Finding A Great Contractor Can Be Difficult

A good contractor will earn every dime you pay them, a bad contractor will take every dime you have.

There are numerous reasons good contractors make a great living. They work hard over many years to develop a wide set of useful skills. Good contractors almost always started as laborers of one kind or another - carpenter, plumber, electrician, you name it.

They know first hand what it takes to become skilled in a wide range of trades. They can assess a project by sight quickly to determine a job well done or when a job was completed poorly. In addition, they need to be good businessmen as well.

A typical contractor may not have the strongest accounting and finance skills, but they are generally very good at budgeting and biding the job correctly.  They also are  skilled at hiring staff and managing subcontractor relationships.  Without these skills, a contractor will not survive.

That's the kind you're looking for. They're out there. Always check with family and friends for referrals but you still need to do your homework. So what if you can't find one by referral? Well, to find one, you will need to start with common sense guidelines.

Ask for references. Hiring a contractor is an expensive investment in your home so this is the time to do your research.  A good contractor will not think twice when asking to provide references and typically can provide names and phone numbers of satisfied former clients. They know that referrals are critical to staying in business.

Once you have the references, you should prepare a list of questions about the size and complexity of the previous project. Ask about the projected budget and schedule and whether they were met. It may sound strong to request this info, but most people will share that information gladly.

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