Contractor Check Up

Do Your Homework
A contractor check up can be done in a number of ways. There are a number of things you can do to check out your contractor before awarding your contract. Whether the economy is in a downturn or not it's important to check out those you are paying to do work for you.

Why?

Contractors may allow their insurance to lapse or do work in areas not covered by their license or any number of other things that could leave you in a bad light. So . . . doing your Homework is always recommended!

First
Make sure you understand the contract before you sign. Contracts are usually written to favor one participant over another. They will most often favor the one presenting the document. If you do not understand, ask questions and make sure the answers line up with the contract wording, or amend it.

Another part of the contract is the job description or what the contract covers. Ask for details as to when the job will start and when it will be completed. You may have to make some leeway for bad weather days but otherwise the job should be done on time.

Also, if the contract does not spell out what exactly is included in the work to be performed as well as the price have your contractor add those items, before you sign on the dotted line.

References Plus
References are great when doing your contractor check up but go beyond just getting reference. Check up on them, call the references given. Ask how satisfied they were with the work completed and if it was done in a reasonable time frame. Did the workers do anything they did not like, craftsmanship wise as well as in terms of good housekeeping?

Verify Licenses
Your contractor should provide you with his contractor’s license type and number. Call your local regulator and ask if the license is current and if it covers the work you want done.

Do the same for insurance coverage. Call their insurance company, or the Agent, to verify their policy is current.

Check Industry Watchdogs
Your contractor check up should include contacting a few organizations who check contractors and give them a rating.
The Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org
Angie’s List, www.angieslist.com
You can also call the Attorney Generals Office and ask if there are any complaints or law suites pending. Some of these may have good reasons but you may want to ask the contractor for their side of the story.

A Financial Check-Up
This is also very important as a lot of companies, including contractors, are closing their doors these days. There are a number of “checks” you can do to make sure your job gets done. While there are no guarantees the more checking you do the better you improve your odds of getting a finished project. OK, here is your second homework assignment.

1. Ask your contractor for a list of suppliers from whom he will be purchasing the materials needed for your job. Call those businesses and ask about his payment habits.

2. Ask about subcontractors he plans to use on your property. Call them to see if payments to them are paid timely and up to date as part of your contractor check up.

3. You could pay the above suppliers and subs directly if your contractor agrees. This would make sure your money is used for your project. If your contractor frowns on that idea then ask for detailed receipts for all bills occurred for your project and reimburse your contractor.

When possible your best situation is where the contractor does all the work with his own employees - then you have no sub-contractor problems.

4. Set up a payment schedule with your contractor. Try for as low a down payment as you can with additional payments made as the job progresses or as certain work is completed. Never pay more than 50% up front. Hold back at least 10% until the job is completed and to your satisfaction. And then, pay up on time and thankfully.

It would be great of you if you offered a letter of reference to the owner as appreciation for the work done.

If you ever want more work done by this contractor in the future he will be glad to do so and will probably even sharpen his pencil for you. Plus, anyone you refer to him will get his full attention.

Hopefully your experience will be a great one but the more careful you are the better it is likely to be. A few roofers have been known to get a large deposit for materials and then just do the dry-in and not show up again. Remember that a good contractor can get 30 days credit from his suppliers so the material can get delivered on your job site with very little down. Once delivered you need to be willing to pay up.

If your job requires special order materials be willing to pay more up front as your contractor will not be able to return your special order items. Also, it will be difficult for him to use those items elsewhere.

The larger the contractor the less likely they will play along with some of the above items included in your contractor check up. However, the more likely they will belong to organizations like the Better Business Bureau and other organizations that will provide you with a rating or a good reference. Also, a contractor with memberships in good standing shows a some characteristics you want.

The must do is, ‘Do Your Homework’ to prevent surprises as much as is possible.

Click here for a review of the Contractor Questions you need to ask to gather the information you need for parts of your contractor check up.

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