Finding the Right Contractor: Part IV

Insider Tips — Understanding the Contractor

This series serves as a guide to shopping for a good contractor and negotiating a good contract. However, keep in mind that your contractor is also shopping for good jobs that will make a fair profit and bring future referrals.

Many contractors have had experiences with unreasonable or dishonest homeowners. Therefore, they look for warning signs of customer problems during the initial job interview. It’s important to show the contractor that you’re an informed consumer who has both your and his best interests in mind.

Getting a Contractor to Want to Complete your Project

Many homeowners have been mystified by the seeming lack of interest and response from contractors when they receive a call for a job. Here’s how you can get a contractor to respond to your call:

— When you call a contractor, tell him you are shopping around but are only interviewing three contractors, not 10.

— Call contractors in your general vicinity. Contractors prefer to work close to home, just like everyone else.

— Tell the company you are not looking for the lowest bid, but rather the best value.  Also, ask for a Good-Better-Best proposal.

— If you’ve seen work by a contractor in your neighborhood and you liked it, or if someone referred a contractor to you, call him. And when you do call, mention how you received the contractor’s name.

By following these tips, you can help a window contractor determine that you are a good prospect and worth their effort.

Local Information

There are a number of organizations and institutions that you can contact when you need additional help or information about window replacement. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict which will be the most useful in any given location.

Consider these sources:

— Local Better Business Bureau

— City, county and state licensing authorities

— Local construction trade associations. These associations should have members who are actual contractors and should be active in policing their trade.

Be aware that if a worker is injured on your property, the homeowner might be held liable for all costs unless the employee is covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Hospital bills for serious accidents can be extraordinarily expensive. So make sure your contractor is covered!

Thanks for reading, and make sure to give us a call at Tri County Windows when you start thinking about home improvements!