Questionable Contractor

I have recently started looking for a contractor to perform a kitchen remodel for my mother. This is going to be a birthday/ retirement present. ( She will be turning 65 in March). It has been hard to get someone in there to look at the kitchen, seeing that we are going to send her on a 2 week vacation to Italy, our home country, and I want to make it a surprise. I have to take contractors in while she is working, or not at home. My question is this. How do I make sure that I am getting a good contractor that will perform his duties in a timely manner, without taking dangerous short cuts, and scamming me out of money? Also, should I go with a General Contractor or should I hire each trade independently?

Leonora B.
Apple Valley, CA

Dear Leonora,

The advice I am about to give in no way applies to every contractor, and even with the most careful planning there is absolutely no way to completely avoid being scammed. People are just people. Some are good, honest, hardworking individuals with a solid background, and good references, and they can still put the screws to you, if they so choose. Here are a few guidelines to help you along.

I have been involved with several residential and commercial construction projects in the last few years. Troubles can arise, even with licensed, bonded contractors. Here are some of the things I noticed before the problem started:

*Contractor in question’s bid was far below all of the others. This is a sure sign that the contractor is either unfamiliar with the work in question, or has under bid on purpose because he intends to have cost over runs. Another play on this theme is if the contractor offers a great bargain in order to use your project as an example. The lowest bid, in my personal experience, is never the one I want, and usually upon reading it, I end up trashing it.

*Contractor has questionable or no references and or no fixed business address. Always ask for references, if the contractor does good work, he will have many, many examples of this through his references. Any contractor that does not have a fixed business address could be a fly by night operation.

*The contractor does not want to go through the formalities of signing a contract. When you are doing any major work, a contract that spells out what the scope of work is, and what the contractor’s responsibilities are. This is standard business practice and any person who does not want to follow that needs to be asked to leave at that time, without question.

1. You get a bad feeling. Trust your gut feeling, the guy who seems like a sleazy sales man probably is. High pressure sales tactics such as “This price is only valid until I walk out of that door, you have to sign this right now…” are a very bad sign.
2. Contractor uses scary scenarios to get you to buy more expensive options or more extensive work than what you initially wanted. If problems are uncovered during a project, they should be obvious. Sometimes, there will be things overlooked or just not apparent upon initial inspection of your home. This usually occurs behind walls or on an exterior, high above where you personally would want to climb. Make the contractor show you exactly what the extra work entails, even if it means climbing a ladder to view the problem. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE BULLIED. Like a doctor, you can always get a second opinion.

The best way to find a good contractor is to ask your friends, family or neighbors. More often then not, they have used somebody with a good result. Be extremely wary of the guy who pulls up in front of your house out of the blue and tells you that you need a new roof (or something else). Best to tell that person to be on his way. Additionally, many locations require contractors to have licenses. If you live in one of those locations, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for a copy of the contractors license and insurance certificate.

If you feel that you have been ripped off, call the local authorities. Blatant theft, such as a contractor took your money and left town, should be reported to the police. Other situations may need to be handled through civil courts, The Better Business Bureau or other organizations.

Finally, if you have fired a contractor who you provided a key to access your home, change your locks as soon as possible.

Leonora, in closing, I would use a General Contractor. I'm not just saying this because i happen to be one. A General Contractor, while costing you more in the project will be the one using his sub contractors, and overseeing the project. He will usually have a superintendent at the job for the duration of the project, or available to stop by several times a day to inspect the project and answer any questions. If you choose to hire each contractor independently, you will be responsible for accepting and going over each estimate, acquiring all licensing and insurance information from each bidding contractor, answering every question each hired contractor puts forth, and inspecting each phase of the project as well as paying out a check to each contractor according to the contract signed. This is fine if you have a solid knowledge of all aspects withing the construction trades, and you have absolutely no life.

A GC will make sure everything is scheduled, done properly, and meets all local building codes. You will have one firm to deal with, vs as many as 10 separate contractors. One Contract with that individual firm, and they will have the responsibility of ensuring everything is right before they get paid.

One last note, any contractor who acts too "hungry" should usually be avoided. I have found that these types of contractors have been slow or without work for a long enough period of time to make them desperate. You may feel that you are at an advantage by taking a great deal, but the contractor can easily turn the tables and do a quick job in order to get a check, that looks good at first but will ultimately fail very soon.

Good luck with your project and I hope your Mom loves it!