Do Your Homework, Take Precautions Before Hiring A Contractor

HOME CLINIC: I have some remodeling work to do on my home. Since I can't do the work myself, I'll need to hire someone. I've never hired a contractor and many friends have warned me about bad experiences with contractors. How do I go about selecting someone for the job? - J.B., Kent

DEAR J.B.: As you already know, selecting someone to work on your home is a very important decision. Remodeling can be expensive, and a poor choice can make it even more so. You need to satisfy yourself in at least three areas. They include:

1. Qualifications - is this contractor or person trained and experienced in the work to be done?

2. Working relationship - how will you ensure the work gets done to your satisfaction?

3. References - what have other people experienced with this person or company's work?

It is very important you answer all three of these areas to your satisfaction. Omitting any may be costly. While a company may be qualified technically to do the work, they may have a poor history of customer service. Here are some specific guidelines in each of these areas:

Qualifications: Ask for the experience and training histories of all the individuals who will be working on your home. It is important to know who will be doing the work and how qualified they are. For specialty trades (i.e. electricians and plumbers), are they licensed or certified to do the work this job requires? Ask to see their licenses.

Working Relationship: A contract is important in defining your expectations. Everything you expect the contractor to do should be in the contract. Everything! While it may seem picky at the time, include even small details. The more explicit you are, the more likely you will get what you want.

Being specific also will make it easier to compare different bids, because you know they are all considering the same items. The better the job is planned through the contract, the better control you have over costs.

This leads us to the issue of using a licensed contractor. Contract law is designed to protect the consumer. Contractor bonds allow you to seek damages for cost liabilities, and contractor insurance gives some protection against the unexpected.

If you hire a contractor who is not licensed and bonded, you are denying yourself these safeguards. It is also very important you make sure all workers on your job are covered under Workmen's Compensation. If the company or contractor has not covered all the workers, you may be liable for accidents to uncovered workers on the job.

Finally, you might consider a hold-back clause - that is some percentage of the final payment will not be made until 15 to 30 days after you are completely satisfied with the job.

References: It is very important you know what other people have experienced with the contractor. Request references for the most recent jobs. Call these people! Ask specific questions about: What was the job? Was the job done on time and within the cost estimates? Were there any conflicts? How did the contractor respond to conflicts? Were there any call-backs? Did the contractor respond promptly to call-backs?

Finally, talk to more than one past client. It is worth a few phone calls to find out more about the contractor with whom you will be spending time and money.

While there are no guarantees, taking these few steps will help ensure your satisfaction with work done by others.

Class offered

The Well Home Program presents a class, "Working with Architects & Contractors," from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at the Community Hall, 6615 Dayton Ave. N. in Seattle.

Architect/contractor Tom Kayser will describe the preplanning, design work, contract detail, budget considerations and other elements that you can define and refine, resulting in cost savings and a better project.

Preregister by calling 783-2246. Cost for Phinney Neighborhood Association members is $7. Nonmembers pay $14.

Home Clinic answers questions about home maintenance, repair and energy conservation. It is prepared by the Energy Extension Service, a division of the Washington State Energy Office. It appears Sundays in the Home/Real Estate section of The Times.