Door-to-Door salesmen? Before you break ground with a home improvement contractor

Let’s start with a joke I found online, just so that you get the idea!

Derek, the painter, often would thin his paint so it would go further. So when a local church decided to do some deferred maintenance, Derek was able to put in the low bid, and got the job. As always, he thinned his paint way down with turpentine.

One day, while he was up on the scaffolding, the job almost finished, he heard a horrendous clap of thunder, and the sky opened.

The ensuing downpour washed the thinned paint off the church and knocked Derek off his scaffold onto the lawn among the gravestones and puddles of thinned and worthless paint.

Derek knew this was a warning from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried: “Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?”

And from the thunder, a mighty voice thundered, “REPAINT! REPAINT! AND THIN NO MORE!”

Okay, you get it. Maybe you don’t need an act of god to help you, if you do a little shopping around.

There’s no reason to have Derek look at your house as an opportunity to pull out diluted paint and duct tape!

Here are a few tips to seriously consider when your excitement about that great home improvement project consumes you.

1. Be cautious. Be wary of contractors who go door-to-door offering you a discount if you hire them. Be skeptical of offers that sound too good to be true.
2. Become familiar. Become familiar with trusted reliable independent sources that are trusted in the type of home improvement you plan. Don’t just believe salespeople who have a vested interest in selling you something. You can also turn to Consumer Reports, but also remember to look for independent consumer driven organizations that focus on the type of improvement you are planning.
3. Get estimates. Get at least 3 written estimates, especially for a big job. Don’t go for the lowest bidder, because quality work and materials don’t always come at the lowest price.
4. Check license and insurance.  Carefully check the license and proof of insurance. Your own home insurance may have to cover damages caused by a contractor’s mistakes, but often won’t cover costs of poor workmanship. You can also check if the contractor is in good standing by checking with your state’s Home Improvement Commission.
5.  Get it in writing.  Making sure that you have a written contract for your project will save you a lot of time since you can avoid squabbling back and forth on what was and was not agreed to. Don’t waive your rights. Review the contract!