Home improvement

If you are a home or property owner it is certain that eventually you will need to hire a home improvement contractor for one reason or another.? Whether its for an emergency situation such as a roof leak, or simply for the purpose of modernizing an element of your home; such as installing new kitchen cabinets and counter tops, upgrading your bathroom, or a major project like converting your basement into a living and recreation area.

Whatever the case may be, hiring a credible home improvement expert is most vital to your home improvement investment, and to achieve this there are certain facts that you should know and be aware of when choosing a home improvement contractor for your home or property investment.

A carpenter by trade with a newly started business, I am writing to provide some helpful tips for homeowners so they can choose a credible contractor and evade the scam artists when exploring their home improvement options. The term home improvement is an ambiguous term because there are so many elements to your home: the roof, deck, porch, kitchen, basement, bathroom, etc. In essence there could be a thousand tips to discuss, but I will contain this article to the two primary things to watch for if and when you find the need to choose a contractor to work on your home.

First and foremost is the fact that generally most credible home improvement contractors fall into a specific category of expertise and have a reputation based on that expertise. As such, in your initial search, don’t just pick the first home improvement advertiser because maybe they offer a better price or have fancy ads. Instead, make your choice from the contractors who advertise under the specific project you are interested in.?

For example, if you need a new roof, choose from roofing contractors — preferably one that has long-standing reputation in your community. If you come across someone advertising that they provide a litany of services, be wary of their credibility and the quality of their work. Despite the fact that there are talented individuals who have the skills to cover all the facets of home improvement, generally even these individuals will choose to specialize in a targeted area and will not cover the “Jack of all Trades” title.? Most, but not all, “Jack Of All Trades” contractors are bad news, so you may wish to stay away from them.

The second tip I offer is choosing a contractor who offers a warranty coverage package that protects you and your property investment.? Although many contractors allege to offer warranty coverage, many of their warranties offer very little protection for the consumer whatsoever!? The fact is that the best warranty coverage is a “Non-prorated” warranty because this contract policy covers all costs should there be ANY defect in the workmanship and/or product(s), and there is NO cost to the consumer.?

Although some warranties appear to look good because they have a long coverage period like 20 – 30 years, the cold hard truth is that they may only be a “prorated” warranty.? A prorated warranty clearly states that it ONLY covers a certain dollar amount of any defect!? Anything beyond that specified dollar amount is then paid for by the homeowner, even if the product was installed incorrectly by the contractor!? Needless to say, most prorated warranties are useless, and home and property owners need to be aware of this!? Remember, you get what you pay for, so read the warranty contract terms.

In conclusion I can only state that I hope this article finds its way to homeowners who are soon to do some remodeling projects,and that the facts I have provided were able to help save you from a hard lesson learned.

By: Scott Ludtke

Many different home improvement contractors are available to help with everything from home maintenance to interior remodeling to exterior work. Then, there are the types of contractors–known as general contractors–responsible for an entire construction project. It is important to follow and look for contractor qualifications if you are an independent home improvement contractor or are hiring someone to work on a construction project. Below are license and other requirements specifically for general contractors:

Specific requirements for general contractors can vary slightly by state, but here are the requirements that are most common for general contractors:

Have at least 2 years experience in home improvement, construction, or related education.
Must fill out credit report application form providing proof of credit to pay debts and long-term expenses as they become due in the course of business.
Must submit articles of incorporation and certificate of good standing from the Assessments & Taxation Department in one’s state if representing a corporation.
Must check with state’s department of licensing if they want to use a trade name to make sure the name is available to use. If so, register the name with their state’s assessments and taxation department. Submit trade name registration certificate with license application.
Proof of $50,000 liability insurance in effect at all times.
Renew license every 2 years.

General contractors also need to follow the requirements that all contractors must follow in the United States. That is, to be a legitimate contractor in the United States one needs to:

Be at least 18 years old.
Give proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency.
Have liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. A certificate of insurance should also be ready to show customers. Contractors can get certificates of insurance that show policy limits and coverage dates from insurance carriers.

Note that a general contractor is responsible for the entire construction project and accepts full responsibility for the construction process and final results. Subcontractors may be hired by a general contractor to work on various aspects of a project. A subcontractor is an individual or business that enters into a legally binding agreement to complete some or all of a contractor’s work. The general contractor may hire electrical, plumbing, and roofing subcontractors as well as subcontractors for the various other construction specialties. The general contractor coordinates the work and pays the subcontractors.

