Homeowners and Investors!
In today's market, more and more homeowners are deciding to stay put instead of trying to buy a new house. The ones that are not, are searching for affordable foreclosures or fixer-uppers in need of a little TLC.Eitherway, people are needing contactors to help remodel and fix their homes. Since starting the process of locating, screening and choosing the right professional can be a very daunting and exhausting task for someone to have to endure, here is a little advice on how to find, screen, verify and choose the right professional.
Brief Explanation:
You can verify these professionals free of charge from the official state website that they offer their services in (it is very rare for the government to charge fees for public information, so this should be free!) Even verifying insurance is free. The process to verify license and insurance takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. You can verify license records online while on the phone with the insurance company, and they usually give an answer in about 5 minutes. This only leaves you the task of verifying references for previous projects/jobs or services. Three references can be validated in about 15 minutes and this process requires no fee as well.
Contractor Verification:
When hiring a contractor, there are several important things to take into consideration - experience and insurance coverage (for YOUR protection).
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General Liability Insurance. This covers any damages caused to your property either while the professional is currently working on site, or it will cover any damages or injuries later on should something go wrong due to improper installation or workmanship.
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Workman's Compensation Insurance. This protects you from being sued in case of an injury. Should a professional or one of their employees receive an injury while working on your property and they do not have this type of coverage, then you risk a serious legal battle against your homeowner's policy to pay for their injuries and damages.
Can they offer pictures and references of any past clients or projects? There are many times when a customers will ask if they can go see a professional's previous work. Even though this is a very valid question, don’t be alarmed if they cannot do this. Why? Do you want a contractor bringing potential clients through your house all the time to show off the work they did for you? That’s great if you can honestly answer yes to this question. However, please stop and consider the possibilty that you could end up with 4 or more people every week touring your home.
Do they require a down payment? Why? How much? What recourse do you have should they not show up after you have written them a deposit check? Can you offer to purchase the materials and have the materials ready for pick up or delivery to eliminate the need for a down payment or deposit? Can you verify from previous customers that they gave them a deposit and the contractor showed up to do the work requested?
Do you have a contract defining exactly what is to be done? Do you have an agreed upon start date? Do you have an agreed upon completion date?Are there penalties if work is not completed on time? Who buys and supplies the materials? Are they licensed? What are they licensed for? Do you want a roofer installing your plumbing?
These are very important
things that you have a right to
know. If they can’t or won’t answer these questions, consider moving on
to
someone who can.
Special Note:
These are strictly recommendations that consumers should consider when selecting and hiring any professional for services.
It is the sole responsibility of the homeowner and investor to decide how to proceed with a screening process that meets their own specific needs and requirements.
Author Bio:
This article was written by Walter Sanderson, founder of this website, STL Home Rehabbers. He has more than 15 years experience in rehabbing and remodeling homes. For more information about him, you can check out http://waltersanderson.stlhomerehabbers.com/.
Article Source: http://www.stlhomerehabbers.com/
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