First of all, yes SOME, NOT MANY contractors can be trusted. I am a licensed and insured builder in the state of MI. It is really too bad, but there are so many hack contractors out there who claim to be something they are not. My suggestions: get referrals, ask to see what they are presently working on, detailed proposals are a must, don’t ever get less than three bids, ask for pictures of past projects… One very important thing is an extremely detailed proposal. I mean every little thing they are going to do,and what kind of materials they will use to do them. I cannot emphasize this enough, if a contractor gives you a proposal that is very general and has grey areas, don’t take it and ask him to write another one and be more detailed. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!! I have seen many contractors take advantage of people in this way. Be careful.
My wife and I just moved down to Cincinnati. I am beginning to invest into real estate and am looking for my first fixer upper. I wish I were in Atlanta to help you or even partner up on some properties. I don’t know any builders, contractors, or architects in the Atlanta area. Go to an REI meeting and ask around for some good, reputable, honest contractors. I wish you much luck and success. I hope I was some help to you.
hi does anyone know of any licensed, bonded, insured, and just plain honest contractors in atlanta? i’m looking for a contractor or even an architect to help redesign and rebuild fixer uppers properly. i mean taking an unfunctional 2/1 with the bathroom connected to a bedroom or the kitchen is just totally too small and in the wrong place, and reconfiguring it so that a bedroom and bath can be added without hurting the structure of the property and making it work for today’s homeowner. any suggestions?
Re: contractors… can they be trusted? - Posted by Ed C (CA)
Posted by Ed C (CA) on September 30, 2002 at 19:34:35:
I can not give you a trust worthy contractor in Alanta but maybe some advice in regards as to how to deal with contractors in general. #1-Stay in control of YOUR job. The way you do that is by controling the payments you give YOUR contractor. Agree upon a reasonable payment schedule and stick to it. All the paper work in the world will not matter if YOUR contractor is ahead of you on the money. He is then in control of YOUR job. And will do it as it suits him. #2 Ask people you know if they have a GOOD contractor. Have a well defined project to have contractors bid on. If you do not know what YOUR contractor is to really bid upon, how can he! #3 Remember if you are living by lowest price only, YOUR job will die by the lowest price. A GOOD contractor will have a CONTRACTORS LICENSE, has done numerous jobs like yours, does not need your job but is someone you can talk to, explains the problems he/her sees with YOUR job, and probably cannot start for a week or two because they already has work scheduled. #4 Most experienced contractors will walk away from bidding YOUR job before they will get in bidding war with 6/8 bidders. Along with low ball prices comes low ball work/results.