If you're going to let someone in your house...

I can’t believe I’m putting this in writing, but I can’t actually complete Isthmus House entirely on my own. Now, I know, some of you have heard me say that I don’t do the stuff that’s more likely to kill me (electrical, plumbing, etc.), but that’s not what I’m talking about in this case.

My family, friends, and the lovely proprietors of the salvage shops I frequent from various regions of the country are a few of the many contributors to Isthmus House that come to mind but there are times that these assemblies can’t give me the kind of help I need. (If you’re thinking “a shrink probably couldn’t either at this point,” shush.)

Once in a while, I have to call in the big guns – the contractors. We all want to work with only the good, but I’ve worked with a few dogs now (I mean no disrespect to our furry friends) and a few that have turned out great.  

 

This would have been more helpful than a few of my past experiences...

 

What makes the difference and how can you (probably) figure it out before you hire them?

 

Good news, I’ve developed something of a systematic checklist (hey, remember, project management funds Isthmus House):

1. Use Angie’s List or get referrals from friends/family. Angie’s List isn’t a hard, tried-and-true step, but it’s a good place to start and see reviews from other real people in your area. If you Google promo codes before signing up, you can usually get a membership for about 40% off. My membership was under $20 for two years.*
2. Pick a list of 5ish that you’ve heard good things about. If they have websites (still not that common for contractors), check them out. There might be samples of their work that can give you a better idea of how well you might fit as contractor/client.
3. Call and schedule times for contractors to come out and see the site, take measurements and get a better idea of your vision. Ideally, put them in back to back time slots to keep you efficient, keep the same scope of work and remind them that you have plenty of options.
4. Ask lots of questions and give detail about what you want including magazine tear outs, renderings, materials, etc. Are permitting fees included in their bids? If permits are required for anything you’re doing (check with the city), your contractors should be more than prepared to pull one. If you’re planning to provide some or all of the needed materials, they need to know the specifics to give you correct numbers. 
5. Establish clear expectations of timelines. Should you expect their proposal tomorrow, next week or next month? If they’re unresponsive or late, you may not want to work with them.
6. Remember, you don’t have to be friends with your contractor but you do need to respect and want to work with them and vice versa. Once the detailed bids come in, it’s okay to discuss the numbers further - many are willing to work with you to match or split the difference between bids received from competitors to win your business. The lowest bids might not be on par with the work others are offering so be fair and find middle ground you can both be happy with. 

*Side note: I don’t love the Big Deals (kind of like a Groupon) they offer. Yeah, they can be a good deal but I’ve seen more than a few of the contractors drop pretty hard in ratings shortly after one’s offered.

 

Once you’ve made your final decision, sign your accepted proposal (should be detail of the work that’s happening, when, by whom and costs) and get your house ready for some work!

Before they come in, make sure you follow through with what you said you would complete. If I tell my plumber that I’ll have the demo of a wall done so that he can get in, it’s not very nice (or professional) of me to add that work to his day – assuming they have the extra time, they charge by the hour and you’ll be paying a pretty penny for that demo.

When I pay anyone to do something around my house, I follow them around to learn – heck, maybe next time I can figure out what they did. If that’s never going to happen in your world, then at least pay attention to what’s happening so you can prevent a hole being cut in the wrong wall or something equally irritating. If you have questions, ask – it’s your home and you should always be comfortable in it.

I should probably own this shirt

 

If problems do arise, steer into the skid… so to speak. One general contractor’s statement has stuck with me, “We’ll do our best not to mess up but, if we do, we’ll do everything we can to fix it.” Work with your crew so that you’re happy with the final product.

Finally, once the work is complete, have a walkthrough with your contractor to make sure you’re good with the work completed. Once you are, write the check promptly (in the words of my dad, “fast pay makes fast friends”), get a receipt and write a review reflecting your experience. If they have a website or are on a website like Angie’s List, they may also really appreciate before and after pictures of your project.

And there you have it, my tried and as-true-as-possible formula for finding a reliable contractor and living to tell the tale.

Tune in again next week for more on our most recent adventure (which does involve a contractor!) at the House on the Isthmus!