When hiring a company for your home renovation project, you want to make sure you are making the right decision. There are warning signs to watch out for before hiring, and even during your home renovation that should raise red flags. It’s important to understand that things most commonly go wrong during a renovation and it can be stressful, but it does not warrant a red flag right away. Read on to learn about common company red flags and what to watch out for during your home renovation project.
Bad Communication Skills
You know what they say, communication is key. Keeping a direct line of communication between you and the company is very important in keeping your project running smoothly. Before hiring, pay attention to response time between you and the pro. There should be prompt and professional responses from the pro regarding your project. This implies that they are not only interested in gaining your business but are investing their own time into yours, which is valuable.
If you notice that they are not responding in a timely manner, or are short and not asking further questions about your project, they most likely are not invested. Receiving multiple quotes for a project is a great way to compare prices as well as compare the difference in communication between the pros to help narrow your search and pick the best pro for your project.
No Contract
After discussing your project, a pro should write up a contract including all of the details, a schedule for the work to be completed, and if applicable, a payment schedule. Both you and the pro will sign this contract ultimately binding you together. Contracts are very important and protect both the pro and the homeowner in the case of a hiccup. If your contractor does not provide you with a contract or any form of a written document with the above information, request it immediately. If they will not provide one, any issues moving forward will not be legally protected. This is a big red flag that the company may not be the right fit for you.
Upfront Costs
Always make sure that you are receiving multiple quotes for a project. If you don’t, some pros may price your project wrong. Either way too high, resulting in you spending unnecessary money, or way too low, resulting in extra costs during the project.
Receiving a low quote for a project is almost too good to be true. If a quote is significantly lower than the others that you have received, there is most likely something going on. Low quotes most commonly mean one thing: bait and switch. If you are quoted a low price for your project, it can mean that they are false advertising themselves — they are going to tell you what you want to hear, but then when it comes time to complete the work, the materials and work ethic will be sub-par, resulting in you having to rehire someone to come and repair the work completed.
Receiving a very high quote for a project can imply that the material used and the workers on the site are going to be top of the line. If this is the case, you are most likely being overcharged for your project. For whatever your project is, the professional market is very competitive. If a company is asking for too much upfront it can mean that they can’t afford to run the project on their own, implying that they may be low on money from missing out on payments for inferior work in the past.
Works Strange Hours
When opening your home and wallet to a stranger, you want to be able to trust them and expect that you are receiving 100% commitment to your project. Times may differ from project to project as the extent of the work differs. In the case of a home improvement project, tracking results is more important than tracking time, but time worked also equals results. The timeline of your project should be stated in your contract or at least discussed prior to the beginning of the job.
If you begin to notice that your pro and their trades are coming in and out as they please and working short hours this should be a warning sign. On larger projects that take days, if not weeks, you should know who is going to be in your house and when at all times throughout. Poor time management from the pro will lead to delaying your project and shows that they are not 100% committed to it and could be working multiple jobs at once. Hiring a general contractor to oversee the project can be very beneficial and help prevent this red flag.
If you notice any of these warning signs, it may be time to let go of that contractor or not hire them at all. If the situation isn’t too bad, then confronting the contractor to express your dissatisfaction may result in a positive change of attitude, but this is not always the case. Pros are busy people and can get caught up in multiple projects at once. If they care about you are your project, they will correct their mistakes and be fully committed to your project. When you’re ready to receive multiple quotes for your job, simply click on the banner below.
