Condo Media - March 2019 - 22

Homeowner's Corner

Contractor
Caution
Homeowners Beware
Finding a contractor who will perform quality work at a reasonable
price can be a daunting task. It's
always a good idea to ask for and check
references and to contact the Better
Business Bureau and your state licensing bureau to see if there are complaints
against a prospective contractor. In addition, the following warning signs can
alert homeowners to unscrupulous, disorganized, inexperienced, or financially
troubled contractors who may deliver
broken promises, bad work, and blown
budgets rather than professional results.

never intend to finish the work.
Disreputable contractors may bid low
to secure a contract and then tack on
extra charges as the job progresses.

l FIRST IMPRESSIONS
In any business, first impressions are
important. How a contractor presents themselves and maintains their
truck, tools and equipment are good
indicators of how well they will take
care of you and your job. The contractor should look neat and professional,
and their vehicles and equipment
should be clean and in good repair.

l TAKE YOUR TIME
If you are pressured during the
bidding process by tactics such as
"limited-time offers," look for a different contractor. Hiring a contractor is not a split-second decision; for
this reason, many states give homeowners three days to cancel a home
improvement contract-without
obligation-after signing it.
A prospective contractor should
take their time as well, carefully reviewing the specifications of your job
before submitting their bid. If they
don't take notes and measurements
and make material and labor calculations, or if they simply name a price
based on a similar job, they may
not be detail-oriented or thorough
enough to do a good job.

l BEWARE LOW BIDS
Price is always an important consideration when selecting a contractor,
but don't let a low price or a special
deal blind you to a potential problem-both can be signs that you
should be wary. A bid far lower than
others may indicate the contractor
isn't experienced enough to know
the actual cost of the job, or they

l BEWARE MATERIALS DISCOUNT
A prospective contractor may offer
you a discount, hoping to earn your
future business following a job well
done, but be wary if a contractor
offers materials at a discounted rate.
Small contractors rarely buy materials in the high volumes necessary
to yield big discounts, and unless
they severely overestimated quanti-

CONDOMEDIA March 2019

ties for a previous job, they rarely
stock large inventories of material.
Discounted materials are usually
seconds, ungraded, or below-grade
minimums for code, any of which
would compromise the quality of
your project.
l ONLY 20% UP FRONT
While the price may be right,
what about the terms of payment?
In general, don't choose a contractor
who asks for more than 20 percent
of the total cost of a job up front.
While some projects require a large
initial payment to cover a deposit
for products like cabinets or specialorder ceramic tile, it doesn't apply
to commodity materials like roofing
and lumber, which a legitimate
contractor will usually purchase on
account with at least 30 days to pay.
l BEWARE CASH-ONLY JOBS
Finally, a contractor who works on
a cash-only basis raises a big red flag.
Not only does paying in cash limit
your financial recourse if problems
arise, the contractor is likely not
operating a legitimate business,
which includes paying taxes and
insurance. Look elsewhere for a professional to perform the work.
To contact your Better Business Bureau
(BBB) visit www.bbb.org.

Condo Media - March 2019

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