In the Chicago vernacular, “I gotta guy!” We at Bon Brise Design have a range of vendors and craftsmen to meet all the needs of our clients, and we pride ourselves on hiring professionals of the utmost quality. Finding the right person for the job can be tough for any project, particularly if you’re looking for a contractor.
Not sure how to find the perfect contractor yourself? Here are five tips to get you started:
Define your project.
You want to know exactly what you want your contractor to do before you have him or her in your home. Are you remodeling a bathroom and need new flooring and fixtures? Do you need to replace a window? Think through all the details of what you’ll be asking a contractor to bid on.
Find options.
Unless you have a referral to someone from a person you know and trust, find at least two contractors to meet with. Ask your friends and family for referrals, do research online. Check NARI.org (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) if you’re not sure where to start. We recommend getting references from any potential contractor and actually calling them! Talk to the references about the successes and the pitfalls of working with this contractor. If the homeowner is open to it, actually go look at the work this contractor did for them. You want to be sure the outcome was what the homeowner wanted and that the overall experience with the contractor was positive.
Be willing to wait.
Good contractors are usually busy. Allow for enough time in your planning to wait up to two months for your contractor to begin work on your home. Use that time to plan and to order your materials. Having all of your materials (fixtures, cabinetry, etc.) in at the warehouse or soon to be delivered will minimize wait time when your contractor’s ready to start.
Protect yourself.
You need to get a waiver of lien from any contractor and his subcontractors. This document acts as a kind of receipt of payment and prevents a contractor or subcontractor from putting a lien on your property after you’ve already paid them. In case your contractor doesn’t pay his subcontractors, they can’t come to you for payment.
Create a payment schedule.
Typically, you should plan to pay 20 percent down as a retainer and expect your contractor to request progress payments along the way. Unless there is a specific change order within the project (i.e. you originally ordered one sink but now want two), your contractor should stick to the original proposed numbers. If there is a change order, request what that cost will be from the contractor in advance.
Hiring the right contractor is vital for the success of your project (and your state of mind)! Following these five steps will help you find the best person for the job. And of course, we at Bon Brise Design are always happy to help you with your projects. Give us a call to get started!
