3 Tips for Hiring the Right Contractor for Your Home Remodel or Renovation Project
Contributed By: Louie Martini
Choosing the right contractor to fit the specific needs of your home remodel or renovation project can sure prove to be a daunting task. There are so many factors to consider from making calls in search of quotes to deciding on an all-in project budget. In this article, I offer 3 tips on how to go about choosing the right contractor to hire for your project. Let’s get to it!
Disclaimer: this is not a sleazy attempt at advertisement trying to sell you on the idea that choosing to work with Bare Hands Construction is the best option for you. I genuinely care about home owners hiring the right people to work in/on their homes. As a relatively newer business owner, I’m unable to boast about the years and years of experience in the industry that I don’t quite have yet. That being said, if I truly feel like BHC is a good fit to take on a project, I’m more than happy putting in the effort to perform adequate due diligence and presenting a competitive job estimate. If the scope of work is beyond the limitations of my company’s current situation, I’ll be sure to try providing a referral in order to point you in the right direction.
Okay, phew… Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the meat and potatoes!
1. Decide What is Important to You
First and foremost, everybody is different. One specific quality about a contractor that’s a deal breaker for one person may actually be the reason why another person hires that same contractor. For example, if you have a negative perception of catchy marketing buzz words like “cheap and affordable,” then there’s a good chance you won’t be inclined to hire a company named “Tom’s Budget Home Repair.” (No offense to Tom if he’s out there and actually exists.) On the other hand, if you’re the type of person that values lower cost services that could potentially be a great deal, then perhaps giving Tom a call could be worth your while.
It’s so important to think about and decide on what qualities a contractor or company must possess in order for you to be comfortable moving forward with the hiring process. For instance, try thinking about how your day to day life may be affected with a contractor working on your home. Do you trust him to be inside your home without a second thought of theft or vandalism? Is he punctual and respectful of your time? Is he transparent with communication or is he impossible to get a hold of long enough to get him to finish the job? These are all examples of questions to ask yourself that should help you decide what the best course of action will be for you and your family.
2. Assign Value to What is Important to You
In addition to deciding what’s important to you, it’s essential to talk about value. Now, value doesn’t always equate to dollar signs, but more often than not, developing a budget for a home improvement project is what can help narrow the field when selecting a contractor to hire. It’s tough these days when you call four different companies and get four different quotes for the same scope of work. How is it even possible to decide who is low balling, who is trying to take advantage of you and who is actually offering the most value? Well, the truth is that any one of those companies can be offering the best value, and that mostly depends on their business practices and individual financial situations.
For example, a sole operator may be able to offer a lower price than a large contracting company strictly due to the fact that he may have lower overhead or no employees to have to cover insurance and worker’s comp expenses. The key here is assigning value to what you’ve already decided is most important to you.
In Tip #1, you learned about choosing a handful of qualities that would compel you to hire a contractor. Now you have to assign value to those qualities. I’m sure you have a budget set and your spouse has reminded you multiple times that it would be impossible or catastrophic to go over budget! However, if the RIGHT contractor checked all your boxes, is that worth potentially going over budget? Let’s say you value solid communication, punctuality and a professional appearance. Would you be willing to pay more for the contractor that possesses all of those qualities as opposed to the cheaper option who misses your calls, shows up late each day and flicks cigarette butts into your yard?
Not to say that it will be that cut and dry, but I think you get the point. Sometimes a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean a better service or superior final product. However, assigning higher value to things that make you feel more comfortable with a certain contractor or company should help you decide when it’s the right time to potentially pay a higher price.
3. Do Your Research
The third tip involves some legwork on your end. Although the process of finding and hiring a great contractor can be stressful and time consuming, this is typically where your project either sinks or swims. We live in a world dominated by technology and ever-changing methods of communication. I’m not saying this is a must, but most good contractors will have some sort of online presence whether it be a website or social media accounts. Gone are the days in which you can thumb through a phone book or newspaper and find a friendly and skilled local tradesman. Everybody has a referral they’re willing to throw your way (which can sometimes be the BEST way to find a great contractor), but I advise investing even just a few minutes to take a look at a company’s website or social accounts to get a better feeling of the structure and process with which it operates.
Phone a trusted friend, join a local Facebook group or run a search online to get a better idea of who nearby is running a contracting business worth dealing with. Although not always the case, if a company doesn’t have a website, social media presence or doesn’t pick up the phone/return your call in a timely manner, chances are they’re not going to live up to your expectations when it comes to knocking your project out of the park!
So the next time you’re in the market to hire a contractor for your home improvement remodel or renovation project, consider these 3 tips and how they can help improve your overall experience!
*Thank you for visiting the BHC Blog. Feel free to send me a message with any questions you may have regarding this article.*