Contractors exist in many construction fields including basement waterproofing, remodeling, and more. It may seem that anyone with construction knowledge can call themselves a contractor, but this is not necessarily the case. Contractors and subcontractors in the various construction fields like plumbing, electrical, and hvac all have certain requirements they must meet.

By: Ryan Corey

It’s time to remodel your home, and you’re looking for a contractor that you can trust and someone who will give you a reasonable and fair price for your remodeling project. There’s nothing new here, people have been looking for the same thing for years.

This is probably one of the best home remodeling or home repair magazine topics and will continue to be for many years. There are thousands of remodeling contractors out there who seem to do pretty good work. Some of these remodeling contractors even separate themselves by doing exceptional work and over delivering.

So how do I actually find a good home remodeling contractor? I’ve looked in the Yellow Pages, I’ve asked all of my friends and they all tell me the same thing. I have someone that I would recommend, they do pretty good work and I think that you would be happy with them.

I don’t think this is what you’re looking for, when you’re trying to find a good, and I would like to emphasis the word good home remodeling contractor. You’re not looking for a referral from somebody who was satisfied, you’re looking for a referral from someone who was extremely happy.

Where are these contractors located? Here’s the best piece of advice that I could ever give anyone who is looking for a home remodeling contractor. Stay away from online services. Some of these services charge hefty fees to their contractors. I know one that charges 10% of the total price of your job. In other words if you hire a home improvement contractor from this particular online contractor referral service, you can expect them to add at least 10% to the overall total cost of your job.

Most of the referrals that I have gotten and seen others receive, often seemed to produce the same results as having a monkey select someone out of the phone book. In other words, I have met quite a few homeowners who weren’t very happy with their referrals.

I would like to leave you with the best tip that I could possibly give any homeowner who is looking for a remodeling contractor. Go with your gut feeling, write down a few questions to ask your contractor and asked them. If you’re not comfortable with his personality or any of the answers that these contractors have given you, try to find another contractor who you get along with.

It’s not always going to be the best price, the lowest estimate, the best referral or even hiring a contractor who has completed the greatest number of jobs. Sometimes, you simply need to use your intuition, along with the information that you have gathered to make the best decision about hiring any remodeling contractors.

By: Greg Vandenberge

If you are a home improvement contractor, you already know that the economy has directly impacted your business. You have probably felt the pinch in your bottom line profits. In the past, many home improvement contractors have relied on homebuilders to provide the majority of their business. With the housing market in a spiral, what has happened to contractors who relied exclusively on new home construction to keep their business viable? The truth is many have gone out of business or are struggling to stay afloat hoping the housing market will resurge.

Perhaps for the first time, many contractors are forced to reach out to a new type of customer – the homeowner. While contractors may be experts in their field, many have never had experience in creating a marketing or advertising campaign. The logical response is to buy advertising because they know little about marketing. However, unless your advertising efforts are targeted to your audience, meaning homeowners who want and can afford your services, you may be wasting money and not getting desired results.

The question becomes how do you buy home improvement advertising which will produce results? There are many publications who claim to specialize in home improvement advertising, but there are many variables which can affect their efficiency. The majority of these publications contain editorial content in the form of articles and tips which are often contributed by your competitors. Many of them also contain ads from non-home improvement businesses. The reader’s focus can be distracted by pizza coupons, dry cleaning, or oil change advertising, for example. While these publications may have a large distribution, they may never reach your target audience, especially if they are sent to apartments or homeowners not in your geographic or economic target market, or if they are placed in businesses counting on foot traffic.

What should you look for when choosing a venue for your home improvement advertising? Follow these tips for optimum results. Look for publications which:

target the top homes by value in the marketplace; provide a venue to showcase your best work through photographs and images of how a home could look; only have advertisers who specialize in home remodeling; and
give your direct contact information

By: C. Goebel

One of the most important questions to ask when hiring a contractor to do work on your home is, “Are you properly and adequately insured?” Unfortunately, homeowners rarely pose this inquiry to prospective contractors, and it can prove to be a costly error.

Before a contractor sets foot on your property, you need to be sure that he has three different types of insurance.The first type of insurance is General Liability, which protects you if your property or your neighbor’s property is damaged. It also covers personal injury to your family and friends while the work is being done. It is important to be sure that the person you select has enough insurance. With the price of today’s homes and the cost of personal injury claims, $500,000 is the minimum level you should seek. However, $1,000,000 of General Liability insurance is a much more desirable amount of coverage.

The second necessary insurance is vehicle insurance. Your contractor should have this in the event that one of their trucks damages your property or a neighbor’s property while at your home. This insurance also covers any personal injuries caused by a contractor’s vehicle.

