Once you’ve put together a short list of contractors – whose work you admire and the budget you can live with, it’s time to start checking their recommendations. Here’s how to study them to reduce your risk before making a choice.

All contractors can provide links that list their favorite clients, friends, and family. But you need to dig deeper than a few emails and phone calls if you want to understand their true nature and reputation.

Do your biggest fans love them?

Ask your potential contractor for three recommendations over the past five years. They will always provide three of their favorite clients. Give them a call and ask simple but informative questions:

• Are you satisfied with their work?
• To what extent is your project overfulfilled by the budget?
• Was the contractor and his subcontractors professional and courteous?
• Would you use them again?

It’s almost guaranteed that this initial list will only contain satisfied customers. This is useful, but does not provide a complete picture.

Are your recent customers happy?

Ask your potential contractor for recommendations on his last five projects. This list may or may not include names from the original bibliography. Call the project owners on this list if they were not on the first list and ask them the same series of questions.

If these new guidelines are not being tested, it is possible that your contractors’ productivity has decreased recently (or that their work is more heterogeneous).

There are many reasons why a contractor’s performance may deteriorate from job to job. The one-off problem is understandable, but the trend of recent unhappy customers is a red flag.

What do suppliers say?

Request three references from longtime material suppliers. The financial strength of your potential contractor is important. If your contractor doesn’t pay their bills, you can get a lien on your property or pay the bill yourself.

Ask the supplier questions that will help you understand how the contractor does business. How long have you been selling material to them? Do they pay their bills on time? Would you hire them to work on your home?

When talking to suppliers, listen more than ask and find out what they really think about the contractor.

Are they licensed and insured?

Checking a valid contractor’s license and insurance may seem like a formality, but don’t let expired paperwork slip. You can check this anytime through your state’s contractor licensing board. Using a licensed contractor will protect you in the event of a dispute. Most licensing advice also requires the contractor to provide updated insurance documents.

Ask your contractor to provide a copy of their general liability policy. You can also request to be listed as “extra insured” on their policy.

Expect minimal resistance from reputable contractors. Good employees have nothing to hide and are transparent about why some jobs didn’t work out the way they expected. Good contractors also don’t criticize other contractors or previous clients. They let their good work speak for themselves and don’t waste time belittling others or taking offense.

Photos courtesy of Mark Clement and Robert Robillard .

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