If I had a dollar for every time I started a job walk-through with a homeowner telling me, “The last guy I hired left in the middle of the job, and I haven’t been able to get a hold of him since,” or “I need you to fix the work of the last company I hired” – and if I had another dollar for when those very same homeowners—you know, the ones who griped about cheap or unfinished work—contacted us after they received our bid and said they were going to go with another company because “their bid came in under yours,” I’d be a very rich woman. This happens at least once a week, and even when I remind those homeowners of the bad labor they received before, they still insist upon going with the lower numbers. But hey, that’s their prerogative!
I like a good deal as much as the next person, and I will scour Google high and low to get the best deal on just about anything, but even I understand that the cheapest deal isn’t always the best. Take hotel rooms for example: you may pay next to nothing for a hotel room, but chances are, that hotel room will reek of stale cigarettes, have an old, lumpy mattress and see a cleaning crew only twice a week. I would rather pay a little more and enjoy my stay than skimp on costs and be worried that a cockroach might jump out at me every time I open the shower curtain.
Now, your home isn’t a hotel room, and you’re going to have to live with the finished product. Chances are, you don’t want to live in a reeking, stinking, lumpy mess, so when choosing your contractor, do your research beyond the price comparison. If a contractor gives you Motel 6 prices, ask around and find out whether or not they give Motel 6 quality. Same goes for the high bidders – if they’re giving Marriott prices, make sure they deliver Marriott quality. There are a couple of ways you can figure out rather quickly whether or not a contractor is going to do a good job. Here are a few things that we tell our clients to look out for:
Thoroughness Of The Bid
I feel like this is the greatest indicator of whether or not a contractor is going to do a good job. If a contractor comes into your home, takes a glance around, then throws you a number, chances are, he has no idea what the work is really going to entail, and he is going to either a) add to the price at the end because he didn’t calculate a huge portion of the job into the original estimate or b) he is going to cut corners to make up for any details that he missed. Either way, you’re not going to be happy.
Now, if a contractor comes into your home and takes a look at every aspect of the project-to-be (let’s say you want to remodel your master bathroom, with all new tile, paint and fixtures), and if they ask you questions about what exactly you want done (Will you want the sink in the same spot? Are there any ventilation issues we should know about? What about mold or water damage?), then you know they’re going to do a good job, and, more importantly, that they’re going to do the right. Furthermore, there will be no hidden costs and no corners cut, because that contractor included every little detail in his initial bid, and planned for the entire scope of the project.
Finally, you want to watch out for lowball offers, because a lot of contractors will do this just to get the job. Then, once they have your home torn apart, they’ll “discover” a huge problem and tell you that you need to fix it in order to move on with the initial project. This “problem” will end up costing you a lot.
References & Portfolio
Every good contractor not only has a list of references that will vouch for their work, but also, they have a portfolio to show off as well. And even if they don’t have those two things on hand, they’ll be more than happy to get you a couple of names and numbers, and put together a photo album for you. After all, their work should be their point of pride, and if it’s not, well, then, that should be a sign that maybe they don’t do good work.
If they do give you references, make sure to give those people a call. Ask about the quality of work, how it was to work with the company and whether or not they had any issues with the contractor.
Payment In Full, Up Front
A lot of contractors will ask for a deposit up front because, unfortunately, some homeowners will wait until a project is complete and then suddenly “not have the funds” or, my personal favorite, decide that they “don’t like your work.” This has happened to us a few times, and let me tell you, it hurts. So yes, it is common practice for us contractors to ask for a portion of the payment of front. What is not common is asking for payment in full.
Be weary of contractors that ask for payment in full upfront, as they’re probably anticipating not finishing the job, or at least, not doing a proper job. And, with the entire payment already in their hands, they have no real motivation to fix any part of the finished product that you have an issue with, if they even deliver a final product at all.
Are They Willing To Put It In Writing?