The aforementioned insurances protect you and your property. But, what happens if someone working on your home gets injured while they are on your property? By law, they must be covered by Workman’s Compensation insurance. Unfortunately, many contractors have employees who work “under the table” and are not insured. If one of these uninsured workers gets hurt, they can sue you, as the homeowner, for compensation.

You need to seek positive proof of all three of these insurances, especially Workman’s Compensation, before hiring a contractor to work on your home. This is extremely important for your protection since most homeowner’s insurance policies exclude covering damage or injury claims caused by contractors whom you authorize to be on your property. Why? Because you are responsible to be sure you’ve hired a reputable contractor who has insurance to cover accidents or negligence. If you hire an uninsured or underinsured contractor, and an injury or property damage occurs, you could be personally liable. Even worse, your own homeowner’s policy is unlikely to protect you.

By: Drew Barto

Before talking to any contractors the first thing to do is create a budget for the project. Without a budget you will be flying blind and may end up over spending. Having a tight budget will also help you make decisions about what kind of fixtures, and materials to purchase. Most products have a wide price range and having a budget will help keep you in line when making buying decisions.

After you have your budget dialed in get three written estimates from three different contractors. Be sure the estimate is complete; getting a “written” estimate on the back of a business card is not a sign of a good contractor. Getting three estimates will enable you to compare prices from different contractors. Take the time to talk with each contractor and get a feel for which one you will be most comfortable working with and having in your home. Be sure and pay attention to things like who shows up on time and who is prepared to talk about your project. If a contractor shows up late to your appointment chances are they will show up late when working on your project.

While you are in the process of selecting a contractor it is a good idea to make sure they have the proper license, insurance, and bonding. All three of these items are in place to protect homeowners. Working with a contractor who isn’t licensed or doesn’t have the proper insurance might come back to haunt you. A good contractor will show you copies of these documents when they present your written estimate.

The next step is to check the references of the contractor you are leaning towards selecting. Be sure to ask specific questions about their experience with the contractor. “Did the contractor show up on time?” “Did the contractor clean up after themselves?” If you want to be more aggressive you can ask the contractor for the names and numbers of their last three jobs and call those instead of their handpicked references. This will provide a more realistic overview of the contractors daily work habits and skills.

The last step is to select your contractor and have them provide you a timeline for the completion of the project. Having a timeline will help ensure your project is completed in a timely manner.

By: Gregg Hicks

New York totally fits the name “megacity,” a complex network of residential, industrial and commercial establishments. Naturally, home improvement is gaining priority in the lives of its multi-million residents. Busy lifestyles demand versatile, living spaces that are snug refuges at the end of the day, regardless of the size or type of units. Homeowners need to know what to do it cases of damages and functionality issues hiding; who is busy corporate man who wants to wait for the time when the damage is beyond repair? The time will come when having a contact number on a home improvement contractor will prove handy. So how do you get the best one?

For starters, good feedback passed from friends is the best form of marketing among business owners, which can lead to the demise of one’s business too, if not that positive. Check among the circle of people around you as to who they can recommend. A careful search will almost always turn up testimonials about a good contractor. Be prudent, if not keep clear about names that come up in your trips to a construction supply store; some of these references could simply be false contacts that rely only on finder’s fees.

If you run out of totally reliable sources of information in these matters, look them up in the BBB or the Better Business Bureau in your locality first before rubbing your elbows raw together with some worn local Yellow Pages. Maximize your time too by looking up home improvement contractors with less-than-polished records or with dubious and vague feedback. Of course, the web or the Information Superhighway is always a standalone archive of contacts with a good home improvement contractor waiting at the end. Try Googling keywords like “contractors”, or the name of some familiar professional that you are interested in, and you might also find some of his good affiliates in your own area.

As you near the end of your worries about those tiles or your ceiling, screen through the contacts you have amassed to spot the right contractor to invest your money and time on. Call each of your prospects and do not get surprised that you have to go through specific details he needs to know about. Your home as an investment is at stake here, so do not hold back questions especially the critical ones that could mean aesthetic and safety issues. Deciding on your choices only because of the price quoted by the contractor to be the lowest does not mean reliable. It may also not mean the highest quality possible. When mulling over price bids, think about what the contractor plans to do plus materials involved in the project. Needless to say, you also need to be responsible in looking up his license.

If you do your own careful contacts review, you can get a competent contractor, for sure. The time extended on going through the selection and the dollars spent would prove to be well worth it not only after the project has been finished successfully but in the long run. Getting the right and sensible handyman for your home project steers you clear of those unnecessary headaches and additional costs.

