How do you know you have the right Contractor?
There are many factors that are involved when choosing the right Contractor. The best thing you can do is to research and educate yourself on Who they are, What they do, How they do it (process), community Reputation (reviews), and ultimately who you want to partner with. Are they in it for the long term?
Factors to consider:
- Are they Licensed by the State to perform the services that you are looking for. You can search their Licenses as it should be publicly available. (Example: Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation)
- Does the Contractor have Liability Insurance & Workman’s Compensation Coverage. These are super important. Liability Insurance covers you in the event of Contractor negligence IE: (Contractor crashes a trailer into your house causing extensive damage.) Workman’s Compensation Coverage protects you as the Homeowner from being sued initially for an injury that occurs while working on your property. If a Contractor does not have this coverage and they get hurt on your property then you are liable for their injuries. Workman’s Compensation creates a financial buffer for you.
- Reviews. These are critical because you get to hear from actual people who have hired the Contractor and who can verify how they operate. Asking for references is a great way to see how you will be treated by the Contractor.
- Is the Contractor Verified (Vetted) by a Supplier, Manufacture, or Financial Institution? Yes, you can ask for verification of Good Standing with suppliers. Verify with a Manufacture of a product that you are looking to purchase especially if there is a Warranty involved. The manufacture can also verify if they are factory trained! Verify Creditworthiness of a company to see if they are in good Financial standing. Did you know that Google also has a Contractor Verification (Vetting) process that guarantees their work? (GOOGLE GUARANTEED)
At the end of the day your satisfaction with a job should be the main focus of hiring the right Contractor. Contractors that meet these criteria often cost more to perform your project but, the peace of mind that you get far exceeds the true price of a project. Check out Service Locators like Nextdoor for more information or Yelp to help you find good contractors as well.