Ten Tips For Hiring A Contractor
By Steve Gillman, Fri Dec 9th

A very smart attorney I know paid $7,000 for a roof repair, onlyto have the roof leak the next time it rained. The contractorstalled, made excuses, but never did a thing about it. Anyonecan have these kinds of problems when having repairs orimprovements done, but to make it less likely, avoid thefolowing mistakes when hiring a contractor.

1. Not knowing what you want. If you don't know what you want,you might not like what you get. Also, if you change your mindand change the job halfway through, the contract - and price -have changed (Hint: it won't get cheaper). Know clearly what youwant done.

2. Not getting everything in writing. You don't want to hear,"I didn't say I was going to include the gutters."

3. Not having dates in the contract. Did you want it finishedthis year? You better have it in the contract.

4. Paying too much up front. A deposit may be a reasonablerequest when the contract is signed, and money for materialsprior to the start date. Never pay in full before the job isfinished.

5. Hiring unlicensed contractors. Actually, this can be okay,if you know what you are doing (and he does). The licensedoesn't mean you get expertise, but it does mean you getleverage. A contractor will right his wrongs to avoid losingthat license. 6. Hiring the first one in the phone book. Askfriends who had work done, or the owner of a hardware store.Find a recommendation based on a similar job to yours.

7. Thinking there will be no problems. Weather delays,employees quitting, and more will happen. Having problems isokay, but it's not okay if the contractor can't work out theissues to your satisfaction.

8. Expecting neatness. Believe it or not, it is sometimesefficient to leave things laying where they'll next be used.There will be messes, so prepare accordingly. Cover things if itwill be a dusty job, for example. Also be clear in the contractthat the jobsite will be cleaned up at the end of the job.

9. Not having penalties in the contract. This is important onlarge jobs. It's one thing to say "Work to be completed by May2nd," but better to add, "$100 per day to be deducted from thecontract price for each day the job is unfinished beyond May2nd." That's what I call a motivational clause.

10. Thinking contracts will prevent problems. They help, butunreasonable people on either side of a contract can ignorethem, or use "literal readings" to make things even worse. Findsomeone you can work with, and keep your eyes open.

About the author: Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learnmore, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wifebought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com