Finding a Good Contractor

Finding a good professional home contractor—from an independent handyman to large-scale builder—is not always a speedy process.

Finding a good professional home contractor—from an independent handyman to large-scale builder—is not always a speedy process. But investing the time to find the right contractor for the job is time well spent. Here are some tips to help separate the good from the bad.

Word of mouth—Most contractors say their best advertisement is “word of mouth” from satisfied customers. So begin the process by asking friends and relatives if they know a good tradesman they’d recommend.

Start looking—Drive around your neighborhood. If you see a dazzling new deck on a house, knock on the door and ask the homeowners if they’re pleased with the results. Also look at houses under renovation that are similar in style to your own. Since some contractors specialize in old house restoration, while others work on newer homes, look for a professional with experience doing the type of remodeling you want. Most contractors include contact information on the side of their work trucks.

“Talk to neighbors and watch the progress of the job in your neighborhood,” says Paul Winans, a contractor who runs Winans Construction in Oakland, Calif. If the project moves along and the site is well maintained, the company probably is well run.

Use the Internet—Go online to www.nari.org, a website for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)—a trade group of professional remodelers. The website features “Find a Professional Remodeler,” which allows you to type in your zip code and get a list of trade group members who are contractors in your area.

The Internet offers another approach to finding a local contractor. Type “contractor referral” in a search engine such as Google and you’ll find numerous websites designed as a matchmaker between homeowners and plumbers, remodelers, builders or other home service professionals. The service usually is free to customers.

Hit the stores—Let local home center stores act as your general contractor and find a tradesman for a job. Walk the aisles and you’ll notice “Installed Price” signs on many of the building materials, appliances and fixtures they sell. For example, a tag on laminate flooring may read: “Installed $4.50 per square foot.” This service is particularly helpful because it puts a dollar value to the labor cost. However, it usually doesn’t include the cost of preparation work needed (such as removing an existing floor before a new installation). This turnkey service is popular for consumers short on time.

Go where the pros shop—Don’t overlook materials suppliers where professionals shop. For example, stop at a plumbing supply store if you need a plumber and ask if they know a good one. They may not recommend someone specifically, but they probably will tell you which plumbers are steady customers. A tradesman with plenty of customers is most likely a good one.

Do your homework—When you make contact with a contractor, ask a lot of questions. Request a list of clients in your area and call them. Look at samples of their work. If yours is a large remodeling project, ask to see comparable work the contractor has done. Ask to see their state and locally issued contractor’s license and how long they’ve been in business. If everything checks out fine, then make sure to get everything in writing before any dust flies.

Finding a good contractor requires a lot of preliminary footwork, but the payoff is hiring a professional who does the job right, on time and on budget.

Katie and Gene Hamilton are authors of Carpentry for Dummies

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