Hiring the wrong contractor can quickly turn your dream home into a remodeling nightmare. The good news is by knowing what red flags to look for, you can avoid many headaches before they start. A little awareness before you begin interviewing contractors can save you time, money, and stress. This article will cover the most important warning signs to watch for when hiring a contractor.
I want to start off by talking a bit about things that you should avoid when interacting with a contractor. There are some things that if said will give them the impression they can walk all over you. This doesn’t mean every contractor will treat you this way, but you won’t know who is capable of it until it is happening.
There are a lot of good contractors out there, and I want you to find the one who is the best fit for you. That’s why I put together the FREE Hiring The Ideal Contractor Checklist. Just click the link to learn more.
- Find out what needs to be done before hiring
- Learn where to go to look for the right people
- Get to know what goes into the interviewing
- What takes place before signing the contract
- Keep up-to-date while the project is happening
What Not to Tell Your Contractor
It’s possible to tell your contractor too much when interacting with them. This is just one piece of the process of finding, interviewing, and hiring the right contractor for you. If you are interested in learning more about this process, read the post titled Follow This Guide When Hiring A Contractor. It will help you understand the whole process.
Not all contractors are willing to take advantage of their client, but the reality is there are enough of them out there that we need to have this conversation. There are certain things you may say that can encourage a subpar contractor to treat you negatively. It’s not necessary information for them to have, and that makes it better to keep it to yourself altogether.
All the statements listed below can be considered “giving too much information”. When discussing anything with your contractor it’s best to use your own discretion.
I’m not in a rush. Having a clear project timeline will allow both parties to have much needed structure. If you tell your contractor you aren’t in a rush, this gives them the impression your project doesn’t matter to you.
I don’t have a budget. This statement may put dollar signs in the eyes of even the most honest contractor. Set your budget up front when you negotiate. If not, it leaves the door open to being taken advantage of financially.
Do whatever you think looks best. This leads to the possibility of not liking the final outcome of your remodel. You want to be the one that approves the materials the majority of the time. There may be situations where they need to make the call.
I can pay in cash under the table. This may be illegal to do in your area. You also want to have a paper trail of all payments to keep in your documents to help protect yourself if needed.
I’m fine with a handshake deal. You want to have everything in writing. Keep all your paperwork in a folder in a safe place. This protects you if anything goes wrong and you need to defend yourself in court. This won’t be the outcome most of the time, but if it is you will be happy you did this.
We’ll figure out the details later. Having a clearly defined scope of work up front will save you some headaches later. You also would be leaving yourself open to being taken advantage of if you say something like this.
Money is no object. This is not a good thing to say even if it is true. You can allow yourself to be taken advantage of with this statement.
Don’t worry about permits. Permits will help protect you from future issues. Some permits also are what lets the new work on your home to be included in increasing the home’s resale value.
This is not a complete list by any means. Use your discretion when communicating with contractors. Think to yourself whether the information is necessary or not before mentioning it. Give them enough to get their job done, but not so much that it leaves room for shady activity.
General Contractor Red Flags
Contractor red flags can come in many forms. The simplest definition of a red flag is something they say or do that can be a warning sign of their bad habits. These generally are things they say that don’t quite sit right with you. It’s important to recognize these issues early so you can address them. If left unaddressed they can be dishonest, take advantage of you, and/or be lousy workers.
Don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions to help clarify something they said that stands out to you. Don’t be too aggressive or have a negative tone because this will probably cause them to lash back.
Things A Contractor Does to Give Them a Bad Reputation
The activities listed here are forms of deception the contractor may perform on you. Some are more tolerable than others. Any of these can add to making the overall remodeling experience one that becomes really difficult for you if not worse.
There are some situations that may be fine for you in a low frequency. Use your own discretion to decide if something is tolerable or not.
Having poor communication with you. This can include ignoring calls or emails, not providing updates, or being vague about timelines.
Missing deadlines you both agreed on. They may be consistently running late without explanation or solutions. This may push back your project timeline when done on a regular occurrence.
Going over budget without mentioning anything. You want to know if there is anything that changes so you can adapt. A remodel will always bring surprises, that’s what a contingency is for.
