A Match Made in Home Repair Heaven: Choosing the Right Contractor

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Finding a contractor who is well qualified, reasonably priced, and has a good reputation may seem like a challenging task for homeowners.

“Holmes on Homes” is a home improvement television show that follows general contractor Mike Holmes, who fixes up houses that have been negatively impacted by shady or incompetent contractors. The program details not only the physical consequences of shoddy workmanship, but also shows the emotional and financial toll that hiring the wrong contractor can take.

Fortunately for the homeowners featured on the show, Mike and his crew repair all items that were bungled by the previous contractor, for significantly less than other contractors would charge.

This white knight of home repair can’t come in and rescue every homeowner who’s been swindled, so it’s up to homeowners to do thorough research before signing a contract with anyone about to work on their biggest asset.

If thinking about having work done on your house, it’s important to line up at least three contractors to interview and receive estimates from. The first thing to watch for is how they present themselves when they first meet you. Do they have business cards, a cell phone, and stationary to take notes on? Do they look reasonably put together, and seem to care about making a good first impression? If they’re late for their appointment with you, or they seem unprepared, take that as a bad sign. If they’re careless during the interview process, it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll be lax on the job.

When the contractor comes to your home, ask them to provide a written estimate for the work you’d like done. Most companies will do this for free, so be cautious of places that charge. You want the estimate to be detailed—not just a number pulled off the top of their head.

There is certain information other than the estimate that you’re going to need from your potential contractors as well. These include the company’s physical address and contact information. These pieces are necessary to run a credit check on the company, and to make inquiries about the contractor at the Better Business Bureau.

You want to gather financial information because the last thing you want is to hire a company that’s on the verge of bankruptcy. If you hire someone, and their business goes under, you could end up with a half-completed job. Even worse, you could lose money in the deal if the contractor disappears.

The Better Business Bureau will be able to tell you if there have been any complaints made about the company, and if any lawsuits have been filed against them. In addition, you need to contact your state licensing board to make sure that the contractor is licensed for the work they’re about to do on your home.

You should also obtain proof of insurance from your contractor by calling the insurance company directly. In terms of insurance, both the contractor and any sub-contractors they hire will need liability insurance and Workers’ Compensation coverage in case an accident occurs on the job.

Finally, it’s imperative to not only see photographs of work the contractor has completed on past jobs, but you should also visit homes that the contractor has worked on. If he or she will not provide you with names and addresses of former clients, then consider that a red flag and hire someone else.

In addition to seeing the actual work done, talk with the homeowners to see if they were satisfied with the job the contractor did. Was it done on time, and according to the terms of the estimate? Speaking with former clients will give you valuable insight into the reality of working with the company, and protect yourself from hiring the wrong one.

Watch the video related to home repair

When adjusting an air compressor regulator, remember that some air compressors require different amounts of pressure in order operate efficiently. Adjust an air compressor regulator withtips from a home repairman in this free video on home improvements. Expert: James Drew Contact: www.JNCHomeRepair.com Bio: James Drew is the Owner and President of JNC Home Repair in Austin, Tx. and an HVAC Certified tech with over two decades experience in plumbing, masonry, and carpentry. Filmmaker: Todd Green…

Help answer the question about home repair

Could I please have tips on starting my own in-home computer repair business?
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Filed in Home Repair 16 comments

16 Comments

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Dec 14, 2009
5:55 am

#1 verbatin01 :

Who cares what kind of air compressor he’s using… this isn’t a “Red Carpet of Air Compressors” video – it’s a HOW TO video!!!!

Dec 14, 2009
6:16 am

#2 rol6711 :

most air tool uses 90psi. always read manual for maximum psi use. don’t exceed maximum psi or ya tool will break.

Dec 14, 2009
5:50 am

#3 gianinni :

Hilty makes a type of plastic toggle bolt that will be perfect for you. I don't exactly know what it's called but check their web site out. It's about 6 to8 inches long and you make a 3/8" hole, insert, pull the tabs, and your done. It accepts #8&10 screws. Perfect! If your wall is solid, they will take the weight.

