Hiring A Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
Busy, busy, busy, that is how you have to describe the people of the new millennium. People seem to have less time for things around the house. The work week never seems to be over, people are tired and just want to spend time with their family. The average work week has increased from 38 to 44 hours. Traffic and distance makes commuting to work last much longer. There is actually less time for yourself and your family. When it comes to remodeling a room in the house, it just seems like too much time and effort. So when the bathroom needs to be remodeled, who do people call?
The first choice for busy people is to call New Jersey bathroom remodeling contractors. There are a lot of contractors and it can be confusing at first. The people have to choose one and that is sometimes the hardest part of all of the remodeling. There is the Yellow Pages but if you call all the contractors in the yellow pages you are likely to get many messages saying the number is disconnected. What about flyers at your door? Bad Idea, These guys are usually people laid off from some other kind of work not necessarily contracting work. What about TV ads? These people are usually reliable but costly. They charge anywhere from half again to twice what a smaller reputable firm would charge. So what is the best way to find a contractor? The best way to choose bathroom remodeling contractor is to ask family and friends if they have had work done and how they liked their contractor. The price he gives you will probably not be the lowest price you can get. A person that is in a lasting business can not afford to give work away long before going under. Going under means owing a lot of people a lot of money. Going for the lowest price often can mean you are shopping for trouble.
Word of mouth means more than almost anything. People can also go to most home warehouse centers and ask for a list of recommended contractors. This gives people a good place to start but do yourself a favor and ask friends and co-workers first.
Next, call all of the contractors on the list and show them what needs to be done. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for references if the contractor in not a referral. Check with some of the references and find out what they liked and didn’t like. Bathroom remodeling contractors get work by their previous work. If they aren’t good, they won’t have very much work to do.
Paying Bathroom Remodeling Contractors
Once the people have decided on the right contractor and the right price, the terms of payment will soon surface. In most cases, people don’t want to pay the contractor before the work is started. If payment is made before any work has started, the incentive to finish the project will have been lost.
They may ask for a portion up front for materials and the amount is something that the people and the contractor will have to talk about. We have found that a minimal down payment is all that is needed. Just a few hundred dollars or less. Then 30% when we start and 30% after all the rough in work is done then another 30% when the drywall is completed leaving 10% for the final. That way everyone is even money wise most the way along. There are special circumstances such as plans and permits the city wants up front. Special purchases such as special order tubs and tile that needs to be paid up front. Keep in mind that there is a 3 day rescission law. That means the job is officially under way at 3 business days. If you cancel the job after this time you still owe the contractor. Talking about these things opens the doors for more questions. Talking to bathroom remodeling contractors is a good thing. If the people see something that they don’t like, the contractor will appreciate being told immediately. This saves materials and time.
Time is money and most people have a budget that they are following. When the work is finished, the final payment will be expected. Remember that the contractor needs the money and if the work was performed in a satisfactory matter, then people should pay the difference right away.
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Bob is a staff writer for http://www.expertcarpenter.com/ and http://www.expertwaterproofing.com/ |
By Bob Mcguire
