Find a Contractor Who Will Live Up To Your Dreams

If you own a home for any length of time, the day will surely come when you need to find a contractor for one reason or another. Maybe you want to screen in your pool, providing a new aesthetic element and help keep leaves and debris out of the water. Maybe you simply need to get your air conditioning system fixed so you don't spend another summer sweltering in your own living room. Whatever the reason, it behooves you to hire a company that will live up to your dreams of having the best results possible. After all, a project of any size is going to cost you a pretty penny. Worth it in the end, perhaps, but only if you're happy with the outcome. Here are some things you can do to make sure that you are.

Background Check

Never simply take a company's word for anything. As you're trying to find a contractor, you'll undoubtedly come across countless advertisements telling you, "No, WE are the best, trust us," but that doesn't mean that you should. Conducting a thorough and helpful background check is easy in the age of information and it should not go neglected. Contact your local Better Business Bureau and see if the company has had any complaints filed against them. Talk to your state licensing agency and see if any official complaints have been filed. Check online reviews. Doing all of these things and more will help you form a picture of the company's reputation and will serve as an invaluable guide in making a decision.

Check References

It's not enough to ask a company for their references—you need to call them as well! You can learn a lot by talking to past customers, even if they are guaranteed to speak highly of the company. Have some questions prepared. Only you can know what's most important to you, so develop some questions that address your primary concerns. Do you value promptness? Cleanliness? Accurate pricing? Whatever you want when trying to find a contractor, make sure you determine that the company you're about to hire is going to give it to you.

Get It In Writing

One of the most valuable pieces of protection you can surround yourself with is making sure that you get everything in writing. Coming back later to say, "But I thought we agreed..." isn't going to mean much. It means a bit more today, when a customer can rush online to write a terrible review, but it's still fairly flimsy. Make sure that everything you agree on goes into the contract. If there is a dispute later on, it will be easy enough to determine who is in the right.