Posted by jsexton – November 10, 2006 8:47 AM
Hello, my name is Aaron Parker. I am the owner of Tennessee Property Restoration Inc. in Knoxville, Tenn. My team is working on the Sexton kitchen. I would like to take the time and offer some professional advice about selecting a contractor for your project.
When you find a contractor through an advertisement or a referral, ask to see some photos of their past projects. Ask them if they have a general contractor's license in your state. How long have they been in business? Are they insured with general liability insurance? If you need to confirm their insurance, the contractor's agent should either fax or mail you a copy of their policy. And ask for two or three customer references from past projects. They should have this information ready for you during the first meeting.
Make sure your contractor obtains a work permit for your project with your local building codes office. This is very important. It keeps the contractor honest regarding his building methods. Once you've communicated your ideas for your project, ask how long it will take. Also, be sure to ask your contractor if he sees any problems or surprises that may drive the cost up during the project, for example: hidden electrical problems, plumbing issues, etc. As a contractor, I will only write an estimate for what I can see during the initial meeting while I am gathering measurements. I will disclose to my customers that there could be a possibility of this happening. Keep in mind, while taking on a large project like a kitchen and bathroom remodel, including removal of walls, be sure to pad your budget for these surprises.
Another tip is to obtain 2 or 3 estimates so you may see how much one contractor may vary to the next one. This is a time consuming process, but it may benefit you if the first contractor was thousands of dollars higher than the others. Choose a contractor with whom you have the best feeling about working with. This person will be in your home for a long period of time. Don't look for the cheapest contractor -- remember, you get what you pay for. Try to pick someone in the middle as far as cost and the one you feel the most comfortable around. Always request a signed contract so that it is understood by both parties, outlining what services and goods are being provided. Clear communication is key for a smooth operation.
NOW FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW!!! NEVER NEVER NEVER, let me say that again, NEVER PAY YOUR CONTRACTOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE PROJECT BEFORE WORK BEGINS. I have so many customers that are willing to pay the whole amount of the project upfront for some strange reason. God love them, but they are too trusting. If you have a project regardless if it costs $2,000 or $200,000, work out a draw system. That way, you the homeowner, can protect yourself from getting ripped off. I usually request 1/4 of the funds up front to get the project started with payroll and materials. A 1/4 payment is not standard; it just depends on the project. But never pay the whole amount up front. Near the end of your project, create a punchlist with your contractor. This is a list of your concerns, for example: a piece of trim is missing, a wall needs another coat of paint and so on. Now that you still have the last draw of money in YOUR pocket, the contractor will be motivated to finish the punchlist to your needs so they will be paid upon your satisfaction, not theirs!!
Well, this is all I can think of right now. I hope this has helped you with choosing a contractor in the future. I wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy the adventure.
Sincerely, Aaron Parker, Owner-TPR
Be the first to comment! Enter your comment in the form below.
Thank you. I'm about to redo my kitchen and honestly am worried to death of getting the wrong people out here to do the job. Thanks for the direction, it helps quite a bit. Wish me luck.
kind Regards,
Marija
Posted by Marija – November 11, 2006 10:59 AM
Aaron thanks for the information you provided
I'm in Iraq and my wife is about to remodel
our kitchen and bath. I wish I was there to
help pick a contractor but I can't. I am going
to forward your information to her and this
should help her greatly. I was worried of a
contractor taken advantage of her. Once again
thank's for the advice.
Posted by Paul – November 14, 2006 11:30 AM
Thanks for the info about the General Liability Insurance. We knew about the license, work permit, contract about what services and goods provided, and ask for references. I think your advice about feeling comfortable AND both sides being able to communicate is essential. Thanks for the "reality check" on how it works in the real world.
