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How to find a good contractor

how to find a good contractor

Decisions for their projects to improve the property must be complemented by a judicious manner. While this may be a little tempted to hire a company with the lowest bid, it would be desirable to keep someone who does a good job and save money in the long term.

Start your list with at least three to five general contractors. This list will serve as a starting point and it’s also just the beginning of pre-selection and end with at least two or three good contractors want to bid on their projects. Unfortunately, it is also the point where many homeowners find themselves with bad decisions and they cost a lot of money in the long term. References to friends, family and relatives can help, but want to look at what each company has to offer to ensure you get the best deals.

License: Make sure your potential home license and insurance and contractors. Call your local board of licenses of the State to verify the current license and ask about complaints that have been submitted to potential entrepreneurs. Also be sure to request a copy of the license as part of its investigation. The contractors are permitted in class A, class B or C, and then there are commercial licenses specifically for air conditioning, electrical and plumbing. Here are the qualifiers for you:

Class A: Working on a single contract of $ 120,000 or more contracts up to $ 75,000

Class B: Working in a single contract of $ 7,500 or multiples of up to $ 120 000

Class C: The work-stop up to $ 1,000 or a multiple of a maximum of $ 7,500 t

* References: Talk to some former customers of your business and referrals. There is no better way to evaluate potential entrepreneurs to speak to his former clients or looking at the finished work itself. If you have the opportunity to see some of the jobs the company has done, not to be missed. Ask for references specific questions about the disclosure, the timeline of the project, surprises, budget, etc.

* Insurance: an absolute requirement for any entrepreneur is a liability insurance and Workers Compensation. If a contractor does not have this type of insurance you may be liable for accidents that may occur at the premises of the building while work is going on. Obtain a copy of the contractor’s insurance from your provider before starting any project.

* Complaints: Find contractor comments and complaints online. Run your own background checks on those entrepreneurs seeking comments and complaints from potential online contractions. You can check with the Better Business Bureau site or other sites like ServiceMagic and Angie List.

* Contract: Create and sign a good contract. Signing a good contract that protects the interests of both parties. Define the tasks, the project duration, rate and payment dates. Remember to be alive with the details. This is usually where 90 percent of conflicts that occur. The scope of work should understand that they are responsible for any problems that may arise during rehabilitation. offers home renovation are often poorly documented with many issues that are overlooked, neglected or poorly defined.

* Permissions: You should ask your contractors specifically on how they will handle the necessary permits for the work. If you absolutely refuse to get the permit, consider this a red flag in your search.

* Change orders: Be wary of change orders. Rehabilitation of the building element of pre-existing conditions and other unknown. These are conditions that alter the original construction plan and has inherent in the offer. Make sure the “change order” process is clearly defined.

* Deposit: All contractors must have funds in advance. Make sure the development process of the construction is clearly described in the contract to avoid future misunderstandings. Beware of contractors who ask for more than 50% of the work in advance.

* Time: speed of construction is a very important factor. Be sure to clearly define the start and end specified in the contract. The investment costs of your investment will be triggered if the construction takes a long time to complete.

No matter how long the search becomes, ultimately, what matters is that you get the best result for the value of your investment. The best option is a combination of quality, speed and price. When searching for a great entrepreneur must balance price, quality and timeliness of the project. Make sure you find a contractor who will be on your team and that their interest that their main objective. Note that you provide the contractor with a big contract and trust them to do good work, completing on time with minimal discomfort.

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