few days to get back to you. This is because your average licensed tradesperson is in business as an owner-operator. This means that they do all the work themselves and also do their own bookings. Keep in mind that a slow response time is not necessarily a bad sign: it shows that they are in demand, and best of all it is a pretty good indicator that they are going to be well worth the wait.
- Don't be surprised if they can't start your job for few months-It's important to understand that good contractors are booked at least two to four months in advance. If you feel you can't wait, you should remember this: Bad contractors are always available right away. This is because they are not in demand, or worse, because they are more than willing to bump their current renovation in progress, to get started on yours. Keep in mind that the situation will come back to haunt you when, halfway into your renovation, the same contractor will bump you in favor of his latest customer. Because of this it is important to secure your contractor long before you are ready to start your project. If a contractor says he will "try to fit you in as soon as he can" and to "please be patient," you should be pleased. You should take that as a sign that he isn't going to take shortcuts on his current project, just to get to yours that much sooner. The bottom line is that high-quality work takes time.
- Don't be surprised if the best contractor isn't the cheapest-While no one wants to spend more than he has to on a renovation, but as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for." So you may be wondering just what the right amount, for my remodel is. The reality is that requires some work on your part, because it means getting as many quotes as possible. Keep in mind that most likely you will get a few extremely high quotes, and a few extremely low quotes, and most likely you will get the majority of quotes, that fall around the same price. One of those middle quotes will be the right price. It is also important to understand that the higher quotes sometimes reflect the skill level of the contractor, or the price that the market demands, for certain contractors who have a reputation for outstanding-quality work. Extremely low quotes will often mean that the contractor doesn't have the experience to properly quote the job or what it will take to do the job properly.