Posted by Cecilia – November 14, 2006 12:13 PM
I highly recommend that you take his advice. As someone who is presently in the middle of a kithchen and bath remodel with the project being both over the original budget and long past the initial date of completion. I highly recommend you check and double check references... If possible go to a jobsite and make sure that they are licensed in your state. As a project manager time is everything to me but unfortunately its been completely out of my control. Two plumbers later we are finally at the stage to close up the exterior walls.
Again, take this advice to heart, it will truly be beneficial in the end.
Posted by Michelle – November 14, 2006 12:24 PM
My sister in law and her husband are planning on building a new home in a very rural area and want to be their own contractors. They moved there from a big city and work full time in a big city driving in at 4:30 AM and returning about 7 PM. How can something like that be done when they aren't on the property 24/7?
Posted by linda walsh – November 14, 2006 1:50 PM
Marija,
Make sure you get a few pictures of past/completed jobs and references before starting. Also have them do drawings so both of you understand the scope of work.
Posted by Todd Monet kitchen & Bath – November 14, 2006 3:00 PM
Hello Paul,
Well, I would like to say THANKS TO YOU. This is my first opportunity to say thank you for making the sacrifices you & everyone in the armed forces have made for this country. I really do appreciate what your doing. My father was in Vietnam & I have heard his stories about war and being in the middle of it. God bless you and I hope you make home safe to your family and hopefully well done kitchen and bath project.
With sincere regards:
Aaron Parker
Posted by Aaron Parker – November 14, 2006 6:33 PM
Hello Ms. Linda Walsh:
Well, I hope your sister in law and her husband have a lot of stock in Starbucks, hehe. 4:30am, wow, thats tough. There are pros & cons of being your own contractor. Pros are the savings in building your home yourself. It can be worth the savings, thousands, but there are a lot of pitfalls you can step into if your knowledge of home building isn't up to par. Then you loose those thousands. There are books out there that can show you a typical schedule "plan" for building a house. Before breaking ground, be sure to have a number of copies of the house plans, 6-10 would be good. That way they can loan a copy of the plans to their desired sub-contractor for them to give a rough quote off of each trade. Then once all of the quotes for everything have been reviewed and accepted, now you have to plan the time frame for each and every trade. Once the plan has been written, and work begins, all your sister in law and her husband has to do is make sure the materials are on the site when the subs need them, and check on progress everyday on their way home to make sure the plan is staying on track. If not on track, they can call the sub contractor from work the next day and find out whats happening on their job site. Note, do not get ahead of yourself and deliver all the building materials ahead of their scheduled date of installation. Materials have a funny way of growing legs and walking off of the job site. Especially when the builder isn't around and all the subs know this. And to make sure all the subs are building within codes standards, PULL A PERMIT SO THE INSPECTOR CAN TELL YOU IF YOUR HOME IS BEING BUILT POORLY OR PROPERLY. I have submitted estimates to homeowners who have had a home valued at $700,000.00 built and I quoted over $200,000.00 in repairs because it wasn't built properly. Permits are kinda pricey, but look at the alternative. Hope that helps your family. Two key pieces of advise to your family from my experience in this business. 1. Nothing ever goes to exactly how it was planned, so expect the headaches and unforeseen expenses and roll with it, don't dwell on it, 2. This is the most important, Have fun, stop and realize what you are doing, you are building a house from the ground up, your creating something from nothing. That has always been the reward for me in this business. Money is good for survival and my bills, but piece of mind is more valuable for me. Take care and hope your sister in law and her husband have a great time building their new home.
Sincerely
Aaron Parker / TPR
Posted by Aaron Parker – November 14, 2006 7:06 PM
I wish we had this advice in June! We were hit by hurricane Rita and used USA Floors-N-More from Nacogdoches, TX and they destroyed our home! Our paint is peeling off the walls and they used masking tape at the top of our wallpaper while texturing and painting and tore all of the print off of the top of everyroom.
