Screening Your Contractor - 12 Important Questions to Ask Home Renovation Contractor References!
One of the most important elements of screening a contractor you are considering to hire is speaking with the references that you have been provided. Unfortunately, this may be the part of the process that often gets pushed aside for various reasons. There is no valid excuse for not contacting and speaking with contractors references-assuming, of course, you want to hire the right contractor for your home project! If you do not screen the references supplied to you by the contractor you might as well throw darts at listings in the yellow pages and save yourself a ton of time.
Remember, this is your home, your project, you are the boss and the results can be good or bad depending on the amount of effort you want to put in. Planning and lots of patience will help produce a "feel-good" experience and a successful project.
12 Important Questions to Ask a Contractor's References There is no better time to make a new friend than when you are speaking with contractor references. Introduce yourself and tell them why you are calling. Get on their good side and you'll find out much more than you bargained for...and possibly an invitation to see their finished product if they were really pleased with the contractor. Here is a sampling of questions you can ask a contractor reference. Add your own if you like:
· What type of work did they do for you?
· Was this the first time they worked for you?
· Were you satisfied with their work?
· Did they communicate well with you? Before starting and during the project?
· Were they neat? Did they clean up on a daily basis? And after the job was completed?
· Was the job started and completed on time? If not, why not?
· Were they on time for appointments?
· Did they call you if they were going to be late for a scheduled appointment?
· Did you have any problems with their work? Did they address any problems in a timely manner? And resolve the issue to your satisfaction?
· Do you feel their pricing was fair?
· Would you use them again?
· Would you refer them to others?
All of these questions are important to get answered. Some may not apply to every project but ask them anyways. Now it is time to get organized and make that first call.
Here is what to do:
a) Create a worksheet. At the top have a section for the reference name and phone number.
b) Add the questions above to the worksheet along with others you would like to ask. Below each question leave a space large enough to make comments to the answers you receive. Some questions will create more conversation than others.
c) Create a general comments section so you can document anything you feel could be important in making your final hiring decision.
d) Print as many copies as you need - one for each reference that you will speak with.
Finally, let the homeowner do as much talking as possible and listen carefully for hesitations to answering the questions or other signs of being unsure of an answer. If you get negative responses to some questions be sure to ask the contractor about them if you are seriously considering hiring that contractor. After you have spoken to all of the references go over the sheets and find the pros and cons of each contractor. This will help make your decision of who to hire much easier.
| Paul Lawrence has owned and operated Home Project Partners, a free Maine-based contractor referral service, since 2002. He helps bring Maine and New Hampshire homeowners together with reliable, quality-conscious, pre-screened home contractors skilled in numerous trades. Paul makes presentations to realtors and other groups that have an interest in his service. He has also taught adult education classes showing homeowners how to find contractors on their own and to learn how to properly screen a contractor. For more information contact Paul at info@HomeProjectPartners.com or visit online at http://www.HomeProjectPartners.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_G_Lawrence |  |
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