After seeing so many contractor horror stories on social media platforms, I have decided to write a series of articles to help everyone avoid these and post across all platforms I am a part of.
these wont be short but one of these may save you hours of time, tons of grief and/or thousands of dollars on your next project.
Here is my outline which may change as I do this and hear everyones feedback and questions.
1. finding a good service provider for your project:
a. The priority Trifecta
b. How to tap in to word of mouth recommendation to find a service for your specific need.
c. How to use the internet to find good candidates for your project.
d. How to research for a service provider online and how to spot fake reviews. Number of reviews vs total review number. Number of reviews individual users have left.
e. The old big box store search and how to leverage it.
f. Classic things every contractor should have
2. spotting potential red flags
a. Receiving a contract. What is a HICPA compliant contract and how to know if your contractor gave you one.
b. If and when a deposit is reasonable
c. What questions does the service provider have for you.
d. Raising the odds of having a great experience and your dream becoming a reality.
- Do you have a vision
- Do you have clear priorities
- Do you have a budget in mind or an idea of how much this should cost.
- Do you have a timeline in mind.
3. Once you are already working together
a. How a change in the work scope should be handled
b. Is your property being protected.