The paint job looks like a two year old did it and they stomped texture in big globbs to hold up their falling tape job! I had paid them $5,000 down and have estimates of over $11,000 to fix what they damaged! I checked with the Better Business Bureau before I hired them and they were clear. It seems everyone became a contractor when the hurricane hit! Email me for pictures of the damage, I can save you the heartache that we went through! herchman@highstream.net
Posted by Rebecca Herchman – November 14, 2006 9:19 PM
We just finished up a kitchen remodel, complete with ripping down walls and moving doorways. We are in Miami where there are many people who are willing to give quotes and start working, but many who will also rip you off at the drop of a hat. Our solution was to pay daily a set rate based on the time and cost quoted, and offered a bonus for completing the project on time. We have had excellent results and are very happy with both our kitchen and contractor. We will be starting on our bathrooms soon...
Posted by KJ – November 14, 2006 11:16 PM
Thank you so much for all the helpful information. We are now in the process of looking for a contractor. We are hoping to find a reliable contractor to start our extensive renovations in our home in Maine, i.e. kitchen, 2 baths, bedroom and adding a bedroom/office in the attic. Wish us luck, I think we'll probably need it.
Posted by Janet F. – November 15, 2006 6:33 AM
My house was destroyed in the hurricanes of 2004 (orlando, fl). It was impossible to even get a contractor out to make an estimate until 8 months later when I finally found a contractor who would put an estimate in writing.The contract drawn up to pay in thirds, the references checked out, the license checked out, but it is 2 1/2 years later and I still have no house and he has over $60,000 of the $90,00 -- I have only an open roof and a gutted house with cinderblock walls (no ceilings, no walls, no AC, no heat, no hot water) that I am forced to live in because I can't afford the apt and storage fees anymore. My house is paid off. Give me an illegal immigrant who WANTS to work anyday! I am filing bankruptcy and there is no law to get this guy! The DBPR says to keep working with him (at my expense) and the media feels if he does any work at all then they can't expose him (so of course he promises to continue -- but his MO is never to finish anything he starts). Anyone in Orlando FL please don't sign up with Five Star Hospitality Services, Inc. They are beyond mean and bad. They are crooks who stole my money, my home, and my only equity. (I am single mother and ever took a cent from ex and now about to retire will be in bankruptcy and nothing to show for what I worked for whole life.) (The man up the street--a football player type with wife and three little kids--was taken by a different contractor and now they live in an unlivable house also). Politicians don't care; the atty gen doesn't care, the governor doesn't care -- we need a law , some change to protect the consumer .Is someone like Ralph Nader around --because it would take years to get money back in court and then the money would all go to the attorney's fees.
Posted by Linda Lipofsky – December 13, 2006 10:23 AM
I had an addition and remodeling done in my house.
My contractor gave me a fair estimate for the work but not finishing like paint, cabinets, flooring. When extra things started to show up, I tried to deal with them myself, for example we needed to remove asbestos from the old siding and the estimate from my contractor was $1,000, I found one certified profesional for that job at $300. His estimate for the old kitchen demolition was $1,000 but my husband and I did it at no cost (it was like a therapy). His estimate for flooring and cabinets were way too high, I had fun picking up the floor, tiles, hardware, cabinets, sink, faucets, light fixtures and appliances at different stores with my husband and paying the contractor's carpenter for instalation. He gave me separate estimates for each job and I paid half at beginning and half at the end. The central air Conditioner estimate from my contractor was $12,000, I found one well known Company for $8,000. Of course my contractor was not happy, but I saved a lot of money and I did not brake the contract.
Posted by eva – January 4, 2007 8:06 PM
I had a few estimates on a kitchen floor. All different. I had no idea a floor could be so hair pulling. I have now come to not trust contractors because I just paid for a job and as I look around, it's not to my satisfaction. Wish I knew what to do when the contractor is mad at me now because he did not get floor job. He painted and put in lights. Way to much. I wish I read this 2 days ago.
Posted by Cheryl – January 14, 2007 12:52 AM
