Table Of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1 CHOOSING YOUR CONTRACTORS
Establish the Plan
Your Decision
The Solution
8 Steps to Hiring a Good Contractor
2 THE ESTIMATE - INTERVIEW
Greet & Meet
Describe the Project
Listen Up and Observe
He Talks
He Writes
The Integrity Check
It’s Price Time!
Is This Your Guy?
Price Too High?
3 COMMON MISTAKES THAT HOMEOWNERS MAKE
Dos And Don’ts of Customer Behavior
4 GAMES THAT CONTRACTORS PLAY
Deposits
Vague Terms
Materials Switch
Subcontracting
Blame
Intimidation
Warranties
5 UNDERSTANDING CONTRACTORS
Contractor Job Description
The Skills
Broken Promises
Skilled Labor
Word-of-Mouth
6 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CONTRACTOR
Respecting the Contractor’s Time
Helping to Keep Up Morale on the Job
Strictly Business
Reducing Unnecessary Stress for the Crew
Keeping to Your End of the Agreement
7 WHEN THE CONTRACTOR MOVES IN
Greeting the Crew
Setting the House Rules
Establishing a Chain of Command
Who Is In Charge?
Establishing a Work Schedule
Clarifying Lines of Communication
8 HOW TO FIRE A CONTRACTOR
Getting the Contractor Out of Your Home
The Reasonable Man Test
Breach of Contract/Cease Operations
Materials, Who Owns Them?
Determining a Final Bill
9 GAMES THAT HOMEOWNERS PLAY
The Stall
Good Cop, Bad Cop
I Forgot
You Should Have Known
Let’s Pretend
The Tease
10 TROUBLESHOOTING
(How To Complain To Your Contractor)
Lodging Your First Concern
Feeling Ignored
Leaking Roof
Poor Surface Preparations
Failure to Perform as Promised
Questionable Material Choice
They Did It Anyway
They Violated Your House Rules
Feeling Intimidated
A Contractor’s Market
Dealing with Insurance Companies
11 STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES
Kidnapped
Conspiracy
Assault
Firestarter
A Picture Is Worth How Much?
1...2…3…Testing
The Rest of the Story
Hard to Swallow
Burial Scene
Delays Cost You Money
Step By Step
Like A Good Neighbor
One For the…Ladder
Blindsided
Nothing Like a Strong Foundation
Price LESS
Can You HEAR Me Now?
Go to the Mattress
GUIDE TO APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Painting & Decorating Resources
APPENDIX B: Roofing Resources
APPENDIX C: Drywall & Plaster Resources
APPENDIX D: Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Resources
APPENDIX E: Carpet Cleaning & Installation Resources
APPENDIX F: Home Appliances Resources
APPENDIX G: Homeowner Resources
State Government Web Addresses for Licensing Information,
Contractor Search Engines & Consumer Complaint Forms
APPENDIX H: Miscellaneous Resources
APPENDIX I: Checklist for Contractor Selection
APPENDIX J: Checklist for the Interview
APPENDIX K: Checklist for When the Project Begins 124
APPENDIX L: Notice of Breach of Contract, Change Order 125
INDEX
How-To-Hire.Com
Get Contractor Smart Today!
Nav
Right
