Homeowners often look at spring as the time to remodel or renovate. There’s plenty of contractors to help you get the work done, but how do you know who to hire?
There are some “fly by night” contractors out there. Hiring someone you trust to repair your home is certainly a daunting task.
An area contractor offered a few things to keep in mind when you’re hiring:
- Check into the company’s resume online. You can also ask the company for references.
- It’s a red flag if you are asked to pay for the entirety of a project up front.
- Make sure you have a legal contract from the business you are hiring.
“Don’t do it on the back of a business card. Get a real contract that says you have three days to back out of it if you want. Then you have time to also talk to other people about that contractor and the scope of work that they do and the kind of work that they do," said Steve Khanzadian of Steve Khanzadian Construction.
Khanzadian also says it matters to check if the company has employees, if they have compensation and liability insurance. To get the most accurate quotes from businesses, put together a specific list of what you want worked on. You’re also going to need to be patient, because companies are working with a backlog of customers.
Other red flags include not giving references when you ask or not answering your questions.
The supply chain shortage is affecting just about every industry. Local contractors are seeing the impact of this national issue. Khanzadian said his business is facing a backlog of projects, with booking out currently as far as seven months in advance when typically, for them, a kitchen could have been remodeled over the course of about three weeks.
There’s also a higher price tag on that new bathroom or paint job. Rising fuel prices, supply cost and paying employees a wage that makes them want to stay with the business all have contributed to the rise.
Khanzadian says there’s a lack of people heading into the labor force, with careers like plumbing, carpentry and electric seeing average ages approaching 50.
“So we need people to come into the trades, take it seriously, make a business out of it or work for some other company to do the things that need to be done on houses and commercial buildings," said Khanzadian.