We ask that customers sign a contract before we begin any work on their home because, like I mentioned above, a lot of homeowners will try to skip out on paying you, or only pay a certain amount because “x was promised but x was not delivered.” We actually had a woman fight us every step of the way, saying things like “We had a verbal agreement!” and “But you said over the phone!” Halfway through the project, we realized we needed a contract, otherwise we’d end up remodeling this woman’s entire home for the estimated cost – which was for two rooms. When we asked her to sign the contract, she refused. Flat out refused. Kept hemming and hawing and coming up with excuses to not sign it. “Oh, I need my glasses,” or “I’ll have my husband look it over when he gets home.” Finally we told her that we weren’t going to touch another inch of her home until she signed the contract and paid the deposit. So she did.
And I’m glad she did! Because she didn’t pay us for an entire month after we completed the project, and I have a feeling that she only paid because we had to remind her about the contract several times throughout that month. When she did pay, she paid in increments.
The moral of the story is: contracts are necessary. For us and for you. If a contractor won’t sign anything that details the scope of work and estimated cost, then be weary, as they’ll probably try to add more work, or skip out on things you wanted done but still try to charge you the same.
But Sometimes, Cheaper Can Be Okay
I am by no means saying that the cheapest bid isn’t the best bid. Heck, when we first starting doing residential jobs, we through so many cheap bids that I’m surprises we’re still in business! Some of the homeowners flat out told us that they wanted to pay us more; others let us do the work for so cheap. In both instances, we put forth 100% effort, and produced a great finished product. If you want, we can give you the references to back up that statement ;)
Oftentimes, new contractors produce high-quality work, but they just don’t know the industry standards yet. And this is okay, and says nothing about their integrity as a professional.
Other times, a contractor will bid low if they know that you’re going to give them ongoing work, or if they know that you have connections to other work. We do this a lot as well.
Lastly, the lowest bidder might just have little to no overhead. Larger companies have to pay more expenses, such as a storefront, employees, vehicles, etc., while the smaller contractors might work out of their homes and employ just one or two people.
Bids Aren’t Always Final
Lastly, and as we always tell our potential clients, bids aren’t final, and we’re willing to discuss any questions or concerns that they might have. If you feel a price isn’t comparable to the scope of work, let us know, and we’ll either break the cost down for you, or take off some of the cost after further research.
In the end, it’s all about informed decision making, and not just getting the lowest price.
If you’re looking to get paint or remodel work done on your home, contact our paint and construction company for a FREE ESTIMATE.
I like a good deal as much as the next person, and I will scour Google high and low to get the best deal on just about anything, but even I understand that the cheapest deal isn’t always the best. Take hotel rooms for example: you may pay next to nothing for a hotel room, but chances are, that hotel room will reek of stale cigarettes, have an old, lumpy mattress and see a cleaning crew only twice a week. I would rather pay a little more and enjoy my stay than skimp on costs and be worried that a cockroach might jump out at me every time I open the shower curtain.
Now, your home isn’t a hotel room, and you’re going to have to live with the finished product. Chances are, you don’t want to live in a reeking, stinking, lumpy mess, so when choosing your contractor, do your research beyond the price comparison. If a contractor gives you Motel 6 prices, ask around and find out whether or not they give Motel 6 quality. Same goes for the high bidders – if they’re giving Marriott prices, make sure they deliver Marriott quality. There are a couple of ways you can figure out rather quickly whether or not a contractor is going to do a good job. Here are a few things that we tell our clients to look out for:
Thoroughness Of The Bid
I feel like this is the greatest indicator of whether or not a contractor is going to do a good job. If a contractor comes into your home, takes a glance around, then throws you a number, chances are, he has no idea what the work is really going to entail, and he is going to either a) add to the price at the end because he didn’t calculate a huge portion of the job into the original estimate or b) he is going to cut corners to make up for any details that he missed. Either way, you’re not going to be happy.
Now, if a contractor comes into your home and takes a look at every aspect of the project-to-be (let’s say you want to remodel your master bathroom, with all new tile, paint and fixtures), and if they ask you questions about what exactly you want done (Will you want the sink in the same spot? Are there any ventilation issues we should know about? What about mold or water damage?), then you know they’re going to do a good job, and, more importantly, that they’re going to do the right. Furthermore, there will be no hidden costs and no corners cut, because that contractor included every little detail in his initial bid, and planned for the entire scope of the project.
