When it comes to what applies to a great contractor, there are signs, and there are red flags. Stick with the signs. RUN from red flags.
The signs:
- You know you have great contractors when they do what they say they’ll do. They work to your agreed-upon timeline and budget as closely as possible.
- They work as a team among their own staff and with you to make sure your needs are covered and your vision is brought to reality.
- They care: about you, your family, your project, about a lasting professional relationship.
- They are communicators. They don’t ever leave you hanging. They answer your calls and messages. They are proactive with issues.
- They deliver what they promise, and their warranties prove that.
- They’re always on top of the latest technology, methods, and materials.
- They are professional in everything they do, from estimates to contracts to working in your home to final detailed finishing.
- They leave you feeling you have made a sound decision and a great investment.
The red flags
- You know they’re likely bad contractors when they don’t give you a timeline, or if they do, they don’t follow it.
- They want to be paid in cash.
- They don’t clean up their mess.
- They don’t promptly return your calls.
- They don’t seem to care about the latest technologies and materials.
- They don’t finish the small details.
- They don’t participate in any related organizations or programs.
- You don’t know where they are located.
- And the biggest, “reddest” flag of them of all: They won’t supply a signed contract in writing.
There are many great contractors who will take on your project with respect, commitment and integrity. Unfortunately, there are also the opposite: contractors who are unprofessional or just plain scammers.
Follow the signs, not the flags.
