Getting The Professional Contractor to Bid Your Job

Like you, the professional contractor values his time and gets frustrated if he thinks a prospective client is not serious about the job or is merely price-shopping. Here are three ways to get a professional to take your project seriously and provide a qualified bid.

1. Tell the contractor you are only getting three bids. Even if he feels he can demonstrate good value in his bid, he knows you will be confused by ten different stories from ten different contractors.

2. Tell the contractor you are looking for the best value - not the lowest bid. A contractor who thinks you are only concerned about price might not inform you about better solutions.

3. If you were referred to a contractor or you saw his work and liked it, let him know. A professional contractor is interested in doing quality work. He knows it will result in referral work and secure his long-term success as a remodeling professional.

Choosing A Remodeling Contractor Part 2: Taking Time Up Front

Take time up front. The single best way to determine the professionalism of a contractor is to take tie up front. Allow yourself a minimum of one hour to sit down with each contractor where questions flow in both directions. Both of you will need to explore the issues, products, and pricing alternatives. Real professionals will want to invest time to explain their services in detail, uncover any questions, and analyze all issues involved.

Understand the contractor. Just as you are qualifying a contractor, the professional contractor is qualifying you. If you seem unreasonable, he may not bid your job. For example, if you do not allow the contractor ample time to review the project so that he is confident you understand everything about it, the professional will often not bid. Professional contractors fear a bad experience or lack of referrals when a non-satisfied homeowner has unrealistic expectations. Just as the professional realizes the critical aspect of this first meeting, the non-professional contractor is satisfied with a limited discussion of the project. This often results in work falling short of the customer's expectations.

Next: Getting the contractor to bid your job.

Choosing A Remodeling Contractor Part 1: Get It In Writing

A small percentage of remodeling jobs that become nightmares are unavoidable. However, the most potentially troublesome situations can be avoided with a little effort and diligence on the part of the homeowner. The critical challenge of a successful contracting project is selecting the right contractor. The results of your choice will leave a significant on your lifestyle. In order to protect yourself from an unqualified contractor, you need to find a professional that will deliver your project to your expectation and ultimate satisfaction. Here are some tips on selecting the right one.

Get it in writing. A professional contractor will have no problem working with you to answer any questions that will allow you to proceed with trust and confidence. Does the proposal include everything you require and have discussed with the contractor?

A professional contractor prefers having everything in writing since any ambiguities tend to obligate the responsible contractor. The unprofessional will talk in vague concepts, attempting to reassure you with general statements like "Don't worry, we'll take care of it," or "Trust me, everything will be alright." Remember: if it isn't in writing, it probably isn't included or will cost extra when you ask for it.

Next: Taking Time Up-Front