Three Ways to Find a Good Contractor
by Tyler Bohlman
You know, for as much as I talk about what makes a good contractor, and for the amount of information I give about how to make sure you contractor is a good one and won’t steal your money, I haven’t ever really mentioned how to find that contractor. I figure there are a couple ways of going about it…
Ask a friend: This could kill two birds with one stone actually. If you ask a friend or someone that you know about their contractor then you are getting the recommendation part along with finding a contractor for your specific project. This can be a really good way of finding a contractor too because it saves a lot of the time and energy it takes to actually research and try and find the businesses. A downside to finding a contractor this way is that you run the risk of having your friend pull the classic “I know a guy” kind of deal, which can backfire pretty easily. There isn’t anything wrong with the “I know a guy” approach, but sometimes the guy isn’t the right kind of contractor your looking for, or maybe he just isn’t as good/experienced/specialized as someone else in the field.
Find one online: You can find plenty of websites online that have online databases of contractors and handymen that are trusted by that website. The obvious advantage of finding your contractor through this means is that you will have a good deal of automatic trust in that contractor since they come recommended by a website that has standards of who they let in to their database, however that can also be a downside as well. You would greatly assume that the contractor would have to get through a series of tests to make sure that they are allowed on the website, but that’s not always the case. The contractors that you find on these kinds of sites probably aren’t the ones who are going to steal from you mid project, but there is a higher risk of the quality of work being down. The contractors might see these sites as another form of advertising vs. using it as a way of showing off the quality of work. Final downside is that these sites tend to be set up for bigger cities, so if you are living in a smaller town you might not be in that particular websites “network”
Go to the BBB: Our good friends a the Better Business Bureau come to the rescue again. This is the best way for you to find a contractor because you will be able to easily see where the contractor is (since you start the whole process by putting in your zipcode), how you can contact them, and if they are BBB certified. Choosing a BBB certified contractor is the absolute best way to make sure that the contractor you chose is a trustworthy one and one that will do their job. Going through the BBB also ensures that you can find more information on the contractor such as ratings and comments, and that the contractor that you are dealing with is one who will complete your ask, complete it on time, and complete it well.
If anyone has any suggestions for blog posts I would love to hear it! Talk to me here or on facebook and let me know your ideas!
Everybody build safe out there!
____________________________________
Tyler Bohlman is the Director of Communications for Safepact.com, which offers escrow services to consumers for home improvement project. Read more of his articles at blog.safepact.com.
You may also enjoy reading
-
Newsday Tuesday: Video News Story With Some Good Advice
While internet surfing I came across this news story about a bad contractor experience in Pennsylvania. The news story is really well done and at the end of it does a good overview on what you should do when hiring a contractor (but these are all things you know already right?). I won’t give it away but there is a key phrase that the man who was scammed says that should be a key red flag for everyone watching. ... Continue Reading
-
Contractor Fraud: Three Red Flags Associated with Scam Artists
It is really unfortunate that there are some people out there who are only in it for themselves. These people go around to homes and pretend to be legitimate home contractors when in reality they are just selfish con artists; it’s because of these types of people that we created Safepact.com. However, our website notwithstanding there are some things that these selfish con artist type people who are posing as contractors do that can alert you to the fact that they are actually con artists. ... Continue Reading
-
Contractor Fraud: The Two “SOWs” to Remember
One of the most overlooked ways to prevent headaches when dealing with your contractor after your home improvement project is started is to have an ironclad contract at the beginning, and to include the two most important things that you need to have in your contract: The two SOWs. Scope of Work: This is, by far, the most important thing to have in your contract. ... Continue Reading
-
Contractor Fraud: Roofing – The Hail Damage that Never Was
This is really a pretty interesting story. Recently, a homeowner (Julie) reportedly accepted a door-to-door contractor’s (Harold) observation that her roof suffered “hail damage.” Further, he gave her the impression that the damage was bad enough to warrant the release of insurance monies for repairs. ... Continue Reading
-
Contractor Fraud: Paving the Way to Prison
Tracy Kellam of Pennsylvania turned his construction clients into victims, leaving them with little more than broken promises and empty wallets. Judge Jeanne T. Covert sentenced Kellam, 44, in accordance with his negotiated plea to five years in state prison with no chance of parole until he serves at least 2½ years. He will begin serving that sentence after he completes a three-year sentence stemming from a Camden County case. ... Continue Reading
