BiggerPockets

How To Find A Good Contractor

It's easy to find good contractors… if you're willing to pay an arm and a leg. Finding a good contractor who doesn't charge like a lawyer, well, let's just say it's a little tougher.

But it is possible, if you ask the right questions, which is exactly what we'll help you out with.

Question 1: What's the size of the job?

Bigger jobs require better contractors, period. If you have a leaky sink, call your favorite handyman and don't sweat it, but if you're renovating a shell, you'll need someone with some serious experience, and manpower.

Question 2: Do you need to pull a permit?

If your job requires a permit, then you'll need a licensed contractor, and they're considerably more expensive than your handyman. Licensed contractors can pull the permits for you, but make sure you get copies of every permit they pull, because many contractors "forget" to pull them.

Question 3: Where does the contractor work?

We're going to take the kid gloves off for a second here, and face the fact that some contractors do most of their work in the slums. These will be considerably less expensive contractors, and may be appropriate to hire if your property is on the wrong side of the tracks.

If you're renovating a house in Yuppie-Land, forget using a slum contractor and shell out the extra dollars for someone who knows higher end rehabs. But either way, make sure you know what kind of contractor you're dealing with, because you don't want to over- or under-spend.

Question 4: How long has their career as a contractor been?

If you ask a contractor how long they've been in the business, they'll all tell you that they've been renovating houses since you were in diapers. Obviously this is not true.

So, if you really want to know about the longevity of their career, ask them how they got into contracting. They won't think to lie about it, because of the indirect nature of the question, but you NEED to know whether you're talking to a career rehab artist or a sham dabbler.

Question 5: What kind of warranty will they provide?

Likewise, all contractors will tell you that they "guarantee their work" in vague terms, but ask for specifics. One year? Five years? A good contractor will always guarantee their work, for a certain amount of time, anyway.

Here's the kicker: GET IT IN WRITING!

As a landlord, few people you have to work with routinely will frustrate you as much as contractors will. Establish a long-term relationship with several good, licensed contractors and several talented handymen, after trying out a lot of each, and remember that when you're interviewing them, the more questions you ask the better sense you'll get for their integrity and professionalism.

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