Thread: How to find the right contractor?

Excellent post and very comprehensive and useful list of tips. Thanks for sharing that.


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Florida Real Estate Contract | Florida Title Company

Originally Posted by mikebishop

Tips 1: Ask your friends.
Tips 2: Ask other contractors for who they recommend.
Tips 3: Word of Mouth.
Tips 4 : Find a great real estate investing site.

Tip 1 is probably the best place to start; ask someone you trust and you'll even want to go to their property to see the work done.
I'd only go with Tip 2 if the Tip 1 contractor has done good work for you.
Tip 3 is the same as Tip 1?
Tip 4; I'd take any of that info with a grain of salt...

I wanted to thank you for this great information!! I am very happy that I found this site.
In today’s “Do-it-Yourself (DIY)” age, we are often fooled into thinking there is no project too difficult to handle. There are a lot of do-it-yourself type people out there, but chances are you are going to eventually stumble across a project on which you require some professional help.

Things that won't work
Referrals from contractor--only going to give you names of best & happiest clients
Referrals from friends-only going to tell you names of their relatives whom you will feel obligated to use

Thing that will work
Every county has a construction/permitting office or similarly named which holds and maintains permit records. In these records you will be able to query by contractors business name. You will also be able to locate addresses for those jobs which they have pulled permits for and many times will provide owner names. Get on the white pages reverse directory and type in the address/name. You will then have a phone number to call. Most will want to hang up immediately, I start with "Are you familiar with xyz company they built your rrrrrr I'm about to hire them to do my rrrrrr and want to get your opinion."
If the contractor did a particularly bad job hold the phone away from your ear-they will tell you.
It may take numerous calls to get enough input to make a decision. We typically try to contact 3 of their prior clients which had work performed in the last 30 days and discount complaints about billing or timing—as many times these are the fault of the client as well as the contractor. What we seek are constructive views of work performed. Diligence trumps nightmare contractor every time.

Ask your friends. - this is how you start. It's important that you get contractors that was recommended by your friends. This way, you can be sure that the contractor you got is safe and trusted. I didn't say all but most.

Originally Posted by mikebishop

Tips 1: Ask your friends.
Tips 2: Ask other contractors for who they recommend.
Tips 3: Word of Mouth.
Tips 4 : Find a great real estate investing site.

Its tremendous post, I hope everyone like this post. Great tips.

i'm not having much luck with these tips. i want to remodel a home. i asked at church and work and only got bad stories. i don't know any contractors in the city (inherited property from my aunt). would realtors have this information?

hi,
Well finding a right contractor is not always easy, As now a days, many people are in this business so, you just cant select at random, so talk to some experienced person ( who have experience met with right contractors) and take his advice before jumping to a conclusion about someone.

Originally Posted by arenee

i'm not having much luck with these tips. i want to remodel a home. i asked at church and work and only got bad stories. i don't know any contractors in the city (inherited property from my aunt). would realtors have this information?

You can probably look around your community. The easiest part is talk to your friends, they might know anyone that might help you.