5 Things to Look for When Hiring Contractors to Renovate Your Home

Home remodeling is expected to remain robust this year with homeowners’ expenditures remaining at above 7%, and this trend will continue next year, according to JCHS. Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University says, “Strengthening employment conditions and rising home values are encouraging homeowners to make greater investments in their homes. Upward trends in retail sales of building materials and the growing number of remodeling permits indicate that homeowners are doing more—and larger—improvement projects.” Whether you are planning to patch up your kitchen or your entire home to improve its value or upgrade it to sell or rent, here are practical tips to avoid falling on an unreliable contractor.

Check the Legal Status and Reputation of a Contractor

Before you award a contract to your chosen builder, check with your local building department or the consumer protection agency regarding licensing requirements. Many US states require contractors to be licensed and bonded. Make sure that the contractors on your shortlist have updated licenses. Do a lot of research to establish the reputation of the contractors you might hire. Find out how long they have been in the business. Check customers’ reviews/feedback online or offline.

Consider Jobsite Safety Practices of Contractors

More than 1 out of 5 deaths in the private industry is on a construction site according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The major reasons for these fatalities are: falls, struck by object, electrocution and caught in/between per OSHA report. Although worker deaths in the US are down on average from 38 deaths per day in 1970 to 14 in 2016, there are plenty of measures that could be done by contractors to prevent accidents and injuries at the workplace. Providing safety and protection equipment such as work boots, luminous vests, harnesses and hard hats is an example in addition to training, education and physical examinations. Another way to validate a contractor’s track record is to check if there are any complaints on the Better Business Bureau that can help you decide if a builder is trustworthy or not.

Ask for Samples of Completed or Ongoing Works

Often, the best way to gauge a contractor’s reputation is to check the finished work. You can either look at their portfolio (if they have one on hand) or request to see a completed project. It can be the new kitchen at the community hall or the driveway of a private residence.  A contractor should be able to show you one or two projects that demonstrate their skills.

Shop and Compare Quotes

Without cost estimates for renovation projects, there is no way of determining if you can afford the project or not. In addition, price quotes help you draw the line of what is an acceptable figure for your budget and how much more you can spare if there are unforeseen expenses. Also, scrutinize each offer. The lowest bid is not necessarily the best if that contractor will cut corners and use substandard materials.

Draw Up a Contract and Know Who Your Subcontractors Are

You can ask an attorney to draw up a contract for you, but if you do it on your own, it should contain a description of the project that outlines the work, materials, costs, approximate start and end dates. It should specify that the contractor is responsible for all permits, disposal of debris and liability insurance. It must stipulate payment schedules and that the contractor should provide you with lien waivers to protect you from liens from the contractor, his employees and subcontractors. All changes to the contract must be done with dual signatures if using paper/ink or texts/emails with mutual confirmations of agreements.

Your building contractor will subcontract specific aspects of the renovation to other specialists. This means that these unknown people will have access to your home. Before starting work, make sure that your contractor tells you which firms are on his list to do different jobs at your home. You can also check their reputation to ensure that you have qualified and trustworthy people inside or outside your home premises.

Sprucing up your home is not an easy task. Even if you are working with only one company legally, there are many people who will be in and out of your house. Making sure that the contractor you hire is vetted and reputable can help ease your worries.