I recently had a leaky roof on my rental property, so I thought I would share some critical steps to ensure that you get the right contractor for every job.1. Ask friends / co-workers for a referral. This is usually the best way to find a reliable and competent contractor.
2. Ensure that they are licensed and insured/bonded for work over $500. If anything goes wrong and you need to take legal action, you'll be out of luck if they don't have the right credentials.
3. Make sure they speak your language. I can't tell you how many times a language barrier as resulted in issues on the job, unless it is a simple fix.
4. Ask them for references. Always a good idea since they all claim to do good work. It's also important to be on site as much as possible when the work is performed.
5. Consider Contractor.com or Angie's List to find a highly ranked contractor. For small or simple jobs Craigslist is a great resource too.
6. Get at least three estimates and rarely go with the bottom one. You usually get what you pay for here. Always try to do it right the first time - nothing is more frustratingly then paying for the same work twice.
7. Define the scope of the services and costs via a written contract signed in advance of any work. Define what the guaranteed maximum price is that you will pay unless there is a scope change. Always get scope changes in writing. Also, always try to pay by the project and not by the hour.
8. Never pay more then 2/3's as an up front deposit. I suggest as little as possible and generally never pay more than 50%. Payment by check is best, so that you control when final payment is processed and you also have a record of payment.
9. Always use a "Can Do" contractor. I've found contractors come in two forms: Either the "We can find a solution for that!" attitude or the "that's going to be a problem" attitude. The former figures out creative solutions to tough issues (and usually takes pride in doing so), while the latter spends more time making excuses why something "won't work".
10. Always do a final walk through prior to final payment to ensure they've met all of the contracted scope of work to your level of satisfaction. Final payment is your best (and usually only) leverage for a job well done!
Any other suggestions that I missed? Anyone have any 'contractor horror stories' - love to hear them!
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