Low-quality work when you were under a different impression. Low-quality work is a sign of cutting corners. This may lead to problems with poor craftsmanship later on.
Lack of transparency with factors you should be in the loop on. If someone is proud of their work they will have no problem being transparent with you. A lack of transparency is a sign there are issues they want to hide.
Failing to show up to appointments or work on time. Too many days like this will drastically affect your remodel’s timeline. This will add to the stress you have during this project.
Not pulling required permits for your home. The step of pulling proper permits helps protect you legally. There are other issues with this one as well. It’s important to follow up with your contractor before these parts of the job are done.
A messy job site leads to hazards for you and your family. Leaving tools, debris, and hazards around can produce harmful chemicals in your living environment. Some of this is necessary for a remodel, but there are ways to reduce these issues as the work gets done.
Overpromising and underdelivering is a huge let down. This type of action is deceiving. It’s a way for someone to tell you what you want to hear, knowing you won’t get your desired result in the allotted amount of time.
Pressuring for upfront payment is a bad sign. When a large payment is demanded up front this leaves the door open to “take the money and run”. There is a reason why a milestone payment plan is used. But if your job is small an upfront payment plan is often used.
Changing the scope without consent is not what you agreed to. Doing extra work (and charging for it) without homeowner approval can be deceptive and lead to a remodeling nightmare. You want the end result to be something you love, not just tolerate.
Signs Of A Good Contractor (Contractor Green Flags)
Green flags are equally as important when hiring a contractor. These can be signs that the have good judgement and morals on the job. Some of the items listed below will only be visible when they are on the job. For that reason you can ask their references about the ones you are most interested in.
The contractor is licensed and insured. Being licensed and insured is A reliable contractor will readily provide proof of licensing and insurance, protecting you from liability and unqualified work.
They have provided a clearly written contract. All details about the job are clearly written out with no ambiguity. They are clear and upfront with what you are getting from them.
Their references are positive and strong. Their past clients are willing to explain what it was like to use them. The experiences are all positive ones.
The estimates are clearly written and transparent. Every detail from labor, fees, and materials used is itemized in a detailed estimate leaving no room for confusion.
Their communication skills are good. They return phone calls or text messages in a timely manner. You get all your questions answered without any dodging of the topics.
They are not manipulating the budget in any way.
This can come in multiple forms. They offer solutions that lie within your budget, instead of trying to promote more expensive material upgrades.
They take the initiative to pull the permits when needed. Pulling permits gives you the assurance that the project will be up to code.
The jobsite is left in a reasonable state of cleanliness.
When the work is complete for the day the excess debris and tools are tidied up and organized. This gives an appearance of respect for your personal living space.
The terms of payment are fair and reasonable. They are reasonable with the amounts for milestone payments. There is no demand for a large upfront payment.
Green flags are almost as important to look for when hiring a contractor as the red flags. They make the experience much more enjoyable, and are likely to lead to you giving them a good review. When the contractor demonstrates green flags similar to the ones on the above list, they are showing you they respect you and your home enough to treat you well.
Conclusion
When you are hiring a contractor you want to make sure they are the right fit for you and your family. A home remodel can be a very stressful time, which a great deal rests on how the contractor interacts with you during the process. It’s much more important that you have a stress free and smooth remodeling experience.
If you notice any red flags when hiring a contractor like poor communication or asking for large upfront payments you can potentially avoid some major problems. This part of the process will help protect you from financial burdens, unhealthy living conditions, or unneeded stress. Trust your instincts when dealing with contractors. Your first reaction is often the right one.
If you liked this article, I recommend checking out another one called Home Remodel Cost Estimator. In this one I break down exactly what goes into planning a budget for a kitchen and for a bathroom remodel.
Thank you for visiting Remodel Upgrade. Here I am dedicated to helping you turn your home into your sanctuary. Take a look at the other articles for topics to help you on your remodeling journey.
You got this,
Kevin
Kevin
I grew up in a family where my dad and several uncles were general contractors. They took me to the jobsites, and also taught me so much about home maintenance. I remember spending several summers in high school helping my father build houses. It gave me so much knowledge that I am excited to share!
