How to find a reliable contractor
This is a question worth spending time answering as some may not know how to go about finding the right individual for the job they need handled. Let’s face it hiring some random in a truck to work on the largest purchase you may ever make in your life is a big deal and can be an even bigger mistake. In this post we will outline what separates a good contractor/handyman from some random that can swing a hammer and help guide you through the process of determining the best option for your own unique scenario.
I believe reliability is more than just the ability to show up and falls into categories. These consist of the capability to communicate effectively, the ability to perform the job correctly and within the expected time frame (barring any unforeseen circumstances), and the integrity to produce the highest quality result possible within the customers budget while earning an honest wage. If I found a contractor/handyman capable of meeting these three qualities I would feel confident enough to use their service.
Communication: The key to everything in life with which in it lays the ability to form friendship and enemies, create peace and create war and happens to be the building block to finding a contractor or handyman is communication. A reliable contractor/Handyman will from start to finish be patient and thorough in explaining the work processes needed for your scenario and what you can expect when using his/her service. You should expect throughout the entire process to receive updates on work progress, be given a fair amount of notice of any problems that may arise and/or, any cause for the completion time of the project to be extended. If your contactor/handyman shows up when he wants, late, early, not at all, or can not be bothered to give you a schedule I would take that as an immediate red flag and move on.(be understanding as we are all human and things happen that push schedules back as long as he/she is communicating than understand this individual is running a business with more than just manual labor/tradesman work throughout his day. Balancing the business, the customer and, the work is not an easy task and requires allot of manipulation.) That being said your time is valuable as well and should be treated as such.
Ability: Without it you can expect things to go bad from jump street. When evaluating a contractor ask yourself is this person insured, do they have a website, and how established are they. It is fair to say that someone that is insured, legitimized and has all of the tools necessary to handle a job accurately and efficiently is a safer bet than someone that shows up off of marketplace and wants cash payment, to never be heard from again. A legitimate business is dependent on reviews and customer word of mouth. They aim to make a good and lasting impression one of which they hope you will pass along. Vet this individuals website for previous work performed and dont be afraid to ask question to see if they know what they are talking about.
Integrity: It’s the result of that small voice in your head choosing to make honest decisions despite external factors. You can choose to have it or not. A good contractor will be honest about their capabilities and what areas of work they can and can’t perform. It isn’t always easy for contractors to tell people no as they fear to lose partial jobs or the job in its entirety. You will find contractors expound on the truth of their capabilities, as to pander to the customer but that does everyone involved a disservice when the end product is not to the customers liking or the contractor in their inexperience underestimated the work/skills needed, finding themselves working for free. A good contractor should be capable of producing the highest quality result set by the customers budget. they should be capable of evaluating the time required to complete the job as well as if the job falls into their expected earnings for their business. I can tell you this; It is frustrating for you as a customer realizing you’re being overcharged, the end results will not be to your liking or the time frame is beyond what you originally expected. Like wise a contractor to the best of his ability should ensure he is making a decent wage in a reasonable time frame as to ensure he doesn’t find himself spending exuberant amounts of time completing a job potentially sacrificing the quality of his work as to gets the job done sooner.
Lo and Behold you have what I would consider a safer approach to finding a reliable contractor and preventing a random from showing up, and blowing hole in your wall while smoking a Marlboro red. If you would like to learn more about how an established business has and infrastructure put in place to offer high quality customer service, communication, and reliability then click the link to our FAQ page.
