Contractors: The Good, The Bad, And The Utterly Dreadful
By Garris Thorntenson
Unless you're a very competent "fixer-upper" with a lot of time on your hands, your home renovations will need to be placed in the care of a competent, honest contractor. There is no shortage of these contractors, fortunately. The best way to find a really good contractor is usually by word of mouth from people you know, or from a building materials supplier who has no financial partnership with the recommended contractor. Just be aware that not all contractors are worthy of your trust or your money.

It's a lot harder than you would think to find a good contractor. If you want a quality job, do not rush into anything with a contractor. Each completed step gets you that much closer to finished. Be wary, however, or your dream could end up being a nightmare. Investing in renovations often has no guaranteed results. Your project might end up being all cherries, or it could be the pits!

For most homeowners, the majority of renovations are just too large or difficult. Once you've decided on your parameters, you can find a contractor to renovate your home and make your dreams come true. Renovations can be either fun and simple, or difficult and unpleasant. And your choice of a contractor will have a major impact on your experience.

The first thing to do is to hire professional and responsible contractors to perform your renovations. Don't hesitate to ask for and verify references. All legitimate contractors will be proud of their work history, and will be happy to supply you with references. Avoid contractors who can't provide at least six, and preferably ten, solid references.

One of the first things you should ask contractors is to see their licenses and proof of bonded insurance. All legitimate contractors will readily supply you with this information. If they balk, this means something - something not good. An unlicensed and uninsured contractor could cause injury to a crew member due to carelessness and lack of training, or could cause damage to your home. Either way, there could be a lawsuit headed in your direction, either as a plaintiff against the contractor or as a co-defendant against the suit of a crew member.

Make sure everything is spelled out in writing! Verbal contracts are difficult to validate, despite being enforceable by law. Contracts should have specific language regarding the nature of the work to be done, the expected date of completion, the materials required to complete the project, and the number of sub-contractors that will be required. The contractor, specifying the payment plan, will give an estimate of the cost of the job to you and the contractor should stand by this estimate. Always be sure that your contract clearly states that you will not be held responsible for cost overruns.

Before the renovation job is started, some contractors will ask for a large down payment. Create a financing plan that details the down payment, a payment that starts when construction does, and a final payment that occurs at the end of construction. Homeowners sometimes withhold a percentage of the payment until the job is completed, or even offer bonuses for work completed in a timely manner as means to keep contractors on schedule.

Make sure you have firm start and finish dates for your project and have them put down in writing, as well as details about penalties if those deadlines aren't met. You could always sweeten the deal for the contract or crew, by providing a bonus if the job is completed ahead of schedule, but be careful about encouraging rushed, sloppy work if you choose this option. Making the guidelines and agreements clear from the start can mean that you'll be working with the people you hire, not against them.

Garris Thorntenson has been with a major contractor firm for commercial construction and has seen the good, bad, and ugly. He knows construction projects need to be protected with Environmental contractors insurance and things like California general contractor insurance. For California, Nevada he recommends the experts at Roofing liability insurance for their knowledge in these specialty areas.