Improving your home can be a big exercise in trust. You are inviting a stranger into your home, asking them to make major changes, and paying them when the job is complete. Not only are you trusting that the price paid for the completed work is fair and honest, but you also hope that the work will turn out as exactly as you had hoped.
To help you choose a home improvement contractor you can trust, we have listed, what we believe, are the five essential qualities of a trustworthy home improvement contractor.
1. Go local
When looking for a home improvement contractor, our recommendation is to find someone in your local area. Hiring someone from far away can make it easier for them to dodge your phone calls or leave a project unfinished. Local contractors live in the community with their clients, and if their work or customer service is poor, word is quickly going to spread.
2. Look at their portfolio
The second thing to look for is a portfolio of work. If a home improvement contractor cannot show samples of their work, this is a major red flag. You want to be sure that the person you are hiring has performed good work in the past, and the best way to do this is through pictures. Whether the contractor has an online portfolio, or hard copies they can show you, there should be away for you to view the quality of their work.
3. Read their references
To be confident that the home improvement contractor performs top-level work for all of their clients, it is important to read what other customers have to say. Online third party review sites such as; Angie’s List, Yelp! and Houzz are great because they allow past clients to rate their experiences, and share comments. These sites also rate vendors for consistent, outstanding service, so look for a home improvement contractor that consistently received high ratings, awards, and other forms of recognition.
4. Understand the cost
The fourth thing to look for is how much the contractor is going to charge you. Thinking purely about the cost of renovating a kitchen or updating a bathroom ignores the value those projects add to your home. When choosing a good contractor, sometimes you need to go beyond the price tag to ensure you are not settling for something inferior or ongoing financial headaches. When it comes to costs, there are some less than honorable operators out there. Some companies won’t include everything in their initial price, and then rely on multiple change orders to add dollars to the final tally. Unsuspecting homeowners can be stung by unforeseen expenses, leaving them out of pocket. When seeking estimates and working with contractors to plan your home improvement job, here are some essential questions to ask that will help you make an informed decision:
- Would you please itemize your bid?
- Is your bid an estimate or a fixed price?
- What other projects have you delivered and have you worked in this area before?
- Who are your main suppliers?
- Can you give me a timeline for how long this job will take?
5. Communication is key
Lastly, a trustworthy contractor is someone who you can communicate with easily. This means giving you an accurate quote, returning all of your phone calls, and sticking to their time estimates. If something goes wrong, they are upfront with you, and they discuss with you all of your options. If a contractor is hard to reach, or gives vague answers to questions, this is a sign that you need to find another contractor. Some other tips for ensuring a good communication line between you and your contractor include:
- Inquire about the contractor’s process
- Find out who will be your point of contact
- Discuss how frequently your point of contact will be in touch
- Ask about how they will contact you, i.e. phone call, text, email
