NO CONTRACTOR? WRONG CONTRACTOR?

Why it’s important to choose the right contractor

The Case of “I’ll Be My Own Contractor”: We often hear about homeowners who coordinated their own remodeling or construction projects. This has been on the rise as do-it-yourself home-improvement shows become more and more popular, with Pinterest boards and HOUZZ pages showing “DIY” ideas with picture-pretty results (often achieved with professional help). And Hey! who doesn’t want to save a little money; why not be your own general contractor?

More often than not, this decision ends up creating a disaster and we get the call to clean up the mess. If you don’t work with trade contractors all the time, it’s difficult to know their work ethics. When you’re in the business, you know which subcontractors (such as plumbers, electricians and excavators) are reliable, dependable and capable of establishing a good working relationship. A good contractor knows who to trust and who will do a top notch job for you.

The Case of “Choose the Cheap One”: While we’d never buy a cheap pair of shoes and expect them to hold up over time, or allow our children to drive a vehicle without a valid license, it’s amazing how many folks will hire the cheapest contractor they can find and–too often–one without a license and insurance. Often, these “contractors” are people who’ve worked as a laborer or a framer for a short period of time and decide that they’re ready to start their own business. When you get the bid, you’re pleased to see how much this person/company says they can save you. You may even see “licensed, bonded and insured” on their business card or ad.  I have met people who say, “I have a driver’s license and my van is insured, that’s why it’s on the business card”.  They wouldn’t know what a proper contractor’s license or a worker’s comp policy looks like even if they’ve seen one! 

At first things may seem fine. In a day or two, a worker shows up and starts measuring, or a small load of material is delivered to the job site. Then the excuses begin. After a week has passed, with no work being done, you call your unlicensed contractor. You leave a message. You don’t get a response. After multiple messages, you get an apologetic call telling you about some catastrophe involving his truck, his family, his help or another job he just had to complete. He promises to get right on your job the next day. A week later, he still hasn’t shown up, or he does show up and says he needs more money.

Sound crazy? It happens every day. Work that is done turns out to be shoddy or won’t pass inspection/isn’t up to code. Fly-by-night “contractors” take your hard-earned money and disappear. The customer has no recourse but to try to find the unlicensed “contractor” and take him to court. Sadly, we get calls each month from people who chose the wrong contractors–companies or individuals with little capital and less experience who have no external verification of their quality, service, ethics and customer satisfaction. Never hire a contractor without checking out the company’s record.  

This is another reason why we utilize the Design/Build method and fixed contract pricing! Choose the right contractor from the start. It’s important to be able to trust your contractor. We’re proud of our A+ Better Business Bureau rating, membership in professional organizations and our customer satisfaction awards over a span of many years! Our solid reputation, dependability and good work ethics are three of the most important reasons for choosing Vision Design Build Remodel as your contractor.

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