Need to Hire a Contractor?<\/p>\n
Well, you should interview each contractor you’re considering.<\/p>\n
Here are some Questions to Ask.<\/p>\n
How long have you been in business?<\/strong><\/p>\n Look for a well-established company and check it out with consumer protection officials. I would also check referrals and feedback on Angie’s List or Yelp.\u00a0 You also can check out the contractor\u2019s online reputation. Try searching for the company\u2019s name with words like \u201cscam,\u201d \u201crip-off,\u201d or \u201ccomplaint.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you licensed and registered with the state?<\/strong><\/p>\n Many states, but not all, require contractors to be licensed or bonded. Check with your local building department to find out the licensing requirements in your area.<\/p>\n Will my project require a permit?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most states and localities require permits for building projects, even for simple jobs like decks. A competent contractor will get all the necessary permits before starting work on your project.\u00a0 The licensing can range from simple registration to a detailed qualification process. Also, the licensing requirements in one locality may be different from the requirements in the rest of the state. If your state or locality has licensing laws, ask to see the contractor\u2019s license. Make sure it\u2019s current.<\/p>\n May I have a list of references?<\/strong><\/p>\n The contractor should be able to give you the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three clients who have projects similar to yours – CALL THEM<\/p>\n What types of insurance do you carry?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contractors should have personal liability, worker\u2019s compensation, and property damage coverage. Ask for copies of insurance certificates, and make sure they\u2019re current. Avoid doing business with contractors who don\u2019t carry the appropriate insurance. Otherwise, you\u2019ll be held liable for any injuries and damages that occur during the project.<\/p>\n Will you be using subcontractors on this project? <\/strong><\/p>\n If yes, ask to meet them, and make sure they have current insurance coverage and licenses, if required. Also ask them if they were paid on time by this contractor. A \u201cmechanic\u2019s lien\u201d could be placed on your home if your contractor fails to pay the subcontractors and suppliers on your project. That means the subcontractors and suppliers could go to court to force you to sell your home to satisfy their unpaid bills from your project. Protect yourself by asking the contractor, and every subcontractor and supplier, for a lien release or lien waiver.<\/p>\n Need to Hire a Contractor? Well, you should interview each contractor you’re considering. Here are some Questions to Ask. How long have you been in business? Look for a well-established company and check it out with consumer protection officials. I would also check referrals and feedback on Angie’s List or Yelp.\u00a0 You also can check out the contractor\u2019s online reputation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=469"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":471,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469\/revisions\/471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mvragency.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Credit: Hiring a contract<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"