I need to have my shower totally redone ... sheetrock replaced, new tiles, glass, bottom tray, and fixtures. What do I need to look for when hiring a dependable/reliable contractor?
2007-03-13 06:20:55 · 9 answers · asked by CAS65 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Finding a contractor is never a quick task. You must not open the phone book, and call the first number you see. Word of mouth is great. If you have any friends or family that have used people recently, that would be a good place to start.
Ask for references, call the people and ask if you can see the work that the person has done.
If they say that they can start right away, they are not good contractors. The good ones are usually booked months in advance.
Lowest price could mean lowest quality, and skill level. Get some prices and stick with the middle.
Take your time and go with your gut, not the first person that you see.
You like your home and you want to be proud of it, not disappointed.
2007-03-13 06:31:16 · answer #1 · answered by James Dean 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An honest one.
There are many crooks in the home repair building trade.
Talk to relatives, friends and neighbors who have had work done to find contractors who have done honest work.
If you get three names, have them come in and give an estimate.
There is often a clause in a building contract covering unexpected problems or unforeseen additional work.
Get that covered in the contract.
But - crooked contractors use the 'unforeseen additional work' clause to add big bucks to the final bill.
So, you need to really check out contractors but, with all that you can still end up on the short end of the stick - so, find a friend who is sharp and have him or her help you evaluate the contractors. Two heads are better than one, as the old saying goes. Good luck, you'll need it.
When I used to be in the trade, at least half of the contractors in the yellow pages were crooks.
I finally made more money consulting for home owners.
2007-03-19 08:41:26 · answer #2 · answered by ha_mer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Obviously, you need a licensed guy. You want a permit pulled. You want references. Contrary to another answer, I don't believe that most contractors are crooks. What makes a good job go bad is poor communication. The contractor and the homeowner have different takes on what the job involves. Many of these guys are not good communicators. They became contractors because they were good with their hands, not because they were well spoken. You have to make sure that everything gets put down in writing, before the job starts and before major money starts to change hands.
2007-03-19 10:17:32 · answer #3 · answered by Leo L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 valid contractor license.
2 fully insured, not just liability.
3 do they have references from past work they have done.
4 check angieslist.com to see if your contractor has been rated.
I just went through gutting and renovating my bathrooms and now that same contracter is doing the kitchen and living room. He was recommend word of mouth for past work he did.
Also get several quotes and do not go with the cheapest or most expensive one. You get what you pay for most of the time but the quality of work from the most expensive guy isnt going to be much better then the middle guy usually.
Make sure you feel comfortable. If your gut says dont trust him/her then dont. Also your state will likely have a contractor license website so you can check on their license and if they have any complaints lodged against them.
2007-03-13 13:31:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you see their license and insurance before anything. Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints from prior customers. Ask for references for other customers and give them a call. Selecting a well known contractor who's been in business in your area for a number of years is a good place to start. Get 3 estimates before you proceed.
2007-03-13 13:34:07 · answer #5 · answered by leslie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
see if there licensed , see examples of previous work they have done , alibis from them of clients houses they have worked that you can call them and talk to them about how satisfied they were when that contractor did there bathrooms or whatever they did . Get several estimates to get the best price.
2007-03-20 05:00:15 · answer #6 · answered by dianemelloniemarlenejerryginder 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
look in yellow pages for several local firms and get estimates from the ones you choose. also look for the British kite mark and ask if they have any clients they have recently done work for that you can view to get an idea of what there work is like.you might find they need to be corgi registered.
2007-03-18 16:35:03 · answer #7 · answered by fushia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contractor's license, recommendations and past projects.
2007-03-13 17:57:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/
has a list of everything you should look for when remodeling and ratings by people who have used certain contractors.
2007-03-13 13:56:47 · answer #9 · answered by bomullock 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They should be licensed and insured and willing to give you references. I hope you are getting more than one bid on this work.
2007-03-20 23:46:35 · answer #10 · answered by Marilyn S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