home-remodel

How to Find the Best Contractor for Your Home Remodel

Lets face it, remodeling a room in your house could be looked upon as a daunting task. And what is even scarier is hiring the right help. We’ve all heard horror stories about home remodels gone bad. So we turned to Dave James of Create and Construct Scottsdale for some tips on how to find the best contractor for your home remodel.

As a checklist, the following points will help in selecting a good contractor:

ā€¢ Does the company return mails or calls in a timely and polite manner?
ā€¢ Do they turn up promptly for the first meeting?
ā€¢ Is the person representing the company smartly turned out and polite?
ā€¢ Does the representative listen to your plans?
ā€¢ Does he or she propose solutions to any potential problems?
ā€¢ Can he or she provide references and photos of previous jobs?
ā€¢ Is the bid prepared in a timely and legible fashion?
ā€¢ Is the start date and duration realistic?
ā€¢ Is the contract easy to understand and suitably detailed?

Once the job has started:

ā€¢ Are tradesmen punctual and work full days?
ā€¢ Is the job site left tidy at the end of each day?
ā€¢ Is the company flexible to change requests?
ā€¢ Is the site cleaned and tidy upon completion?
ā€¢ Do you receive progress reports by mail?
ā€¢ Do you receive a detailed invoice at the termination of works?

So far we have dealt with what the contractor should do to demonstrate his competence. Remember that hiring a team is a contract and a partnership.

To ensure a smooth relationship with your contractor, keep these things in mind as well:

ā€¢ Have a good idea of what you would like to achieve
ā€¢ Know your budget and be realistic
ā€¢ Allow tradesmen the time to measure up accurately
ā€¢ Respond to their answers in a clear concise manner
ā€¢ Be punctual with payments as per the contract
ā€¢ Ensure the worksite is accessible
ā€¢ Fully discuss any changes and be clear on the price before any additional work is carried out
ā€¢ Confirm requests/changes in writing
ā€¢ Be constructive about any comments regarding the quality of work
ā€¢ Try to not point out work that isnā€™t finished before the completion of the job
ā€¢ Pay promptly on completion

Remember that most tradesmen are simply trying to make a living whilst carrying out a difficult job with low margins. Donā€™t fall into the trap of selecting a contractor based on the lowest bid. If the contractor is only able to show that you should hire him based on price alone, then thatā€™s not enough. You need technical expertise, competence and know how to underpin everything.

If the company offers detailed timeline planning, this should be taken as a guideline. Unforeseen circumstances can very quickly delay progress, and as long as this is explained then it canā€™t be avoided.

The vast majority of contractors strive to complete good work in a reasonable timeframe for a reasonable salary. There are of course the less than decent ones out there, but if you follow the steps above you should be able to select a reputable company and be on the right path for success.

For more information about Create and Construct Scottsdale, visit createandconstructscottsdale.com

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