Three Questions to ask a Contractor before Hiring
August 11th, 2007Before you hire any contractor there are several questions that you will want to ask. After all, they are going to be performing work on your home so you want to make sure that you know what you are getting. Plus, when you ask questions you will have a much better chance of unearthing any information that may sway your decision. But of course, you need to know what questions are most important.
Here are three questions that you should ask a contractor before hiring them to work for you.
1. What are your qualifications? This may seem like a general question, but it is one that you need to ask. As you can imagine, you will want to hire a contractor that has worked on projects like yours in the past. This will help to ensure that the job gets done the way it should be.
2. To go along with question number one, you should ask if they can supply you with any references. Why do this, you may ask? Simply put, when you get references you can talk to other people who have worked with the contractor in the past. This is not going to ensure your satisfaction, but it can go a long way in helping to do so. When talking to references make sure that you ask any and every question that is on your mind. Remember, the contractor would never have given you their name if they did not want you to ask them questions.
3. What are you going to charge me for the job? This is a question that seems like a no brainer, but unfortunately, it is one that is forgotten time and time again. Although it can be hard for a contractor to give an exact price on some projects, they can at least give you a quote that is close. Obviously, it is important to know what you are going to pay before you hire a contractor. If one contractor is quoting you too high of a price, you can mark them off your list and move onto another.
When you address these three questions you will be much better off when hiring a contractor. Most contractors expect to hear these questions, and will not have any problems giving you open and honest answers.