A four-step method to find the right contractor for the job.
How do you find the right contractor? You’ve probably had this problem already this year, so how do you find the right person? In my experience, there are four key steps to finding the best contractor for the job:
1. Ask for referrals. I would start by asking people you know if they can refer a good contractor. You shouldn’t just take them at their word, but this is still a good place to begin. Ask your friends, family, neighbors, and your Realtor. If you can’t find the right person among their referrals, move to online sources like HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and Angie’s List.
Here are some websites to help you locate professionals:
2. Vet the best options. Once you’ve found a few good contractors, you’ll want to do some fact-checking. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Run their name on the permitting website to see what permits they have, and check on Google and Facebook for negative reviews.
Here are some helpful websites:
https://apps8.fldfs.com/proofofcoverage/Search.aspx
https://buildinginspections.coj.net/
https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID=
3. Encourage competition between them. Make the bidding process competitive between the contractors you’ve vetted. This will make sure you get the best possible deal, but it might be harder to do now. There’s still a labor shortage, and a lot of homeowners are doing large projects.
“Be careful if a contractor asks you to pay in full upfront.”
4. Don’t pay for the project upfront. I’ve made this mistake myself a few times. There will always be some upfront cost, but you shouldn’t pay for the whole project before it’s done, especially if you don’t know the contractor personally. Be careful if a contractor pushes to do so.
As a bonus, my office is also putting together a list of all the vendors we use. We want to make this readily available, so you can look at the list whenever you need a plumber, roofer, or other contractors. If you’d like to see this list once we’ve finished compiling it, email me. If you have any other real estate questions or concerns, feel free to reach out via phone or email. I’d be happy to help.
