Choosing a Contractor or Tradesperson
Use care when choosing a contractor or tradesperson. You generally get what you pay for.
With a reputable and experienced contractor or tradesperson you should be reasonably certain to have the work you have contracted for done properly and within the prescribed time frame. With a poor or inexperienced one, the job may end up taking much longer than planned and costing much more than expected, with a less-than-satisfactory finished product.
If this is your first experience in hiring a contractor or tradesperson, here are some sources to consider:
- home builders' or trade associations in your area can provide you with a list of their members
- larger retail stores and chains that perform home improvement contract work
- local building supply and hardware stores that have contractors as customers
- friends or neighbours who have recently had similar renovations done and are satisfied with the results.
The Right Contractor
While many renovation specialists refer to themselves as general contractors, the reality is that they often have areas of specialization. There are important differences between finishing a basement and building a house addition, and prior experience in the type of renovation you're considering can only work in your favour.
References
Once you have identified several potential contractors or tradespeople, learn all you can about their credentials. Find out how long they have been in business and ask questions about projects that they have completed which may be similar to yours.
Visit current work sites and get references for both older projects and more recent ones: Older projects will help you verify that the work performed has passed the test of time, while more recent ones will help you check that the quality of the work has remained constant, or has improved, over the years.
While a reliable contractor or tradesperson should not hesitate to provide you with references, the fact that you've been given references is not enough - make sure you check them. Some contractors or tradespeople, gambling that you won't follow-up, won't hesitate to direct you to a bad reference.
Finally, you should always check with your local Better Business Bureau to determine whether any complaints have been registered against a particular contractor.
|
