Hiring the Right Contractor
Three Hurricanes in Three Years
When we first moved to Texas, we suffered through three hurricanes in the first three years. When we moved to Florida, same thing; three hurricanes in three years. You’re welcome!
We cut our teeth in the home improvement industry during Hurricane Ian. The eye sat over our neighborhood for over six hours. Our little community suffered wide spread damage which has taken three years to recover. Then we also felt the effects of Helene and Milton, not quite like our northerly neighbors but our nearby Boca Grande, Lemon Bay and Manasota Key are still recovering.
With Ian, as I mentioned, our neighborhood was heavily damaged, almost every home. From missing soffits and pool cages to roof and stucco damage, and high water levels affecting sheetrock and flooring. My husband started out, innocently enough, asking a local contractor if he could use some help getting to some of our neighbors, because of the wide spread damage. He was going to call on our neighbors to take measurements of walls, pools, roofs, and soffits so they could get a quote faster in order to repair and get on with their lives.
Well, the initial commitment of two days a week turned in to seven and I was reaching out to our neighbors on Facebook and NextDoor to give them options of how to get some repairs done. Just from having discussions with our neighbors, our calls started increasing and increasing; to the point we had to recruit two of our friends to assist. Their calendars filled up so fast, and the call volume increased so dramatically, our friend was receiving calls up to midnight and on weekends. Our husbands were working almost every day of the week.
Take-Aways from Selling Home Improvement Services
We learned a lot, suffice it to say. We learned which contractors showed up when they said they would, which ones gave a fair price and good warranty, which ones to stay away from and which ones performed admirably. We also learned what some local contractors are missing, an inexpensive site to connect with homeowners without feeling their investment falls short of finding homeowners who are in need of their services. They are also combatting industry woes which have occurred from bad apples in the bunch. Some are perfectly great, some are woefully bad.
Here is a list of ways to pick the best of the bunch (thanks to Google AI):
- Seek Personal Referrals: Start by asking friends, family, and neighbors who have had similar projects done. Personal recommendations can be very reliable.
- Verify Credentials: Ensure the contractor is licensed and insured. Check the contractor’s license with your state’s licensing board.
- Review Past Work and References: Ask for examples of past work similar to yours and request references from previous clients. Visit past projects if possible.
- Get Multiple Estimates: Obtain quotes from at least three contractors to compare pricing and scopes of work.
- Detailed Contract: Have a written contract outlining the project scope, timeline, payment schedule, and change order procedures.
- Open Communication: Choose a contractor who is responsive, communicates clearly, and is willing to answer your questions.
- Budget and Pricing: Discuss your budget upfront and ensure the contractor understands your financial constraints.
- Timeline and Availability: Inquire about the contractor’s availability and estimated project timeline.
- Local Knowledge: Choose a contractor familiar with local building codes and regulations, especially if your project involves permits.
- Compatibility: Choose a contractor you feel comfortable working with throughout the project.
On the homeowner side, this information from a “Today’s Homeowner Home Repair Survey”, in an article written by #KristinaZagame, showed a delay facing homeowners in repairs.
Bottom line, this graph may give providers a “hitch in their steps”, considering the challenges they face every day in the #homeimprovement market. Come back here for more tips for both providers and homeowners.
