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MedicYeti

Why is it so hard to find a good contractor?

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I wasn't allowed to get my driver's permit without being able to change and rotate tires, change oil, do filters, etc.  I will be passing that on to my kids.

Your kids are lucky!!   You will be proud of them for being even just a little more self-sufficient than some others.

My son learned tire changes and stuff by around 13-14, but he didn't bother wit his permit till he was 20, due to college and extra curricular demands.

He realized the benefits of the know-how even if he never ended up needing it.

(BTW, I bought him membership in AAA regardless, for peace of mind for his parents. Not everything can be fixed on the side of the road.) 

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Yeah, I had AAA from the beginning just in case.

 

BTW, the first time I had to change a tire in an unplanned situation was late at night in the winter on a dark country road with no flashlight.  10 minutes and I was rolling again.

Wow, that's impressive. I bet the cold was a motivator! 

Really that is pretty damn good.

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Always write time into the contract. Finish on time, 100% pay. Every day late 5% off...

 

If you're going to do this, get a lawyer involved.  These types of agreements aren't always enforceable.  You need to be able to demonstrate that you have somehow actually had a loss in order to collect for that loss.   That's why these clauses are called "liquidated damages".  You're claiming damages which you are being compensated for.  In court, the contractor's lawyer will ask how you calculated that your damages were worth 5% of the contract price each day.

 

On a commercial job, each day you can't use your property is a day's revenue lost.  In residential work it's much harder to prove.

 

And be careful.  Do you want the honest contractor who has a legitimate delay from his supplier substituting something cheaper or wrong so he doesn't loose his whole profit on the first delay or are you willing to wait a couple of extra days for the right material to be delivered? 

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 The elevation from one step to the next is not uniform ( 9-3/4", 6-1/2", 7-1/4") 

 

I am guessing no permit and no inspection?  That is completely against IRC.

 

As other's have said before you hire a contractor, get references and look at other work they have done.

 

As an Architect I have personally yelled at countless contractors who should not be building a dog house let a lone a ground up commercial structure.  I don't take kindly to inept contractors, especially when they can't read the drawings and install a roof truss upside-down.  Then when told they must flip it because the first time it snows the roof will collapse they try and make excuses.  Lets just say this contractor was never hired to do any more buildings by this corporate client ever again.

 

I have dealt with many residential contractors that were not very good either.  The biggest problem I encounter is them not reading the drawings and "well I always do it this way"  If you are doing things yourself, it helps to have recourse like a contract. I know AIA contracts cost $ but they will protect you quite well and stand up in court all the time.

 

Never pay in advance either, when that portion of the work is done, you can pay for it.  When you do make payments, always hold back at least 10% as retainage.  Once the job is complete, all the punch list items are taken care of, you have all the warranty information and a letter from the contractor releasing all leans, you can release the retainage. 

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If you're going to do this, get a lawyer involved.  These types of agreements aren't always enforceable.  You need to be able to demonstrate that you have somehow actually had a loss in order to collect for that loss.   That's why these clauses are called "liquidated damages".  You're claiming damages which you are being compensated for.  In court, the contractor's lawyer will ask how you calculated that your damages were worth 5% of the contract price each day.

 

 

My 5% will look pretty thin next to the $300/hr he will be paying his lawyer.

If the plumbing supplier is 3 weeks late delivering the plumbing fixtures, your contractor now gets $0 for for the house he just built.   If I was that contractor, $300 an hour for my attorney is well worth it.

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Don't miss the forest for the trees. The major issue is people making promises they know they can't keep. If you don't want to do little residential jobs, don't do them.

 

If a contractor is not bright enough to give himself a little wiggle room with time or find reliable suppliers, I don't want him.

 

 

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I have a kitchen and bath showroom and kitchen and bath remodeling business. We are also licensed Plumbers and have a separate Plumbing and Heating Business (Hydronic Heat Only). We work with the same licensed electrician for over 12 years now. The contractor's license in NJ is a joke. Anyone can get one with a minimum insurance policy. Many then cancel the insurance once they have the number. Plumbers and Electricians have to go to school and are bonded as well as insured. Recommendations are always a good starting point. Word of mouth is still the largest part of our business. We have been in the plumbing business since 1918. Some suggestions for not getting burned by a bad contractor.

 

Check to see how long the contractor you are looking to hire has been in business under his current name.

 

Request an up to date certificate of insurance

 

Find out how much is done in house and how much by subs. If subs how long have the subs been with the contractor.

 

Find out if the workers on site can communicate with you. If they do not speak English are they legal? Good contractors don't usually hire illegal day laborers. My guys are all American except my tile installers are Brazilian, but they speak perfect English, own a home, and are legal.

 

Do set a time frame for completion. I try to under promise and over deliver. A bathroom remodel I will say takes 4-6 weeks and a kitchen remodel 6-8 weeks. This way if I am done in 2 weeks on the bathroom and 4 weeks for the kitchen the customer is happy. On older homes especially, unforseen things are run into. If that happens I will let the customer know what the additional time will be.

 

Don't pay too much up front. Many contractors try and get 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. By the time they get their second payment they are way ahead of the customer. I break out the job into 5-6 payments. After the deposit payments are paid after a certain point is reached. I am never too far ahead of the customer and they are never too far ahead of me.

 

Don't pay last payment in full till the job is 100% complete and inspected.

 

For the guy with the steps if you got a permit and inspection that would not have happened. Steps can not be over 8" in rise and all steps must be within 1/4" of each other.

 

Be nice. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.. However don't let anyone take advantage of you and walk all over you. You can express your not satisfied or not buying the contractor's BS excuses in an effective way while being civil.

 

Good contractors do select their clients and this time of year are usually booked. It is likely worth the wait.

 

Good contractors are not going to be the cheapest price you get, nor do they have to be the most expensive price. Remember you usually get what you pay for.

 

 

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Request an up to date certificate of insurance

 

+1. Make sure they have plenty of General Liability and Workers Comp., and make sure you are the designated certificate holder.

 

Part of my job is tracking down these forms for contractors working on site and it's like pulling teeth.  :hysteric:

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Just wanted to clarify a couple things. Yes they should have above the minimum liability. However a sole proprietor operator who has no employees does not need workman's comp, only contractors with employees do. Obviously we have workman's comp, but a guy who paints houses by himself may not. That doesn't mean he is in the wrong. Also it is not common for homeowners to be named as additionally insured unless their homeowners policy requires it. Naming as additionally insured or designated certificate holder is more common with commercial work.

 

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