Don’t Get Caught out by a Rogue Plumber or Builder

How to find the best people to work on your home

It’s funny how the biggest issues in the house happen just when the temperatures fall below the zero. Then you need to hire a contractor who usually bails on you half way through and you end up being even more frustrated. To avoid these stressful situations you need to make sure you hire professional contractor that will get the job done. Here are some tips you might find useful.

• Recommendations! Never underestimate how important recommendations can be. Ask your family or friends if they know a good contractor that will deliver the expected results. If they can’t help you, contact some of the contractors you have worked before and see if you can find someone you like.
• Check with the authorities. The Local Authority Assured Trader Scheme Network (LAATSN) always has good recommendations. They work only with verified contractors who comply with the standards and have gone through detailed inspection to confirm that their work provides the quality customers need.
• Use the approved trader scheme to find local contractors. All you will need to do is enter your postcode and you will get a list of suggestions. Then you can simply shortlist the ones you like, search the net a bit, read some reviews and make your final choice.
• Find an online recommendation service. There are many services that have their own data base which contains only professional contractors with successful track record. You can try RatedPeople, Trustatrader.com, mybuilder.com or something similar. They all work on similar method: you enter your post code, get a list of potential contractors, read some feedback, check previous work and you have got yourself a contractor.

So what is the best way to find the perfect contractor?

Don’t forget that in order to find the best contractor you need to do some research. The only way to do this is by asking for the right information. Here is what you should cover:

• Always contact minimum three contractors and ask for quotes. Make sure you provide the same details to each of them so you can compare what they have to offer. Don’t be fooled by the lowest price and always check why there is a bid discrepancy in the rates.
• Ask the contactor to come on site. Giving a quote over the phone never ends well as once the contractor sees the job first hand usually the rate goes up, big time.
• Ask to see their licenses. Makes sure they have proper documentation and are insured.
• Read reviews. See what others have said about their services. Ask them to give you references and show you samples of the work they did in the past.
• Do they have experience working in the industry? For some projects it might be better to hire someone who has been in the industry for a long time and has experience working on similar projects.
• If you are not happy with the final result do they offer full refund? If they believe in the work they do, this would not be a problem for them.
• Confirm that they are not con artists. Ask to see their office, check their official address and official number.

Once you find the right contractor make sure you agree things well in advance. Ask them to give you their quote in writing. Make sure the contract covers all relevant details for the project including the start date, duration, end date, payment, materials to be used, and which services to be delivered. Don’t accept upfront payments and if you do need to make one get a receipt.