Choosing a Contractor

So the holidays are over and you’ve finally put up the Christmas tree that always seems to hang around longer than it should, at least it does in my house.

Now your focus slowly starts shifting to everything that needs done around the house. You’ll find yourself day dreaming about that kitchen remodel or relaxing in a warm bath in your newly remodeled bathroom or how about finally finishing the basement which it’s currently the last stop for items that are going to be donated or thrown away.

Maybe it’s nothing that big.

Maybe you want to paint the living room, and add some trim work in your dinning room you saw on Pinterest and replace a leaky faucet. A lot of times companies that specialize on one trade don’t want to do smaller jobs. They may even make an appointment but never show up.

So what do you do?

How do you find a contractor that is willing to tackle a small job?

Are you going to have to call a different contractor for each project you need done since they involve different trades?

Well I’ll give you a few suggestions that if you follow them can make this process easy.

First look for companies that specialize in home improvement.

When you find a company that might fit your needs be sure to do some research. Look up the company’s rating on Google. See what other people have to say about them. You can ask friends and family if they know a reliable contractor but you still need to look them up on Google. Do your own due diligence.

When they make an appointment with you, do they show up on time?

You can tell a lot about how the business you are contemplating hiring for your job by whether or not they show up on time or if the representative is running behind (which can happen) but calls you to keep you updated on what is going on.

Try to get the contractor on the same page as you.

This means that it is important that you relay to them what your expectations of the final product are. It will greatly affect the price. Remember that as a contractor they can’t assume that your expectations are going to be the same as the job he/she did last week. People are all different. Communication is important in any relationship and that is true of your relationship with a contractor.

This next one is one that I would say 90% of home owners don’t think about. Insurance!

Sure you may ask about liability insurance but you might think about workman’s compensation insurance. This is the insurance that will take care of a worker if they happen to have an accident and hurt themselves on your property.

Did you know that as a home owner you can be held liable if a worker from a company you hired gets hurt while working on your house?

Most home owners don’t realize that. So please for the sake of protecting what you’ve worked so hard for ask for workman’s compensation insurance.

And lastly be leery of any company asking for payment up front.

A deposit up front is acceptable. Or half when they show up with materials with the remainder due once job has been completed. Never pay a contractor in full before they’re done. Especially if this is the first job they’ve done for you.

Choosing a good dependable contractor is not a decision that should be taken lightly. After all you could have a lot of money ridding on this decision. Because I know this, we at E.L Construction work very hard to deliver the best experience possible. We strive for the highest standards of workmanship and customer service.

Call us today 816-868-2299!

Do you need a professional painting contractor? We do that! E.L. Construction offers full painting services for interior and exterior painting for your home or place of business.

You need a carpenter? We do that! At E.L. Construction we are masters at repairing wood rot, drywall, installing trim of all kinds, installing cabinets, building walls, finishing basements and so much more.

At E.L. Construction we truly care about people.

We believe in solving people’s problems even over selling a job. At E.L. Construction we know that our clients are the life blood of our business and as such we protect our clients by carrying full liability insurance and workman’s Compensation insurance.

So when you’re choosing a contractor look for a company that is able to take care of all your needs, a company that believes the customer is #1 and a company that protects their customers by carrying the proper insurance.