Five Ways To Get The Best Work From Your Contractors

Do you want to get the best possible work out of your contractor? Some contractors have outstanding work habits, but let’s face it, not all of them do. Some contractors need a bit more incentive to give you their best work. Here are five ways to make sure you get the best possible work from your contractors.

Get The Best Possible Work From A Contractor

Meet with your contractor once a day.

Make sure you step foot on the job site at least once a day. That creates a kind of accountability. This is when you can get a progress report and find out what work is expected for the day and the coming days. If you have any concerns, this also gives you chance to voice them.

Maintain a project journal.

Keeping a progress journal will help make it obvious that you are keeping track of promises and that you expect them to be kept. If a contractor tells you that the new sink will be put in on Thursday, they will know that you expect the sink to be put in on Thursday. With a project journal the answers to your questions are clearly not just conversational questions, but a commitment they are making to the progress of the job. This also lets all the workers on the job know that you won’t become confused by who said what. It will all be written down.

Avoid allowances as placeholders on the budget.

Sometimes people let contractors use an allowance as a line in the contractor’s bid. The amount is yet to be determined. But the issue is that leaving this allowance as a placeholder on the budget isn’t always the best way to get good work. You can attempt to eliminate allowances by figuring out the products selections you want before the contractor gives you the bid.

Document any changes in writing.

It’s usually good to specify in the remodeling contract that you want any changes to that get agreed upon during the process to be documented in writing. This way, you will have the description and price changes in writing and you will have both signed the new document. There are often unforeseen issues that will arise, but one way to make sure you’re not taken advantage of is to get everything in writing.

Check all work that’s completed.

After the work crew leaves for the day, stick around and check their work. If you find anything of concern, write it down in the project journal. That will make it easy to remember and show the contractor that you expect accountability. Consider checking the following:

• Model numbers on appliances and other products. (Compare them to your invoices and receipts to make sure that they don’t feel the liberty to make substitutions without your permission.)
• Double check measurements for the locations of doors and windows. (You can cross reference blueprints.)
• Check for uneven trim.
• Examine surfaces to make sure they are level.
• Look for any poor quality workmanship and bring it up with the project leader right away. Not only will this prevent the issue from becoming a bigger problem, but it will also let any crew members know that you demand quality work.

Of course, everyone knows that it’s important to not pay for the job in full until it’s completed. For some reason, once the money is in their hands, some contractors put you on the back burner. You’ll obviously need to put down a deposit, but don’t pay for all of the job up front. When the workers do a nice job, compliment them and pass along the compliment to their boss. Praise goes a long way in encouraging more great work. Lastly, be friendly with the contractors and their employees. People always find it easier to work harder for people who are friendly.

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