Finally, you want to watch out for lowball offers, because a lot of contractors will do this just to get the job. Then, once they have your home torn apart, they’ll “discover” a huge problem and tell you that you need to fix it in order to move on with the initial project. This “problem” will end up costing you a lot.
References & Portfolio
Every good contractor not only has a list of references that will vouch for their work, but also, they have a portfolio to show off as well. And even if they don’t have those two things on hand, they’ll be more than happy to get you a couple of names and numbers, and put together a photo album for you. After all, their work should be their point of pride, and if it’s not, well, then, that should be a sign that maybe they don’t do good work.
If they do give you references, make sure to give those people a call. Ask about the quality of work, how it was to work with the company and whether or not they had any issues with the contractor.
Payment In Full, Up Front
A lot of contractors will ask for a deposit up front because, unfortunately, some homeowners will wait until a project is complete and then suddenly “not have the funds” or, my personal favorite, decide that they “don’t like your work.” This has happened to us a few times, and let me tell you, it hurts. So yes, it is common practice for us contractors to ask for a portion of the payment of front. What is not common is asking for payment in full.
Be weary of contractors that ask for payment in full upfront, as they’re probably anticipating not finishing the job, or at least, not doing a proper job. And, with the entire payment already in their hands, they have no real motivation to fix any part of the finished product that you have an issue with, if they even deliver a final product at all.
Are They Willing To Put It In Writing?
We ask that customers sign a contract before we begin any work on their home because, like I mentioned above, a lot of homeowners will try to skip out on paying you, or only pay a certain amount because “x was promised but x was not delivered.” We actually had a woman fight us every step of the way, saying things like “We had a verbal agreement!” and “But you said over the phone!” Halfway through the project, we realized we needed a contract, otherwise we’d end up remodeling this woman’s entire home for the estimated cost – which was for two rooms. When we asked her to sign the contract, she refused. Flat out refused. Kept hemming and hawing and coming up with excuses to not sign it. “Oh, I need my glasses,” or “I’ll have my husband look it over when he gets home.” Finally we told her that we weren’t going to touch another inch of her home until she signed the contract and paid the deposit. So she did.
And I’m glad she did! Because she didn’t pay us for an entire month after we completed the project, and I have a feeling that she only paid because we had to remind her about the contract several times throughout that month. When she did pay, she paid in increments.
The moral of the story is: contracts are necessary. For us and for you. If a contractor won’t sign anything that details the scope of work and estimated cost, then be weary, as they’ll probably try to add more work, or skip out on things you wanted done but still try to charge you the same.
But Sometimes, Cheaper Can Be Okay
I am by no means saying that the cheapest bid isn’t the best bid. Heck, when we first starting doing residential jobs, we through so many cheap bids that I’m surprises we’re still in business! Some of the homeowners flat out told us that they wanted to pay us more; others let us do the work for so cheap. In both instances, we put forth 100% effort, and produced a great finished product. If you want, we can give you the references to back up that statement ;)
Oftentimes, new contractors produce high-quality work, but they just don’t know the industry standards yet. And this is okay, and says nothing about their integrity as a professional.
Other times, a contractor will bid low if they know that you’re going to give them ongoing work, or if they know that you have connections to other work. We do this a lot as well.
Lastly, the lowest bidder might just have little to no overhead. Larger companies have to pay more expenses, such as a storefront, employees, vehicles, etc., while the smaller contractors might work out of their homes and employ just one or two people.
Bids Aren’t Always Final
Lastly, and as we always tell our potential clients, bids aren’t final, and we’re willing to discuss any questions or concerns that they might have. If you feel a price isn’t comparable to the scope of work, let us know, and we’ll either break the cost down for you, or take off some of the cost after further research.
In the end, it’s all about informed decision making, and not just getting the lowest price.
If you’re looking to get paint or remodel work done on your home, contact our paint and construction company for a FREE ESTIMATE.