10 things to look for and ask for when working with a contractor
Here is a list of the 10 things to look for and ask for when working with a contractor:
- A contract – Never let anyone work on your home without a detailed contract that defines the contractor’s role and responsibilities, as well as yours. The contract should be in plain English and easy to understand.
- A license – Your contractor should be licensed in accordance with the laws of your state, county and city. If someone tells you that they have a license, but don’t give you a number that you can research, don’t hire them.
- Insurance – Every contractor should have appropriate insurance. Their insurance should cover them for liability, injury and much more. They need to give you the policy number and insurance company. Again, no policy, no work.
- References – Every contractor should be able to provide you with references to past clients that you can speak to. If you don’t get appropriate references, you can’t trust that your contractor will do a good job.
- A physical address or showroom – Your contractor needs to give you a physical address. If they don’t give you an address, even their home address, you shouldn’t hire them. If you need to track them down, a PO Box or other address will be useless.
- Scope of work document – You should receive a very detailed description of the work that they will perform, who is to buy the materials and what will be completed when. This might seem like overkill and time-consuming, but if there is a dispute, it will be an invaluable resource.
- Exclusions – A real contract not only defines that is included, but also what is excluded. Making sure that your contract explains what will not be included is vital.
- Payment schedule – The contract should include the payments that need to be made and to whom and when. For really large contracts, it might be wise to have an escrow agent hold the funds and disburse it according to a schedule.
- EPA certification – In an older home, asbestos and lead can be an issue. If you hire a contractor to handle either of these problems, they need to be certified to do it correctly and safely.
- A warranty – Any contractor worth his or her salt will give you a reasonable warranty on the work. This will allow you the peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong after the work is completed, they will come back and fix it without a hassle or additional expense.
These are just a few of the things you should ask for from any contractor. Keep this list handy when you are talking to contractors. It will make it easier to vet out the bad apples and find the right person for the job.