Seven Tips To Find and Hire The Right Contractor

With the warm weather, also comes a long list of to-do projects around the house. I’m sure, if you’re like me, you don’t want to tackle all of those tasks alone. Yet, finding and hiring the right contractor can be tough.

Below are seven tips to make this process easier.

Finding your contractor.

1. Think About Scope and Timeline Defining the what and the when helps to narrow who you’ll want to work with. Also, by figuring this out upfront, you can align the work to any seasonal considerations. For example, if you’re looking to put in fence posts, there is a stretch of winter here in Colorado Springs where the ground is too hard.
2. Define Your Most Important Thing. Is it quality? Is it a timeline? Is it price? Having clarity around that most important thing will help later on when you decide about which company to go with. For example, I recently cleaned windows for a couple who were selling their house in Black Forest. Their most important thing was the timeline, as their house was going on the market within a week.
3. Start With Asking Folks You Know While we live in an online age and you can find a company on the Internet, that’s not the find place I’d start. Here’s why. A trusted friend or family member can bring you perspective and their experience with a company, that an online review won’t.

Picking Your Contractor

1. Consider Their Whole Online Profile Alright, so you’ve found a company. Go to their website. Go to their Google or Yelp page. Are there recent photos? Are there FAQs? Do they have an active blog? These things matter because it gives you an idea about the company and its work.
2. Do They Respond to Reviews? A key part of working with a contractor is communication. You can get a sense of a company’s communication and attitude by how they respond to online reviews. One company in our partner network that does a great job at this is Homestead Roofing. They recently got an amazing review from a customer and the owner left a thoughtful and humble reply. Taking the time to respond to reviews is one indication that a company cares.
3. Call A Few – Once you’ve found a company or two, give each a call. Similar to the reviews, how they respond (or if they don’t), gives you an idea about them. For example, I recently called a landscape company – no one answered and the voicemail box was full. Needless to say, they won’t be working on my lawn.
4. Ensure They Have Insurance – The type of insurance a company needs will vary based on the industry. The key thing is to confirm they have it. Ask what type it is and what is covered. A contractor without insurance or unwilling to show you their COI raises a red flag.

I’m sure your project list is growing just like the sunny days. Use the tips above to find and pick the right company, so you knock some of the things off that list!