Contractor Interview

1. ASK IF HE IS LICENSED AND INSURED.

This may seem obvious, but I have never been asked to produce a copy of my license or insurance during a contractor interview. A lot can go wrong on a job site. If your contractor is not insured, you very well could be stuck paying for damages your contractor caused. Being licensed should speak for itself. A license is proof that the contractor has been reviewed by the state and is considered competent to perform the task you are considering to hire him for. You can verify with the state that he has a license and that their are no formal complaints of judgments against him. Just click on the Verify a License. This is a great resource that most people don't realize exists. Being licensed, insured, and having no formal complaints or judgments still can not guarantee your getting a quality contractor. That is why you must ask the next question.

2. ASK FOR A LIST OF HIS REFERENCES.

Again, I have only been asked for references one time during a contractor interview. Get a list of his references, and actually call the names on the list. Ask them about there experience with the contractor. Ask the questions that are important to you. Don’t be shy. The contractor should be fully prepared for you to contact his references and the references should be aware they me be contacted. I always ask permission before I offer a customer as a reference. I would hope that quality contractors are doing the same.

3. ASK FOR A PORTFOLIO OF HIS WORK.

Not all contractors keep a portfolio of there work and this should not be the deterrent to hiring a contractor. That being said, the better contractors tend to keep at least some documentation of their work. If you are indecisive between two contractors, a portfolio just might help you make your decision.

4. ASK IF HE HAS EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PARTICULAR KIND OF PROJECT.

Lets say you need a new roof on your house that has multiple gables and valleys. This is a complicated roof system. You are conducting a contractor interview with a roofer, and he can prove that he has roofed 100 houses. If the most complicated roof he has ever installed is a 3 bedroom ranch with a straight roof line, then all that experience doesn't mean as much. So make sure he has similar experience in the task you are asking him to perform.

5. ASK HIM HOW HE EXPECTS TO BE PAID.

Be sure you understand the payment schedule and what should be in place for that payment. The number of payments vary depending on how big the job is. There should be specific tasks completed for each payment and you should know what they are. Lets use a very simple example of a roofing project. A roofer tells you that the total job will be $9,000 and he wants his payments to be broken into thirds. He wants $3,000 down and then the materials will be delivered. He will then tear the roof off before requiring the second installment of $3,000. Once the roof is complete, he will then want the last installment of $3,000. If you are both clear on the payment schedule and he asks you for the second installment before the roof has been torn off, you have the right to say no and should say no. Knowing the schedule of payments and what should be in place for those payments will help to protect you.

6. ASK HIM WHAT THE WORK SCHEDULE IS.

How long will it be before he starts? Does he stay on the job once it starts or does he pull off to go to other jobs? What time should you expect him to show up, when does he leave? Does he work weekends? A lot of customers never think about this part and they sit around wandering where there contractor is or they wake at 6:00AM to the sound of someone walking on their roof. Let the contractor know if there are times that you are not comfortable with him working. Let him know if you are not comfortable with him pulling off your job to go to another. Try to pin down a finish date as best you can. Let him know what is important to you.

7. ASK HIM TO PUT IT IN WRITING.

Make sure that you get everything in writing. Make sure that anything that is important to you is in the contract. For example if you don't want the contractors smoking in your house, put "no smoking in the house" in the contract. You can decide what the consequences for the violation of this rule will be and put that in the contract as well. Now a lot of you may say, "I don't need a contract, my word is my bond and I wouldn't use a contractor I didn't trust". Well that’s all good and fine except an unfortunate truth is people die. Who knows the integrity of the contractors family or partners. They could try to sue you for full payment even if the job is not complete. That is just one example of a multitude of problems you could experience by not having a contract. Do the smart thing and get it in writing!

8. ASK YOURSELF IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONTRACTOR.

When you have done all your home work, ask yourself if you feel comfortable with this contractor. Trust your internal alarm system. If something just seems off while conducting your contractor interview, then don't use that contractor. It is better to ere on the side of caution. There are lots of good contractors in the area. Move on to the next candidate.

There are no guarantees in this life, but if you conduct a good contractor interview, then you will cut the odds of hiring a sub standard contractor considerably.

Good luck!

If you have and specific question concerning contractor interviews, or any other questions, contact us and we will do our best to help.

Tanner-Phillips Properties is a full service contracting business. We also offer consulting services.

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