The Only Way To Hire A Contractor
verywhere you go everybody The advice of getting three
always gives you the same estimates for every job is bad
advice on how to choose a advice. What most people will do
contractor. They simply say get when they get three estimates is
three estimates, and call the to naturally choose the lowest
Better Business Bureau. There is bid. People are like electricity;
a much better way to hire a they follow the path of least
contractor to ensure you get what resistance. A few are enlightened
you want; a quality job at a fair and will choose the average bid,
price. Don’t get three estimates. versus the highest or the lowest.
But either way, having three
Basically most people including contractors come do a free
contractors are fair and honest. estimate for you leads to bad
They want to perform a service service for everybody.
for you and get paid so they can
provide for their family just as A contractors time is very
you need to provide for yours. valuable just as yours is. Now
Why everybody assumes and implies when you get an estimate and
that contractors in general are inform this contractor that you
swindlers simply isn’t fair or are going to get three bids, you
correct. are implying that his ethics may
be lacking, which isn’t very
You may hear on the news that a nice. You have also put a lot of
homeowner lost a substantial pressure on him because he needs
amount of money from a corrupt the work to feed his family and
contractor. What you don’t hear keep his employees working.
about is the other thousands of Naturally he is going to give you
contractors providing good the lowest bid he can to ensure
quality work on a daily basis. he gets the job. In turn the
other two contractors that follow
him are going to need the job contract with him, and he is whom
also. So depending on how you will want to communicate with
desperate they are for work will during the job. If he is off
depend how low they will bid to giving free estimates and not
get this job. This constant form able to watch his employees, the
of playing cutthroat with their quality of the job may suffer. In
competitors leads them to addition if an employee gets
underbid jobs just so they have hurt, a water pipe breaks, or
work. they run out of supplies the job
will stop right there. All in
After they lose money on a job all, insisting on three estimates
they are even more desperate to does everybody a disservice and
get the next job. What this does leads to unhappy people,
is leads contractors into including you.
financial problems and not being
able to do the job correctly with Somehow people get the idea that
a lot of stress for them. This contractors make a lot of money.
can cause even a man with the I was a contractor and I know
sturdiest ethics to lose his that is not correct. It is a very
footing. He will want to perform competitive business and it isn’t
a quality job as agreed but when hard to lose a substantial amount
he doesn’t have any money to pay of money very quickly. The
his employees or to buy materials average “free” estimates takes an
he simply can’t do it. hour or two considering drive
time just to look over the job.
If everybody always has three It then takes another hour or two
free estimates performed then it to type up these details and
takes the contractors away from deliver it. The costs of these
supervising their employees on materials are constantly
your job site. You made a changing. Contractors other many
expenses include gas and clothes phone. It is always better to
that get ruined on almost every locate a contractor in the phone
job. It is a very dangerous and book, if you don’t go by word of
stressful job, always concerned mouth.
about the safety of their
employees. Why nobody wants to Once you have located a
pay these hardworking men a fair contractor that you deem does the
wage is almost criminal. quality work you want done, ask
for an estimate. Tell him you
The best way to hire a contractor would like the estimate to be
is via word of mouth. If you need itemized with the materials and
some work done and you see a labor separate. A good rule of
contractors sign in a yard, stop thumb for estimates is that the
and talk to him. Look at his labor will be double the amount
project, the safety measures, his of materials. A smaller job will
employees, the quality of his be more for labor.
tools and the quality of his
work. Talk to the owner and see When he brings a contract ask him
if he is pleased with the work. to also bring his insurance
Call the Better Business Bureau binder that certifies he has
and ask about this contractor. current liability insurance. If
The BBB can be circumvented he requires a down payment inform
because they register contractors him that you would prefer to make
by their phone number. With cell the first payment after a fair
phones, unethical contractors can amount of work has been done. If
change their business name, get a he has a problem with that and
new cell phone number and place a indicates any sign of financial
new ad in the newspaper. So check trouble you may want to rethink
to see if their phone number is a your choice. Before you sign the
home phone number or a cell contract get a verbal or written
agreement from him that he will recommend the good contractor to
be on site during the job. your friends. Never get three
free estimates. This same advice
If you take these steps your to protect you against consumer
experience with a contractor will fraud is the cause of the
be pleasant. Do your part and problem.
About the Author:
Dale Adams of Majestic Publishers is the author and self publisher of the new book, "Care Giving Made Easy – How to be an Awesome Caregiver." His many experiences include being a Security Consultant, General Contractor and Energy Conservation Specialist. To learn more valuable information visit: http://www.majesticpublishers.com
Read more articles by: Dale Adams
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