Help with Communicating with Your Contractor
Tuesday | March 09, 2010 Filed in: General Remodeling | Bathroom Remodeling | Kitchen Remodeling | Contractors
Home improvement projects often involve using a home contractor to get the work done. Fortunately, if you follow a few simple guidelines from start to finish, you will experience fewer problems and less stress.
Create an Outline of the Tasks for the Home Contractor
Start by clearly outlining the work that you are hiring the home contractor to do. Make sure that it is in writing and included in a signed work proposal or legal contract. If a specific task isn't listed, some home contractors might not be inclined to complete it at the stated price for the overall job.
Home Contractor Proposal or Agreement
The work proposal should include each task that you want completed, a starting date for the work project, an estimate of the time it will take to complete all tasks, and the estimated cost of the project. Both parties should sign the proposal to make it binding. The payment plan should also be included in this document.
Payment for the Home Contractor
Set up a plan that you are comfortable with that is also reasonable for the contractor. For example, you might want to pay one third of the amount at the beginning, one third of the amount when the work is halfway completed, and the final third when the project is finished. If you have all of this ironed out in the beginning, then you know what to expect. It is in your best interest not to pay the full amount prior to the completion of the job.
Discuss Related Details with the Home Contractor
It is equally important for you to discuss several details with the contractor in addition to the actual work that you want completed. First, you should make sure that both of you understand when and how he will access your property. Whether or not he is working inside the home, you might want to be present at all times to oversee the work from a distance. While it is important not to get too close, you also don't want to be absent during the entire job.
Make sure that the two of you agree as to who is going to complete the clean up each day for any discarded materials and debris. You should also discuss any large items that need to be moved in order for the job to get done. Who is going to replace those items to their proper place?
You should monitor the work as it is taking place to ensure that it is going according to your wishes. Once you are satisfied that the home improvement project has been completed to your satisfaction, it is time to make the final payment.
Create an Outline of the Tasks for the Home Contractor
Start by clearly outlining the work that you are hiring the home contractor to do. Make sure that it is in writing and included in a signed work proposal or legal contract. If a specific task isn't listed, some home contractors might not be inclined to complete it at the stated price for the overall job.
Home Contractor Proposal or Agreement
The work proposal should include each task that you want completed, a starting date for the work project, an estimate of the time it will take to complete all tasks, and the estimated cost of the project. Both parties should sign the proposal to make it binding. The payment plan should also be included in this document.
Payment for the Home Contractor
Set up a plan that you are comfortable with that is also reasonable for the contractor. For example, you might want to pay one third of the amount at the beginning, one third of the amount when the work is halfway completed, and the final third when the project is finished. If you have all of this ironed out in the beginning, then you know what to expect. It is in your best interest not to pay the full amount prior to the completion of the job.
Discuss Related Details with the Home Contractor
It is equally important for you to discuss several details with the contractor in addition to the actual work that you want completed. First, you should make sure that both of you understand when and how he will access your property. Whether or not he is working inside the home, you might want to be present at all times to oversee the work from a distance. While it is important not to get too close, you also don't want to be absent during the entire job.
Make sure that the two of you agree as to who is going to complete the clean up each day for any discarded materials and debris. You should also discuss any large items that need to be moved in order for the job to get done. Who is going to replace those items to their proper place?
You should monitor the work as it is taking place to ensure that it is going according to your wishes. Once you are satisfied that the home improvement project has been completed to your satisfaction, it is time to make the final payment.