Whether you are planning to add one extra room for your growing family or just getting storm windows, finding a competent contractor is usually key to a successful and satisfying home improvement project. Your home is probably the most valuable asset you have. This explains why you need to be very careful when choosing someone to work on it. Most contractors nowadays run adverts on television, newspaper or even yellow pages. However, you should not consider an ad as indication of quality of work to expect from the contractor. In fact, good contractors do not even need to advertise themselves to get clients. Most of their clients are through referrals. So, when looking for any contractors South Jersey residents will find the following tips very useful.
For the best outcome, you should look for a contractor who specializes in your type of project. It makes no sense to hire an electrical contractor for your plumbing needs. In fact, a non specialist could cause you more damage than he found. It is also worth noting that pros always take classes and research in their kinds of projects. This makes them experts in these fields.
You should imagine what will happen should the contractor take your deposit and disappear. In such a situation, the most realistic thing to do would be to report him to the relevant authority. However, it will be very difficult to trace him if he was just one of the fly by night contractors. So to be on the safe side, you should only deal with licensed companies.
The type of insurance cover that the contractor holds is also worth considering. A good contractor should hold personal liability cover, workers compensation cover and property damage coverage. Do not believe what the contractor tells you verbally unless and until you see his insurance certificate. If you are not keen enough, some rogue contractors will even show you invalid certificates. You therefore need to verify the expiry date of the certificate you are being shown.
Cost of service is another crucial factor. Because there is no standard charge for remodeling services, you will soon realize that every contractor has his own charges. This stresses the importance of window shopping. Window shopping however does not mean that you look for the cheapest contractor around. Look for someone who can assure you of quality services and also at a reasonable price.
You also need to set a payment schedule. A payment schedule can tell you a lot about a contractors financial status and work ethics. If he asks you for half the bid, this may mean that he is having financial problems. For large projects, you should only pay 10 % at contract signing and spread the rest over the duration of the project.
Any contractor who is worth his salt should also give you reference. However, you need to beware of contractors who will give you his best friends as customers. Rather, you should ask him for his most recent customers. If he hesitates, this could be a warning sign to you. Additionally, you should make a point of visiting one of his current projects.
With these tips in mind before contracting any contractors South Jersey homeowners should always be able to find good ones. These tips will not guarantee you a problem free project. However, they will increase your chances of finding a good contractor.
For the best outcome, you should look for a contractor who specializes in your type of project. It makes no sense to hire an electrical contractor for your plumbing needs. In fact, a non specialist could cause you more damage than he found. It is also worth noting that pros always take classes and research in their kinds of projects. This makes them experts in these fields.
You should imagine what will happen should the contractor take your deposit and disappear. In such a situation, the most realistic thing to do would be to report him to the relevant authority. However, it will be very difficult to trace him if he was just one of the fly by night contractors. So to be on the safe side, you should only deal with licensed companies.
The type of insurance cover that the contractor holds is also worth considering. A good contractor should hold personal liability cover, workers compensation cover and property damage coverage. Do not believe what the contractor tells you verbally unless and until you see his insurance certificate. If you are not keen enough, some rogue contractors will even show you invalid certificates. You therefore need to verify the expiry date of the certificate you are being shown.
Cost of service is another crucial factor. Because there is no standard charge for remodeling services, you will soon realize that every contractor has his own charges. This stresses the importance of window shopping. Window shopping however does not mean that you look for the cheapest contractor around. Look for someone who can assure you of quality services and also at a reasonable price.
You also need to set a payment schedule. A payment schedule can tell you a lot about a contractors financial status and work ethics. If he asks you for half the bid, this may mean that he is having financial problems. For large projects, you should only pay 10 % at contract signing and spread the rest over the duration of the project.
Any contractor who is worth his salt should also give you reference. However, you need to beware of contractors who will give you his best friends as customers. Rather, you should ask him for his most recent customers. If he hesitates, this could be a warning sign to you. Additionally, you should make a point of visiting one of his current projects.
With these tips in mind before contracting any contractors South Jersey homeowners should always be able to find good ones. These tips will not guarantee you a problem free project. However, they will increase your chances of finding a good contractor.
About the Author:
For the most competent contractors South Jersey residents can search locally or on the internet. The most convenient way is to log on to http://mtpconstruction.com today. All the information is just one click away.
No comments:
Post a Comment