QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A CONTRACTOR

The contractor that you pick for your project either breaks or makes your whole project. Finding the perfect contractor  for your job will be determined by the timeliness and quality of the work, and the amount of financial and emotional stress you will have to deal with.

To make sure that the chosen contractor is going to do the best work possible, here are five must ask questions to ask each of the candidates.

Quick Tip: Listen well on how the prospective contractor answers your questions. If he or she has difficulty communicating with you well means that you might have difficulty communicating on the job later.

1. Is your bid a fixed figure or an estimate?

There are some contractors that treat their bids as estimates. This means that the bills could wind up being much higher at the end of the project. Make sure to request a fixed bid instead. This will enable make a good straightforward budget.

If the contractor says that he can’t offer you a fixed price because your job has too many unknowns, sit down with him and try to eliminate all the unknowns.E.g, having him/her examine a crawl space or open up a wall.

If you cannot resolve all the unknowns, have the project stipulate only what the contractor is expected to do and his budget and if additional work is needed, then you can write a mini-contract for the new work or do a change order.

2. Would you itemize your bid?

Most contractors will prefer to give you a single price for your project. They have their own reasons but this usually keeps you in the dark about what they’re actually charging for each aspect of the job they are handling.

E.g If the original plan calls for a bathtub in your bathroom, but you decide you are not going to install it, how much should he give you back for eliminating that part of work? With a single price, you have no ability to know.

By getting an itemized bid, it will clearly show you the costs for all of the various aspects  of the job, including:

●      Plumbing

●      Hauling trash and Demolition.

●      HVAC

●      Finishing and Framing carpentry

●      Electrical work

●      Drywall and painting

●      Tiling and other floor installations

●      Lighting fixtures

This makes it much more easier to compare the different contractors’ prices. If you want to cut down the project costs, you can figure out your options easily. A well itemized bid also becomes a valuable documentation about the whole scope of your project. This will help eliminate disputes later.

Contractors shouldn’t give you a hard time about itemizing their bids. If they resist, it’s a red flag for sure.

3. How long has the contractor been doing business.

Contractor that have been working in an area for five or more areas  have an established network of suppliers and subcontractors in that area and a good local reputation to uphold. This makes such contractors a safer option than contractors who are new to the business or are planning to commute to the project site from kilometers away. 

Ask the contractor for:

●      His/her business card with his/her address.

●      References from past clients. This will help you verify that he has been in the business for a long time. 

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