By: Lori T Smith

Good Home improvement contractors are very important for your home improvement project. Without them, you cannot alone bring into existence all your ideas that you have planned for your home improvement plan. However, there are some easy home improvements that you can handle alone. But when you talk about big home improvement projects, you are indirectly talking about home improvement contractor.

They are important because they are professionally trained for home improvement projects. Plus, they are into business and they know more than you do and think of. Whether you are planning a kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling or repairs on a big scale, you should get help from a professional home improvement contractor. On the other hand, if you plan to redecorate your home with a low budget and cost effective measures, you can do it yourself.

Big projects need bigger planning as well as understanding of the entire situation. It needs a lot of effort to complete a project with all the requirements. Home improvement contractors are licensed and also have financial assistance which they get from insurance companies. In case of a loss, mishap, thunder or any such unpredictable phenomena, good contractors have a safe side.

But do not select any home improvement contractor which does not qualify for your requirements; does not have a license and professional experience. Good contractors are those which help you save your time and money. In addition they also support your ideas just like you want them to be. One needs to think deeply before signing any contractor. Otherwise, results can be harmful.

By: Aron Joshua

If you are taking up home improvement project for the first time, it might seem to be a tough task to accomplish. However, you would be happy to know that it is actually not as tough as it sounds! You just have to be careful about the home improvement contractor you are hiring, the budget you are keeping aside for the project and most importantly, the improvements or changes that you want in your house.

Although there are quite a number of things that you might consider while taking up such project, here are some common remodeling considerations:

* Areas which sustain moisture or water throughout the year – like bathroom, basements, and often kitchens – should be considered for mold remediation and water cleaning.

* You can consider converting the spare spaces in the attic and basement into usable rooms. You could also remodel your interiors to make it spacious and airy. This might also help in increase the value of your property too!

* Consider the quality of materials you are using for the project. Use of good quality sinks, cabinets, appliances and other materials should be preferred even if you have to pay a few dollars more. Use of cheap items apart from causing inconveniences to the homeowners might even reduce the value of your home.

While these are some common considerations for home improvement project, there are certain things that you should keep in mind. Firstly, if you are taking on the remodeling project just to improve the value of the property and is considering a resale soon. In that case, you should avoid expensive home improvement projects and ask the home improvement contractor to do just the bit which would increase the value of your house.

It is also important to research to determine the average value of houses in your neighborhood. You should only do enough improvement of the house to match the average cost of houses in your area. The improvement project should never be so high so as to gulp down your profits in selling the house.

But, remodeling projects should never be tried based on the do-it-yourself tips you might find over the Internet. Ignorance about the home remodeling task and the ways to operate the machines and equipment might cause fatal accidents and other health hazards.

By: Alice M Shown

Is your home improvement contractor denying working on your roof during the winter months? But, generally during winters the condition of an already damaged roof worsens. So, you should immediately consider contacting a reputed home improvement company that is willing to work on your home improvement project – come rain or snow!

Is it too cold outside?

For a reputed customer centric home improvement company it is your convenience and preference that matters the most. The temperature might be well below the normal, but, who cares? Expert home improvement professionals are well equipped to work in any condition. What matters more is that if the roof is not mended on time, it might cause a leak or a fissure and you might face difficulties and inconveniences all through the winters. Such a contractor is willing to brave the winter chill can also be trusted for a successful task done during the hot scorching summers too!

Is there too much repairing required?

If you choose a reputed roofing contractor, you could rest assured that unlike unprofessional repairers he will never grumble about the extent of repairing that needs to be done. Even if there is too much snow on the roof, a good roofing contractor would even offer to clean the snow free of cost! You could rely on the roofing contractors to do extensive repairing and making the roof strong enough to protect you and your family from harsh weather for years to come.

Will I be responsible for their safety?

You need to be worried about the safety of the roofing contractor. Such contractors are well trained for performing every type of home improvement tasks. Moreover, a licensed roofing contractor is insured against any form of damage that occurs while working. However, all these are seldom required as they have the necessary gears and equipment to keep safe. They will also suggest you on the safety measures that you should take while your room is being repaired.

What are the other services that I can expect?

Apart from residential home improvements, a reputed roofing contractor would also deal with commercial repairing and remodeling – a few of which has been mentioned below -

* Roofing
* Gutters and Downspouts
* Soffit and Fascia
* Siding
* Replacement windows
* Doors and Hardware
* Concrete and masonry tasks
* Painting
* Power Washing
* Deck Building

By: Alice M Shown