What should I look for in a contractor?

5/11/2018 at 2:41:01 PM

Hi Michelle,

Some things I would recommend looking for when choosing contractors are the follow.

Legitimate business documents including: Ontario Business License, Proof of Business Insurance, HST Number.

Professional Image: With contractors it's sometimes hard for us to always have clean clothes on because of the work we do, but look for attitude, courtesy shown to you and your home when they visit. Contractors who are pushy are, in my experience, not the contractors you want in your home. Look for a contractor who is patient, will work with your schedule, and not push for you to make rushed decisions. They should take all the time that you want to come to a decision and help you understand every aspect of the project so you feel confident in your decision. If you feel uneasy about something, trust that feeling and ask questions.

Ask your contractors what methods they will use to protect your home from dust and debris during the work being done. Good practices are drop sheets anywhere a worker will be walking through your home. Another good practice is to create a sealed entrance to the area being worked on to prevent dust from entering the rest of your home.

Another major thing is contracts. In my experience, a lot of contractors do not have the proper documentation to protect you as the client as well as them as the contractor. Every contract should include a list of services being provided by the contractor, a project completion time frame, a list of items that you may need to pick, like faucets, towel racks, etc. It should include a payment schedule as well with definitive points where payments need to be made, this protects you as the client with no handing over the entire lump sum to a contractor, but also allows the contractor to have the money required to buy materials and pay deposits to any sub trades they need to bring in. It should also include a warranty section, and the documents should all be signed and dated by both you and the contractor.

The final thing to look at is whether or not they are licensed tradesman. Only certain trades require them to have a license in order to do their work. For your bathroom that would include an electrician & plumber. If you need electrical or plumbing work completed, make sure you are using licensed trades for this work to ensure the work is done properly, and to code.

My final recommendation would be to call the city and ensure you don't need any building permits from the city for the work you are completing. The electrician will tell you if the work being done requires a permit and inspection and should provide both of those to you within their quote.

Best of luck with your project!

5/11/2018 at 2:45:43 PM

Permits, licensing, insurance, reputation. Most General contractors use their own sub contractors, but if your general contractor tells you they do their own electrical, gas, plumbing work and don't need permits, they are lying to you and I would exclude them from your project. Not all plumbing needs a permit, but gas and electrical do if there are things that are changing in the wiring. Simple light fixture or device changes are ok, but adding a pot light where a surface light was, a permit is required.

5/11/2018 at 4:03:41 PM

References, previous work and ratings...

Hope it helps.

Cheers

5/11/2018 at 8:28:04 PM

One of the most important attributes would be experience in the renovation business. Also ask for references if any. Knowledge is also important.

Misho

5/12/2018 at 5:11:15 AM

Time + Materials. For bathroom reno, most importantly is plumbing. All sorts of wired thing happen if done by an inexperience plumbing. Things like water pressure.

5/12/2018 at 5:27:24 AM

U can looking for general contractor,and we can do it, our price is fair price,good job,but not cheap price!

5/13/2018 at 10:51:57 AM

Having a License and insurance demonstrates a Contractor is a Credibility,and knowledge, if a Contractor doesn't have insurance and worker gets hurt on your project, you could be liable. GET Proof of Insurance.Pick a Contractor Who specializes in your project type.

5/13/2018 at 1:20:31 PM

Go to my website: www.pisceswoodworks.com read all the info and pages...that is what a good contractor looks like. Comment on my blog page if you like. Cheers

5/13/2018 at 7:14:21 PM

interview the contractor to have the right feeling about his knowledge and personality, then if you feel good try to get in touch with few references