Hiring A Lansing Remodeling Contractor
As anyone who has any experience working with contractors will tell you, finding the RIGHT contractor for your project
entails much more than just finding the lowest price. Less
tangible items like your ability to communicate and feel
comfortable working with your contractor will inevitably
prove to be much more important in determining your eventual
satisfaction with the job – particularly if it’s a large
project.
Here are a couple of tips on finding the right contractor
for your home improvement project:
Ask for references
Talk to homeowners this contractor has done work for in the
past. Were they satisfied with the work? Was the work
finished? Did the contractor keep to the agreed-upon
schedule? Did the contractor return phone calls?
Get two or three specific written bids
Different contractors can vary widely on pricing and level
of detail even when bidding for the same job. Make sure and
get several estimates on your home remodeling project,
especially if it’s a large project. As much as possible,
make sure that you explain the job fully to each of the
contractors to ensure each one bids on the same exact job so
that you can compare the estimates ‘apple-to-apple’.
Don’t automatically accept the lowest bid
The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies here. A
higher bid may be worth the price in better materials,
workmanship and reliability. A large number of complaints
filed against contractors are the result of homeowner taking
the lowest bid and then being unhappy with the low quality
of work. Even when the contractor promises to do the same
job, be careful – often contractors will bid a job extremely
aggressively in order to get it. When the work takes longer
than originally planned, the contractor can feel ‘squeezed’
by the budget and try and cut corners.
Make sure your contractor is properly licensed
A license is not an endorsement of the quality of work. It
provides some financial protection for you, the customer.
Make sure your contractor is properly insured
Ask your contractor for a copy of his proof of liability
insurance and bonding or the name and number of his/her
insurance agent to call and verify proof of coverage.
Most importantly…Do you trust this person to work on your
home?
When it comes down to it, the most important thing to check
is your own gut feeling. How do you feel about this
contractor working on what is probably your single largest
investment – your home? Do you trust this person inside your
home? Around your children? Can you communicate well with
this person about the project? Are they ‘in tune’ to your
needs?
If you are looking for a Lansing area remodeling contractor, please call us today at 517-339-7955 or complete
our
online request form for your free, no-obligation home
consultation.
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Our Services
Bathroom
Remodeling
Basement
Remodeling
Kitchen
Remodeling
Complete
Home Renovation
Other
Home Improvements
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