 Where
should I go to find a contractor?
The best place is probably through word of mouth. Someone
your friends and relatives trust to do professional work
is a great place to start. You could also try your local
city building inspectors, your local realtor since he/she
would have heard of some (as long as there are no kick
backs involved), the Better
Business Bureau as they will be able to provide you
information on their members, or similar resources. Do
your homework!
What are the questions I should ask a potential contractor?
How long have you been in the business?
You want to ensure that the contractor is experienced
and knowledgeable. How can someone supervise if they do
not know how something is done themselves?
Where are most of your clients located?
If the contractor has clients in many different areas,
how will the renovation be finished on time if the contractor
and employees must go between the worksites? How much
supervision will be given to the tradesmen?
How many employees do you have?
If the contractor only has a few employees, who else
will be contracted out to help?
How many employees are in the
office? In the field?
Often you will receive better customer service when
there is administrative staff involved as well.
How many employees are qualified
journeymen? Laborers?
When deadlines are near you may feel more comfortable
to know that your contractor has more qualified employees
to lend a hand.
How long have the employees been with
you?
This will give you an idea of the employee turnover
and whether the contractor is a person others like to
work for.
Do you have Liability Coverage? How much?
It is recommended that the contractor have
at least $2 million of Third Party Liability Insurance.
Can you provide me with a WCB clearance
letter?
This is to ensure you will not be held responsible
for paying the contractors premiums to the Workers Compensation
Board. Ask to see their WCB clearance letter. This letter
will prove that the contractor is registered and paying
premiums.
Note: a homeowner that hires independent contractors is
liable in the event of an injury to the worker at their
home. The laws in BC state that once a homeowner hires
a contractor, the homeowner becomes a contractor and is
subject to WCB premiums and coverage. For additional information
on this subject please contact WCB at 604-276-3100 in
the Lower Mainland or toll-free within B.C. at 1-888-621-7233.
Or visit their web site at: www.worksafebc.com.
Is your quotation firm with no unforeseen
extras?
A contractor may provide you with a low bid to get
the contract. Once they start the work they may claim
that they need to charge extra because of an unforeseen
challenge to the job. The quote should be firm without
extras unless you decide to request something extra be
done.
When will you start and finish?
A good contractor will show you a schedule and follow
it so that time management is practiced at the worksite.
Too often this is a major problem especially with contractors
that only uses sub trades people.
Are you licensed to work in this city?
Often contractors have a license, but do they
have one to work in your area? Again remember that
it becomes your liability if the contractor does not have
a license to work in your area.
Will you be taking out a permit?
The city could force you to stop all work in progress
if you are found to be in violation of a bylaw and your
insurance provider may void your coverage. You could also
have a problem when selling your house when a disclosure
is made that work was performed without a permit whether
electrical, plumbing, gas or building.
Do you have any pending lawsuits or ever
been sued?
You may want to research the contractor a little more
carefully if he has any pending lawsuits or been sued
in the past. It may be a good idea to contact the Better
Business Bureau (www.bbbvan.ca)
to see if they have information on complaints.
Are you bonded?
If the contractor is bonded, who is the company that
holds the bond? Are all the employees or sub trades people
that will be used bondable?
Have you had any complaints against you?
It is not necessarily a bad thing to have complaints
against you. We have all experienced an unreasonable person,
who loves to complain. Ask questions about the complaint.
Was the contractor able to resolve the dispute? Find out
if anyone has filed a complaint against the contractor
with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbbvan.ca).
May I see your list of references?
It is recommended that you check references from someone
they did work for at least 3 or 4 years ago, someone as
recent as 1 year ago and one that they are working at
currently. Other good references to contact are the contractor's
banker and the local building inspectors at city hall.
Question them on any knowledge they may have on the contractor's
work and business practices.
What suppliers do you use?
You may want to contact the contractor's suppliers
to ensure he is paying his bills. If you pay a contractor
for work, unpaid suppliers could put a lien on your property
if they remain unpaid. In order to sell your home or renew
your mortgage the suppliers would have to be paid to have
the lien removed. This applies to the contractors sub
trades people too.
What can I expect from a good contractor?
Honesty -- Do your homework to ensure
you are choosing an honest, reputable contractor. As the
contractor will be in your home, this endeavor will become
very personal. It is always a good idea to check their
references and with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbbvan.ca)
to ensure there are no complaints against them.
Good Communication -- Communication
is a two-way street in the renovation process. You must
be clear about your expectations and the contractor must
be a good listener and vice versa. A good contractor should
provide you with a contract upfront detailing all the
work necessary to get the job done, the timeframe involved
and the final cost. Open communication through the entire
process is also important as unforeseen obstacles could
occur as each house and every project is unique.
