Hire the Contractor: Yea or Nay?

Gone are the days when door-to-door salesmen should be trusted with nothing more than a knock on your door, a clipboard and a smile. A recent Jacksonville, Florida news story described a man approaching homeowners with awkward questions about the safety and protection of their home security systems.  Opening your door to random salesmen can be sketchy, but how do you find a reliable contractor for your paver driveway or patio?  Randy & Ray’s LLC urges you to follow our acrostic to determine whether you should sign that hardscape CONTRACT or keep looking.

C  -    Check Them Out.  

Research every contractor being considered; even those referred by trusted friends and neighbors.   Start by searching Google, Houzz, Angie’s List and other sites for reviews about each contractor.  Consider not only how many of their reviews are good versus bad, but also the contractors’ responses as their words reveal much about their character and professionalism.    

O  -   Open a Dialog.  

Reach out to contractors using their own websites, verified social media sites, email links and phone numbers.  Feel free to contact businesses after receiving their flyer in the mail, but only after you’ve exhausted Step 1 above.  Explain your project needs and ask if free estimates are available.

N  –  Negotiate the Details.  

Your project estimate should always leave room to negotiate the design details. If you don’t understand items in your bid, question them. If you want elements added or removed from the quote, request a revision. While bidding for your project, a Contractor should be willing to adjust his proposed design to achieve your intended outcome with a work of art he can claim with pride. Don’t sign until he produces the design that works for you.

T  -   Trust your gut.  

You can read a dozen Hire-a-Contractor guideline blogs and do everything right, but if you ignore your instincts about a Contractor? You could get it very, very wrong. Listen to your gut feeling that despite a few negative reviews in a sea of positive referrals, the Contractor in front of you appears to be a highly organized, engaged listener who designs to meet your guidelines. Conversely, if a friend highly praises her Contractor but his proposed design fails to meet your needs, or he rejects your requests for revisions, seek another contractor whose design goals reflect your own.

R  -    Respect.  

A Contractor’s job is to listen to your needs, apply his expertise toward feasible solutions and present your design options without condescension. If a Contractor consistently devalues your concerns during the bidding process, politely address the issue.  If he remains dismissive or unresponsive, this is not the Contractor for you.

A  -   Assess the Cost Objectively.  

Let’s admit that the biggest hurdle for home improvement is seeing past the dollar signs. Try to remember that your Contractor budgets the quote to compensate skilled workers, purchase the highest quality materials and complete an exceptional paver design and installation for your home. But unless you’re after champagne with a beer budget, your Contractor should still be able to suggest removing or adjusting elements of the project for cost while explaining how those alterations will impact the overall design and functionality.  At Randy & Ray’s, our goal is not to be your lowest bid, but your highest quality bid.

C  -   Constant Communication.  

When you request an estimate, the Contractor should respond professionally by scheduling an appointment and arriving at that exact date and time. During this appointment, he should measure your space, discuss your design needs, and indicate when and how you should receive your initial estimate.  Traffic jams, missed calls and overlooked emails can happen, but should certainly be an anomaly.  If the only consistent communication from a bidding Contractor is the lack thereof, imagine trying to reach him when your project is only half-completed in your home.  No, thanks.

T  -   Tell On Them.

Remember starting this process by trolling online reviews? It should end with you leaving several of your own. If you had an amazing Contractor and love the workmanship of your newly-designed space, he has earned your online referral in addition to his pay. If he left you with a mess, or fell short of the contracted quality and design, you can protect future homeowners from experiencing the same. Once you draft your review, post it on Google, Houzz, Angie’s List and on each of the Contractor’s official social media sites.

We wish you the best with your next project, and hope you find the perfect Contractor to help you make it happen. Remember to add Randy & Ray’s to your list of potential hardscape contractors, and let us know how we measure up!

Paving the Way Blog
Copyright 2017 Randy & Ray’s LLC, All Rights Reserved