On our last blog, we discussed two starting points to insure you won’t pick a contractor who will

steal your deposit, damage your property, or do shoddy work and not stand behind it. These

recommendations were to check with the BBB and to verify insurance coverage.

Let’s go a couple of steps further. Have you seen any examples of this contractor’s work?

Usually, good companies will eagerly display a job sign in front of a home they are working on.

This means they are not ashamed of what they are doing, and the owner wants the neighbors

to see they are having their property renovated and improved. One job sign is good, but if

there have been several in the same subdivision or street by that company, that is a pretty

good indicator that the company is reputable and does good work. If you feel comfortable

doing so, you might inquire of the neighbor or homeowner how the job is going and what kind

of overall experience they are having or have had. Because projects vary widely in scope and

cost, discussions about price and budget may be a no-no.

Another indicator of good reputation is how the contractor gets more business. If a lot of the

new customers are the result of referrals or repeat business, you probably have a winner. Bad

contractors are almost always “one and done”. It’s hard enough to get people to share good

experiences, but they’ll shout it from the housetops when they’ve been taken advantage of.

Bad news travels much faster than good news (unfortunately).

Another possibility is checking with suppliers. For example, if you are considering a Kitchen

remodel, talking to the cabinet supplier might be a good move (assuming you know what kind

of cabinet). Sometimes, consulting with a manufacturer might be possible. Many

manufacturers have “preferred” contractor programs where certain companies get rewarded

for exceptional work.

One additional thought for this week. Do you feel a connection with the person doing the

estimating? Is your first contact with company personnel positive, reassuring? Or do you have

some kind of weird, gut-level sense of uneasiness? Admittedly, there are some salespeople

that are experts at schmoozing. And there are those that just won’t take the hint to leave.

There’s a delicate mix between overly aggressive sales people and under responsive customers.

It’s the salesman’s job to ask for the business in a respectful manner. It’s the owner’s job to be

honest and forthright about their goals, plans and objectives.   - Jim Brubaker - Sr. Project Coordinator