Condo Media - October 2014 - 24

HOMEOWNER'S
COLUMN NAME CORNER

Contractor Caution
Be Aware of These Warning Signs

inding a contractor who will
perform quality work at a reasonable price can be a daunting
task. It's always a good idea to
ask for and check references and to
contact the Better Business Bureau and
your state licensing bureau to see if
there are complaints against a prospective contractor.
In addition, the following warning
signs can alert you to unscrupulous,
disorganized, inexperienced, or ﬁnancially troubled contractors who may
deliver broken promises, bad work, and
blown budgets rather than professional
results.
First Impressions: In any business,
ﬁrst impressions are important. How
a contractor presents himself and
maintains his truck, tools, and equipment are good indicators of how well
he'll take care of you and your job. He
should look neat and professional, and
his vehicles and equipment should be
clean and in good repair.
Beware of Low Bids: Price
is always an important consideration when selecting a
contractor, but don't let a
low price or a special deal
blind you to a potential
problem-both can be
signs that you should
be wary. A bid far
lower than others
may indicate the
contractor isn't
experienced enough
to know the actual
cost of the job or he never
intends to ﬁnish the work.
Disreputable contractors
may bid low to secure

CONDO MEDIA * OCTOBER 2014

a contract and then tack on extra
charges as the job progresses.
Take Your Time: If you are pressured
during the bidding process by tactics
such as "limited-time offers," look for
a different contractor. Hiring a contractor is not a split-second decision;
for this reason, many states give homeowners three days to cancel a home
improvement contract-without obligation-after signing it. A prospective
contractor should take his time as well,
carefully reviewing the speciﬁcations
of your job before submitting his bid.
If he doesn't take notes and measurements and make material and labor calculations, or if he simply names a price
based on a similar job, he may not be
detail oriented or thorough enough to
do a good job.

Beware of Materials Discount: A
prospective contractor may offer you
a discount, hoping to earn your future
business following a job well done, but
be wary if a contractor offers materials
at a discounted rate. Small contractors
rarely buy materials in the high volumes necessary to yield big discounts,
and unless they severely overestimated
quantities for a previous job, they rarely
stock large inventories of material. Discounted materials are usually seconds,
ungraded, or below-grade minimums
for code, any of which would compromise the quality of your project.
Only 20 Percent Upfront: While the
price may be right, what about the
terms of payment? In general, don't
choose a contractor who asks for more
than 20 percent of the total cost of
a job upfront. While some projects
require a large initial payment to cover
a deposit for products like cabinets or
special-order ceramic tile, it doesn't apply to commodity materials like roofing and lumber, which a legitimate
contractor will usually purchase
on account with at least 30
days to pay.
Beware of Cash-Only
Jobs: Finally, a contractor
who works on a cash-only
basis raises a big red ﬂag.
Not only does paying in
cash limit your ﬁnancial
recourse if problems arise,
the contractor is likely
not operating a legitimate
business, which includes
paying taxes and insurance. Look elsewhere for a
professional to perform the
work. CM

Condo Media - October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - October 2014