Choosing Contractors

 How do you pick the best contractor?

That question is asked frequently, but the person asking doesn't always
mean what he says. You think he is asking, who will do a
masterful job of coordinating & building my remodel at a
reasonable price.
That is what he says, but not what he means. I can tell
you from grim experience that this is one way how he acts.

How not to do it

More often than not, the homeowner will call in a few contractors,
say something like "I want to put up a dormer" & then he sits back
& waits to hear what the contractor will say. The contractor will give
him a blank stare & say "How big". The owner says "I don't
know, maybe 20' feet What do you think?" The contractor
says "Maybe about $5000" Owner says "OK, I'll let you
know.

Now you may think those conversations never happen
except on my web site, but I can tell you that from
experience, they happen every day. Sad isn't it?

The homeowner doesn't seem to be very interested & then
the contractor thinks he is wasting his time so he starts looking
for a way to exit & do something productive.

Try this instead

What I am suggesting is that if you prepare for the meeting
with the contractor then you might say something like this.

"I am going to build a dormer either 20' or 30' on the rear
of my house. I need advice on the best way to proceed. I
need someone who has experience with this kind of work
& guarantees what he does. Is this something you would
be interested in?"

Now watch for his ears start to wiggle a little bit & listen
closely for the sound of ka-ching, ka-ching coming from
the vicinity of the contractor. He sees immediately that he
has a hot prospect & is ready to do some serious work on
your dormer design.

Try this three times with three different contractors. One of
the three will stand out from the other two.

Find a Remodeling Contractor here