Properly interviewing your contractor is an important task even if you are only hiring someone to repair a patch and they claim to be a patch master. Hiring the wrong contractor can cost you far more than a shoddy job or a ripped off deposit.
Consider the case of an Oregon woman who had a deck built on the back of her home a few years prior to using the deck to host her wedding. Shortly after the ceremony, the deck collapsed, causing over 25 guests to plummet nearly 40 feet down the bluff her home sat on, killing one woman and hospitalizing 23 others. It is about far more than money, your life or the lives of your family could be at stake.
License: This is the first thing that should be checked even prior to inviting the contractor into your home or business to give an estimate on your project. Call the contractor, ask for their license number, and if there is any hesitation in releasing this information move on as they probably have something to hide. Check to confirm the person actually doing the work is the actual license holder. Many times you will find contractors that are not completely above board and unable to obtain a license. These contractors will have the business put in the name of a spouse or other family member, someone that knows little if anything about the actual business.
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Insurance & Bonding: Is your potential contractor insured? Are they bonded? Typically, liability and bond insurance information is public record. If not the contractor should not show any hesitation in providing the names and policy numbers of the carriers who underwrite these policies. Sometimes a simple check of your states licensing agency, such as the California State Contractors Board, will provide you with the policy information and expiration dates. All states have a similar agency in charge of managing licenses. Furthermore, if the contractor has employees do they have workers compensation insurance? Many contractors will claim to the licensing agencies not to have employees and will not carry the required insurance. In many jurisdictions if the employee gets hurt on your property, you will be the one left holding the bag.
Training: One of the most important questions to ask your contractor is where they learned their trade. Often times this question can lead you to the person that trained them to do their job, usually their competition. Given the choice between picking the newbie or their more experienced mentor, the decision on who to choose in my mind is crystal-clear.
Experience: This is straightforward and in some ways relates to asking about their training. Do you really want a contractor in your home removing your acoustic ceilings who has only been in the business for five or six years when you can hire a contractor that has been working in the same trade for twenty years or more?
References: This is a touchy subject as many times you can be mislead by references provided given. It is simple enough for a dishonest contractor to have a friend or family member act as a previous customer to mislead you. My suggestion if possible, is to ask for the names and numbers of commercial references. A reputable and well-known local realtor or property management company is far more likely to be honest as they have their own business and reputation to guard.
Although you may have other points that are just as important to you when making your decision about which tradesperson to hire, these basic guidelines will go a long way toward protecting you and your home.
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