Mitchell Dean

Depending on how big of a home improvement or home repair job you are planning to do should regulate how much time and energy you put into finding the proper general contractor or handyman to get it done. Most people generally agree that it takes more time to find someone for handyman services than general contractors, there is not a great understanding that each job type and size has a specific required knowledge for completion. If you have a roof that needs to be overhauled, you want to find someone that does it all the time, not just once or twice. Here are a few things to consider when looking to hire a contractor;

1)      Is the job type single or consist of multiple jobs? The more jobs a general contractor is going to be responsible for the harder you should look for the right person for the job.

2)      How many types of the job you need done has a specific contractor completed in say, the past five years? Does the contractor have any references? References are critical if the job being considered is over one hundred thousand dollars. You should not hire a contractor for a large project if you are not able to speak to someone that has used them previously.

3)      What was a major situation that has come up on a previous job and how did the contractor you are considering resolve that issue?

4)      How long has his sub-contractors worked for him? How many jobs have they completed together? Can you speak with one of them and ask about previous work experience?

5)      Who does the contractor use to supply the products he uses and how long has he been doing business with them?

6)      How many separate jobs does the contractor run at one time and how many leads does he have working with him? This will be important if the contractor is running multiple jobs besides yours and only has two leads. That means there will not be someone supervising your job all of the time.

7)      How is the contractor’s customer service? Is it tough to get them on the phone and does he return you calls quickly? Is the contractor able to answer all your questions so that you understand exactly what needs to be done?

8)      Will the contractor be on site for every major step during the project such as inspections and the start of a new phase of the job? You should reserve the right contractually to stop his sub contractors if he is not.

9)      For major jobs such as in a whole house remodel you should ask for bank references and lien releases from all the sub contractors and suppliers.

10)   When considering job payment, you should only put down about ten percent until work on the project begins and then arrange for progress payments that are disbursed on a predetermined schedule. If all lien releases are submitted, eighty-five percent of the contract price should be paid, than ten percent after the final inspection and the final five percent after the punch list has been completed.

11)   You should be sure that any contractor you are considering has a current license and is fully insured.

All of the above should be handled completely on a big job, but on smaller jobs, five thousand dollars and below, you should take the following steps;

1)      Speak to a recent client.

2)      Schedule payments

3)      Be sure to get copies of the contractors insurance, licenses and a contract.

A contract should be written for every job that is going to be done, no matter how big or small. Always be sure to check licenses and insurance to make sure everything is current.