Your Home Remodeling Contractor

Are you looking for a home contractor? You'll want to choose someone who knows his stuff and can give to you the peace of mind that he'll get the job done right, on time, and for a fair price.

If you’re planning to have any sort of renovation done to your home, whether that means rewiring the house, adding a family room, or replacing an aged deck, you’ll be dealing with professionals who will do the job for you. Electricians, carpenters, and plumbers can handle these tasks, but if your project is much more comprehensive than that, then a contractor should be used to oversee everything.

By using a home contractor who can supervise other professionals while overseeing your home addition or other major project, you’ll be entrusting him with getting the job done and done right. If you find the right contractor, your project will be completed as planned, but if you hire the wrong contractor you could be faced with the job from hell, a real nightmare that can cost you time, money, and a lot of heartache.

Find A Quality Home Contractor

You can find a quality home contractor if you plan out your project carefully:

Craft a plan — Avoid misunderstandings by detailing as much of the project in advance before asking contractors to bid on the job. A contractor who is worth his salt will guide you through the process while others will simply offer a bid and hope that you accept it.

Get recommendations — The best contractor for the job is the one who has completed jobs like the one you want to have done. Ask neighbors, check with nearby friends and family members, even consult co-workers to find out who they used.

Seek estimates — You’ll want to get at least three estimates for the job. Provide a detailed spec sheet for each bidder and have them base their estimate on your information. Rule out anyone who can’t get their bid in on time or whose estimate is incomplete or too low.

Furnish references — Contractors who are being considered by you should furnish local references, preferably for jobs completed within the past six months. Call them! Find out if the contractors’ customers were satisfied and, if you discover that there were problems, find out how they were handled.

Check licensing and insurance — Your town probably requires that your contractor be licensed and have insurance. Make sure that everyone who sets foot on your property is covered by the contractor or has their own insurance and is licensed.

Sign a written contract — Incomplete or verbal contracts can get you into trouble.  Price, cost of materials, starting and ending date, and all other details about the project should be outlined. Do not sign a contract until you are satisfied that it represents what you want done. Most states allow homeowners to cancel a contract within a certain amount of time, usually three business days.

Make payments — Never offer to pay for the job in full up front. Make payments in cash and increments — as each part of the job is complete, write out a check. Hold back your final payment until after the job has been completed and inspected to your satisfaction. Make sure that all subcontractors have been paid as you don’t want someone showing up at your door days later demanding payment.

You know you have an excellent home improvement contractor for the job when he meets all of your requirements and is available to you as the job progresses. If he explains himself clearly and listens to your concerns, then this is the type of person best suited to handle your job.

Tags: Home Improvement, home remodeling, home renovation, house contractor

Choose your home remodeling or new house contractor wisely. Get detailed estimates and ask for references.

Whether you’re remodeling your current home or building a new house, the people who will be doing the work must be skilled and in most cases licensed to take on the job. A home contractor will oversee the entire project, but that doesn’t mean that he has the qualifications to handle your project.

The person you hire has to be the right fit, a knowledgeable administrator as well as an effective communicator. Who hasn’t worked with someone who really knew their stuff, but did a miserable job keeping everyone informed? You want to work with someone who keeps you in the loop and manages all aspects of the project.

Effective Steps To Finding The Right Home Contractor

There are three steps to take in order to find the right home contractor:

Laying the Foundation — Planning your project in advance will help you determine which contractors to contact. If you’re remodeling your home, you want to find someone familiar with handling improvements, including replacing a roof, expanding the upstairs, finishing a basement, ripping out a bathroom, etc. For a home contractor, an individual whose work is to build homes from the ground up will handle this job.

Tearing Down Walls — You’ll need to interview contractors to find the best person for the job. You’ll want to secure detailed estimates from each one spelling out all costs including materials, labor, permits, taxes, etc. Allowing you to choose between different grades of lumber, flooring, tile, roofing materials, etc. and listing these choices on their estimates will give you a good idea of what your final costs will be for this project.

Completing the Home — Finally, you’ll want to confirm your contractor’s abilities by checking references. With each supplied estimate, contractors should furnish references. Contact each person to determine what work the contractor did for them and if they were satisfied with the job. Ask the contractor to show you his license, proof of insurance, and ask him how he plans on paying his subcontractors. You don’t want a disgruntled electrician or plumber contacting you later on asking for payment because the contractor didn’t pay him.

Once you have a contractor in place, you’ll want to receive regular updates from him as the project unfolds. In many cases you’ll be required to pay 1/3 of the project up front, 1/3 half way through, and the remaining monies after the job has been completed to your satisfaction.  To pay for the project consider your home equity financing options.

Tags: carpenter, electrician, Home Improvement, home remodeling, home remodeling contractor, house contractor, plumber