Choosing The Right Contractor For Your Project

This has been weighing on my mind lately, mostly because I was asked to appear in court to assist a client that had previously chosen the wrong contractor. This was for a multi-room renovation that included a new kitchen. Having never spoken with the other contractor I must admit that his side of the story remains untold. But nonetheless, by the time the job was completed it had cost the home owner several thousand dollars more than anticipated and many weeks more than planned. She was in court seeking a judgment that would hopefully allow her to recover the money. How would you avoid this happening to you?

You can Google search the topic and will find numerous websites offering their twist on the best advice. Remodeling groups will bias the advice towards their own members, listing services will lean towards their contractors and of course contractor sites will give advice that point to them as the best choice. Obviously my advice would be to call Cook Contracting, LLC for a safe reliable renovation.

How about getting other people involved? Any contractor you are considering should offer references or at least have them readily available if you ask for them. Call a few of them and ask questions to find out what it is like to work with each prospective candidate. Did they start and finish on time? Was the work completed as promised? Where the materials and techniques up to the specifications provided? The important questions to ask are the ones that you would most likely be concerned about yourself. Some are more concerned with staying on budget; some prefer a tight schedule while others want the best possible job when finished.

To paraphrase an old maxim,
“You can have it cheaper, quicker, better. Pick two.”
Think about it and you’ll realize you can’t have all three.

Don’t forget to trust your gut. We so often prefer to ignore our instincts in an effort to reach our goal. The homeowner in court mentioned that she saw and ignored a number of red flags that should have stopped her. The price was low enough, the start date was soon enough and she wanted to be in her new kitchen more than she wanted to pay attention to her intuition. Remodeling is a big decision, don’t be rushed to act if your gut say’s wait.

Maybe you prefer an expert opinion. Man’s best friend is purported to be an excellent judge of character. Assuming your dog isn’t overly aggressive, or at least has been recently fed, have him or her sit in when you meet with prospective contractors. I’ll leave it to you to judge the reliability of this advice, but I’ve been told more than once that we were hired because the dog liked us. I’m pretty sure it worked out for these folks because they did have us back for additional remodeling work.

And let’s not forget proper insurance. Ask for proof and verify it. Get a certificate of insurance mailed or faxed to you and call the agent listed to verify liability and workman’s compensation coverage before work begins. It’s your home, let’s not risk it.