When you decide to renovate your home, you might be inclined to think that you can save money by doing the work yourself. While that may be true with a minor repair, you’re better off hiring a professional contractor for bigger jobs. Here are reasons a professional can actually be cheaper, followed by a brief guide for hiring a qualified professional in your area.
Specialized Experience
Suppose you want to upgrade your roof by installing solar panels, the first thing you need to do is understand exactly how important your location is. For example, San Diego solar panels will be much more beneficial than the same ones installed in rainy Washington state for example. Once you’ve weighed the value of the upgrade, you will need a professional with specialized experience in the job. There would be nothing worse than installing these solar panels only to find out they are going to cost you more money.
Discounts on Products
Professional contractors typically work with a short list of vendors with whom they develop a rapport. Their professional relationship enables the vendor to offer discounts and to offer lower prices on items bought in bulk. Those savings will be passed onto the contractor’s customers.
Safety Is a Concern
From construction crews to electricians, contractors must ensure everyone on his staff complies with established safety regulations. This ensures each work site, including your home, maintains a high regard for safety. The work will be done in compliance with laws and that will help protect your home and family.
Getting Value for Your Money
Finally, the work will be done more efficiently. If you take a job on yourself, you may not have the training and experience to do a quality job. Additionally, you may make errors that must be repaired, requiring a professional to come in and redo the job. That means spending double the money on parts and supplies. Hiring a professional contractor at the start ensures the job will be done right the first time.
What to Look for When Hiring a Professional Contractor
Ask for Referrals
The first step in hiring a contractor is to narrow down a long list of contenders. You can do this by asking friends, co-workers, and neighbors about professionals they have used in the past.
Check Certifications
The last thing you want to do is to consider hiring unlicensed contractors. It is important to know the risks of hiring unlicensed contractors as it could end up costing you a pretty penny if everything is not above-board. Be sure to check licenses and certifications to ensure each contractor is authorized to work in the state. You should also inquire about the licenses for any subcontractors that the company uses.
Request Bids
Interview a minimum of three different contractors, once you have narrowed down your list. Give them the same information and request a price estimate on the same job from each contractor. Don’t automatically go with the lowest bid. If you have more confidence in a contractor offering a higher bid, try to negotiate on the price.
Check Reviews and Complaints
Even when you think you’ve made a choice, you should do a little more research on that contractor. Check for complaints with state agencies and with the Better Business Bureau. It’s also a good idea to read online customer reviews for that contractor to learn about real experiences previous customers have had.
Get Specialized Experience
Even if everyone agrees a certain contractor is the absolute best at installing solar panels, that’s not going to help you, if you want new countertops installed in your kitchen. Make sure the contractor has extensive experience in performing the type of job you want done.
Making use of a professional contractor means getting quality results and saving money on the work. However, if you hire an inexperienced or unlicensed professional, you may not be getting a deal, after all. As long as you’re diligent in researching the professionals you hire, making your home renovations can be a more efficient and more cost-effective process.