There are many horror stories about construction contractors. Such horror stories have earned them a poor reputation. There are stories of how a construction contractor required a down payment from a customer and then the contractor and the victim’s money simply disappear. There are stories of how contractors have performed inferior or even work dangerous, defective work. They simply do the job with poor materials and skill and leave the homeowner with such job. There are even more stories of construction contractors who receive full payment for work with a promise to return but never do so. So, what things are important in choosing a good construction contractor?
One thing to look at in choosing your contractor is to fully discover the contractor’s payment schedule. If a contractor requires a huge down payment then your ‘fraud’ ears should be on alert. You do not pay for a meal before eating it a restaurant then why would you pay for work ahead of time as well? This is especially true when a contractor requires a huge down payment for readily available and returnable building materials such as wood. However, requiring a big down payment may be necessary when the construction material is something that is specially ordered and non-returnable such as specialty lighting. In this case, the contractor is justified to require such a big down payment because if the homeowner cancels the contract with the contractor then the contractor is protected for the outlay of money used in purchasing the specialty item.
Another thing to examine when choosing your contractor is to learn about the contractor’s recent work. A construction contractor may have been good in the past but the adage is that a contractor is only as good as that contractor’s last job. You need to talk with the contractor’s current clients. You need to talk with the contractor’s most recently completed clients as well. Do not rely upon the references given by the contractor. Learn about the contractor’s most recent clients.
Ask these clients about the contractor. Did the contractor start and finish jobs or parts of the jobs quickly or were there days on end where the contractor simply did not show up? How was the construction site maintained? Did it leave the homeowner guessing a war had been waged or was it maintained in a clean and orderly fashion? Did the contractor keep in reasonably constant communication with the homeowner advising the homeowner of the scheduling and goings-on? Did the contractor pull permits for the work performed if permits were necessary? Did the permitted work meet inspection by authorities?
An additional thing to look for is the types and amount of insurance carried by the construction contractor. These insurance types include worker’s compensation, general liability, automobile and installed product insurances. These insurances are very important not only for the contractor but also the property owner. A property owner not only can be liable for damages for some types of incidents but governmental agencies may force that homeowner to pay for insurance such as worker’s compensation if the construction contractor did not pay insurance premiums.
Ask these clients questions about how the contractor maintained the work site. Was it a mess or was it well maintained? Did the contractor start the job and then return three weeks later for two more days and then again return three weeks later? Continuous work flow is a good sign of an organized contractor. Did the contractor stay in touch with the client throughout the construction process? Or, perhaps the contractor simply returned messages after a few days. Ask whether the work that was performed was permitted? Ask if the work passed the inspection process?
Reviewing these three simple things can help you choose a construction contractor. Make your construction experience a pleasant experience and prevent yourself from becoming another fraud statistic.
The author an employee of Surface-Works, a Florida state certified building contractor specializing in resurfacing driveways and pool decks.
Article Source: U Publish Articles
Loading...