Experience -- A valuable contractor
is one who has been in the industry for years. You obviously
want to find someone who has done your type of renovation
before, hopefully many times. Ask for a list of references
before you decide which contractor to go with. Once you
have a good feeling about someone, and a good referral
you have accomplished one of the biggest and most difficult
steps to the renovation.
Minimal Inconvenience -- You need
to maintain a certain level of normalcy when the contractors
are in your home. Life does go on. Whether the project
is to take a day or last a month, the following issues
will need to be agreed upon: the time work is to occur
during the day, what washroom workers have access to,
how to protect children and pets from fumes and mishaps,
and the cleanliness of the worksite. A good contractor
will discuss these issues upfront and keep as clean a
worksite as possible so your life will be as normal as
possible.
Accurate Quote -- A good contractor
will provide a contract that goes over all details of
the work, type and quantity of materials, hours required
to do the job and the cost. You should also be aware of
the little things such as who will be moving the furniture
before and after the work is done, who will be responsible
for removal of the rubbish, and details of the of the
daily and extra clean up of the worksite at the end of
the week. A good contractor should be able to foresee
most problem areas before entering into a contract with
you. If the contractor is able to provide you with a fixed
quotation, then the price should include all unforeseen
circumstances. If the contractor is unable to provide
you with a fixed quotation on the entire project, then
you should receive a fixed quote on what is seeable plus
an estimate on the unforeseen.
On Schedule -- Having the renovations
completed on schedule is obviously important. Too often
a hired contractor disappears for hours or days on end,
and misses deadlines as a result. A good contractor communicates
to you upfront when the project will begin, adding some
time for unforeseen obstacles and detail when it will
be completed. He will ensure the workers are on time and
bring in others as required ensuring the project will
be completed in a timely fashion. If a situation arises
when timelines must be changed, a good contractor will
tell you as soon as possible and have suggestions and
solutions for any potential repercussions.
Warranty on Work -- Good contractors
will have a warranty on their work for at least one year.
Having said that remember that it is buyer beware! All
good warranties are only as good as the signature behind
them. Don't be fooled by those that offer ridiculous warranties
as they are worth nothing if the contractor is out of
business tomorrow.
What is the Better Business Bureau and how can they help
me?
The Better Business Bureau's (BBB) objective is to
"Promote, develop and encourage an ethical marketplace."
They are a nonprofit, private organization that provides
information to the public about businesses. They can also
help resolve a dispute, provide warnings, give consumer
information, and promote businesses that join their organization
and pay the membership dues.
Note: if a business is not a member of the BBB, it does
not mean that the business is not reputable. It simply
means they are not paying the membership dues of the BBB.
If on the other hand they have had a complaint filed against
them at the BBB that is a different story. Their website
is www.bbbvan.ca.
What are the questions I should ask a contractor's references?
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Why did you choose this contractor? |
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| 2. |
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Did the contractor communicate
well with you throughout the entire project? |
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| 3. |
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Did the crew show up on time? |
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| 4. |
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Was the worksite area clean? |
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| 5. |
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Were you comfortable with the employees
or the sub trades people the contractor subcontracted
to? |
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Was the job completed on time? |
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What did you think of the finished
product? |
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| 8. |
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What do you think of the contractor's
business practices? |
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| 9. |
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If there were challenges were they
handled professionally? |
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| 10. |
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Would you use the contractor again? |
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| 11. |
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Is there anything else you could
tell me about this contractor? |
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
An estimate is just that, an estimation of the cost and
time necessary to do the renovation. An estimate is not
a firm cost, 99% of the time you will pay more than the
estimate. Ensure the contractor does not work with "extras"
too often; this is where they make their money after low-balling
the quote to get the job. Estimates will generally explain
the work involved.
A quote is very detailed and will include an exhaustive
list of the work involved. The costs should be firm without
extras unless you decide to request something additional
to be done.
Should I be paying up front for the contractor's services?
For a small job, that doesn't require a lot of materials
the contractor is usually paid once the work is completed.
If the job is larger and time consuming, a payment schedule
should be outlined in the contract. Ensure the job is
done to your satisfaction before you make your final payment
to the contractor.
What should I do if I have a problem with my contractor?
Talk to your contractor so you can understand why the
problem exists. Often there was a breakdown in communication;
if you are open, you may be able to resolve the issue.
If there is a company involved, you may want to write
a letter to the person in charge (the owner of the company).
You could also speak to the Better Business Bureau to
file a complaint. If this is not helping the situation,
you may want to send a letter to the licensing body of
your contractor such as city hall. Of course as a last
resort, you can always get a lawyer involved but usually
this is a costly route that does not necessarily produce
great results especially if the contractor has left town
or has no money to pay. The best advice is to avoid getting
to this point by doing your homework upfront.
Remember, if your gut feel is not good...follow it!
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