Dec 14, 2009
5:54 am

#4 Catherine B :

go to auto parts store get a quart of fiberglass reinforced auto body filler it comes with hardener you can ad a little of that and be good to go

Dec 14, 2009
6:35 am

#5 gumptownhustle :

I tried to find some direct information for you (usually a city has grants for this- not Montgomery though!). The best I can do is to refer you to the Montgomery Area Council on Aging. They don't have a home repair program but they can work with these seniors to help connect them to an agency or nonprofit who can help.

Their website is http://www.macoa.org

Dec 14, 2009
3:07 pm

#6 monique33168 :

If you belong to some specific group you might find one, try grants.gov. They have all of the government grants, with complete instructions if you qualify.

In general there are no grants to improve each others investments. This is your house, you pay to have it the way you want it.

Do you recall voting to be taxed to fix up my kitchen? I do not think so.

But there are grants to modify homes for severally disabled adults in order to allow them to use their homes. If you are part of this group of people your social worker can help you obtain the grants you need.

Dec 15, 2009
1:17 am

#7 bigrichturbo25 :

very handy, thanks

Dec 15, 2009
5:53 pm

#8 Shawn :

He is not being lazy it is hard to do not as bad on an suv as it would be a van the best advice I can give you is get a vehicle specific repair manual and follow what it says.Is it worth it? that all depends on a few things such as having the right tools and knowing how to do it if and having the time. If you have the tools know how and time and you can find one cheap that just needs a head gasket get you a book and go for it you can save a bundle by doing it yourself

Dec 15, 2009
10:47 pm

#9 flajaxbound :

That compressor is a crappy air comp. I use to build them at Devillibiss Air Power and I worked for ther refurb center. I probably worked on several 1000s of those…Reg goes bad, valve plate bad, rod cracks…buy a better air comp.

Dec 16, 2009
3:14 am

#10 flajaxbound :

Unless you are buying a professional air comp. not some cheap one then I would say it is good. All the cheap ones are basically built the same. Cheap parts

Dec 15, 2009
11:55 pm

#11 dimanplay4 :

The Home Repair and Remodeling Act is a law passed by the Illinois General Assembly which specifically defines requirements of contractors and rights of homeowners who contract for repairs or remodeling to homes. I am enclosing a link to it. Hope this helps.

Dec 16, 2009
6:09 am

#12 musicfuse :

what do you think of a Husky Air Compressor?

Dec 16, 2009
11:57 am

#13 steveho75 :

What is the air blowing psi?

Steve

Dec 16, 2009
7:16 pm

#14 KnowSean :

Sounds like one dangerous roof to walk on! Don't do it! Call a roofing company. They're all capable of full repair. You'll want it stripped so that all rot is exposed and then replaced……. and the new roof lays well. When it comes to shingles, there are different weights that last varying numbers of years……….get the heavy weights! Otherwise, you'll be reroofing in 16 years. Labor is the same for light or heavy.

Dec 16, 2009
10:41 pm

#15 Watisitsu :

Yes they do have workshops. Whether its what your looking for in particular or not I don't know. You can check their sites for upcoming workshops. Try sites like DIY or HGTV. You can also check your local library for books on the subject.

Dec 17, 2009
4:15 am

#16 kimber :

Unlikely that a state or local government licenses handyman services, i.e., through examination or otherwise determines a minimal level of competence. Usually the "license" is simply an occupational registration, a device for raising local govt revenues. Contact the local government office which issues occupational and business registration certificates. To determine whether the repairman is licensed as a building contractor (residential or commercial) call the local government building permit/inspection department both to determine whether the repairman's name is known there (if the person is capable of pulling a building permit), as well as to determine if the license number is of a type which is issued by state or local goverenment. For judgments (which do necessarily have anything to do with competence) search official records on the website of the local office (clerk of court) which records such records. To determine the status of a business entity (corporation, LLC, individual d/b/a under a fictituous name) search the website of the state agency which registers such entities (frequently secretary of state, corporations division).