Choosing a contractor:

Ask friends and neighbors if they have had good service from a contractor.

Your local home improvement center may be able to do the work or recommend an excellent contractor.

Your local home builders’ association has a list of members you can draw from. (See Sec. 7 Resources for association addresses)

Seek out contractors that have experience and references that you can check out.

Call the Better Business Bureau to double check the company’s status.

Choose wisely, apply the rule of 3 below to your contractor hiring decision.

***As a word of caution be leery of contractors that want you to pay them cash. They often work under the table to avoid G.S.T. You are taking a greater risk if you have any problems. It is important that contractors run an ethical business with the required license and liability insurance. A worker could be injured on the job and you may be held liable. Be sure to check that they have a proper license, insurance and permits for the work to be done.

Principle: Rule of Three

1. Three quotes from three contractors.
2. Get three references. (and check them out)
3. Apply three steps to wise decisions.

1) When you meet the contractor to get quotes you will want to be fair and straight with them. You will want to be comparing apples with apples. In other words you will want to tell each contractor your plan and give them a copy of your specification sheet that you prepared in section 3. This way you will be getting comparisons for the exact same thing. It is good to be up front right away and tell them you are getting three quotes and you would like to know why you would want to deal with this company.

2) Get them to give you their pitch on their quality of work and their reputable service. There are dozens of companies to choose from and most have mission statements of how they can serve you. Then ask them for three references and call each one of them.

Here is how a typical telephone conversation may go and some questions to ask.:

Hello, my name is (Your name). I have been given you as a reference from (The company who gave you the reference) I am in the process of a (Your project) and I would like to ask you a couple of questions. Do you have a moment?

A) How did your experience work out with (The company)?

– were they reliable?

– did they meet all your expectations?

B) Would you recommend them to me or your friends?

C) Do you have anything that you would like to add regarding this company?

Thank you for your time, have a great day!

(You can note the positive or negative points directly on to the decision making chart below)

3) The basic steps to good decision making are,

A) Gathering information. Gathering information regarding the decision you want to make and weighing the pros and cons. (Quotes, references, tips, suggestions).

B) Seek counsel of experts. Before making the decision run your ideas by three neutral experts. (People who do not have a vested interest) Talk to your local building association. Phone in to a local radio program that deals with projects. Talk to some experts from a local building supply store.

C) Apply all the information to the following Pros & Cons chart.

There are a few blank rows for you to add other qualities that may be important to you. The

main idea of the chart is that you list as many positives and negatives you can regarding the information you have gathered. You will probably see from this alone the wisest decision to make but if you are not 100% clear and confident I suggest that you take this information to some neutral experts (One of the associations listed in Section 8) to help you on making this decision.

 

Pros & cons chart:

 

Contracts & Responsibilities:
Statistics tell us that the most disputes arise because there is no contract. Most renovation companies have their own contracts with excellent detail but you may find the odd contractor who does excellent work but doesn¡¯t have a formal contract. For this purpose we have provided you a generic contract form at the back of this section. This form will work as a legal contract once signed. You need to be clear on who is responsible for what. Be clear on the details of the contract, listing eerything, using a separate piece of paper if necessary. It is also generally expected that you will give them the room, time and any payments up front to assist them to do the job efficiently and effectively. (See getting the most from your trades next page)

 

You decide:
What exactly is to be done, where and when.

Coordination of the trades and project unless decided renovator will handle. (Regardless who does it make sure you use the same calendar, Productivity Planner in Section Project Plan)

Contracts are clear and signed.

Who is going to be responsible for permits.

Authorized Extras forms are used for any changes to original contract. (Don‘t accept verbal agreements on changes, use the extra forms or a new contract with added change)

Inspect the work for quality control. The local government inspector inspects the work, done by permit.

To inform the contractor of any problems or deficiencies with the materials or workmanship.

Payment of moneys. (See Builders Lien Act below for ¡°Hold Back law

 

The contractor is generally responsible for:
His liability and insurance.

Pay of his workers.

Supervision of his work and workers.

Warranty on parts and labor.

(Be sure that everything is clear and on the contract, signed & dated)

If you have any problems with the contract or work, your concerns can be brought to your local Home Builder Association, Better Business Bureau, Ministry of Housing or Government Consumer Affairs/Services department. They can advise you or at least point you to the right party. If court action is necessary then small claims court is a simple process for any claims under $10,000.00.

There are many laws passed to protect you from incompetent and dishonest contractors. If need be you can familiarize yourself with them from one of the above bodies but it is my recommendation that you take the time and apply the material thoroughly in this section to avoid any of the common pitfalls and problems. Do not just believe what someone says, make sure you check them out by asking for at least 3 references and call or visit those references.