How to choose the right contractor

For anyone who owns a home, repair and remodeling projects are a fact of life. Being able to accomplish a project on one’s own brings with it a certain satisfaction—a sense of accomplishment along with the knowledge that the job was done just the way you wanted. Not to mention the cost savings from not having to hire the labor.

But there are some projects that, no matter how skilled a person is or how much time he has, should best left to a skilled contractor. Perhaps the sheer size of a project just seems intimidating. Maybe you have the tools and the talent, but not the time. Whatever the reason, most people eventually will one day ask themselves that often dreaded question: “How do I find the right contractor?"

Know what you want—and need

Before you even start looking for the right contractor, you need to know as much about what you want to have done as possible. That sounds simple enough, but a surprising number of people have only a vague idea of what they want to do, and that can result in lots of disappointments and misunderstandings. The more details you have ready to give the contractor – from room sizes and intended uses to colors and types of appliances and trim – the better your chances will be of getting the finished product you’re hoping for.

You also need to know what types of companies perform the types of services you’re looking for. As the saying goes, you don’t hire a proctologist to do brain surgery - even though they’re both doctors, they have different specialties. If you want a contractor to repair your fire-damaged home, look for someone who specializes in fire damage, not a firm that only builds new homes.

There are also times when you need a general contractor, and times when you don’t. If you want to have a new toilet installed, you need a plumber, not a general contractor. But if you want to have a room addition built, you want to employ the services of a general contractor with specific remodeling and room addition experience, as opposed to hiring five or ten individual subcontractors.

Referrals

The single best way to find a contractor is to get a referral from someone you trust. If you have a friend or a relative who had some work done on their home that they were pleased with, that’s a great starting point. You can get some honest feedback about the contractor’s skill level, price, scheduling, level of cooperation, and much more. There are a lot of contractors out there to choose from, and like most businesses, they succeed or fail mostly by their reputation, so a good referral is very helpful.

There are other sources of referrals as well. If you see a room addition being built down the street and it seems like it’s going well, stop and talk to the homeowner. Most people are more than willing to share their experiences – good and bad – about the contractor they’ve hired, and here again you can get some great first-hand information.

Material suppliers are also great sources. Ask the people where you buy your lumber or your plumbing supplies if they know of anyone who’s particularly good at the type of project you have in mind. Retailers have a reputation to protect as well – they want to keep you happy and coming back as a customer – so they will typically only refer contractors whom they know are honest and will do a quality job.

Ask questions, then follow up

When you have a referral or two, call the contractors to set up an appointment. At a minimum, ask the following questions:

• Does he do the specific type of work you’re looking for? It’s possible that the contractor no longer does kitchens or room additions. He may have once done remodeling, but now only builds new homes. Make sure to clarify that up front.
• What is the contractor’s schedule like? If you have a project that has to be done within the next month, and the contractor can’t even start until then, there’s no point wasting your time and his.
• Will the contractor provide you with references? Most companies are more than willing to provide you with names and phone numbers of past clients - if a contractor can’t or won’t provide references, don’t hire him! Between the time you call the contractor and the time he comes out to your home, be sure to follow up on a couple of the references, and get some feedback. For larger projects, you should ask if you can come out and view the contractor’s work.
• Is the contractor licensed with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, and what is his license number? Also, be sure to get the contractor’s full business name, address and business phone number. Immediately follow up by contacting the Construction Contractors Board at 503-378-4621. Most contractor information can also be found online at www.state.ccb.or.us.
• Are his insurance and bond current? In order to be licensed with the CCB, a contractor must have general liability insurance and must post a bond to provide limited protection in the event problems arise from the work he performs. Make sure to get written verification that these are current.