Good contractors are hard to find.  There are seemingly millions of contractors to choose from.  There is more you can do then just the run-of-the-mill investigation.

Some contractors specialize in specific trades such as roofing, gutters, or small carpentry.  Others do a little of everything.  Which type of contractor do you want working on your home?

If there are thousands of contractors; how can you narrow down the field and find the right one for you?  Here are a few basic things to consider while checking into a contractor.  After all they just might be spending a considerable amount of time at your home!

*What are people saying about them? Social Media can be a valuable tool here!  Check out their Facebook Page, Google Search them, or check them out on Yelp, Angie’s List or any other review sites. YouTube can also be useful here!  If lots or people like them they are at minimum setting an expectation and meeting it.

*BBB and Labor and Industries (L&I) can be your friend! Having an A rating on the BBB isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it does at least mean they don’t have any “reported and unresolved” issues with past customers.  That’s at least a step in the right direction, right?

You should also check out how many employees are they claiming and if their insurance, license, and bond are all up to date.

*Are they running a transparent business? If they have things to hide they probably are!  It’s really nice to see biographies of who is working on or at your home.  It’s nice to see pictures or videos of who is on the end of the phone when you call.  Who is the owner?  What’s his/her history or story?  How many employees? Who is in the office and out in the field?  Answering all these questions start to give you a gut feeling about the company, and what type of business they are running.

There is wisdom here; especially if something goes wrong.  If you can look through their business seeing everything inside they probably are an honest company and that goes a long way!

*Isn’t communication always the key? At minimum, keep a mental note of when you call or email them.  What is their response time to your inquiries?  If it’s not good before you give them the work, it might be really bad after you give it to them!

*What is their website like? This is often a reflection on whether or not they are particular to details.  It can also shed light on how busy they are, and how savvy their marketing is.  If it’s well organized and laid out they might be as well.

Just remember, you don’t need a lot of bids, that’s not the point!  You need 1 great bid!  Go through these tips with the contractor or contractors you have chosen to interview, and you’ll be surprised at how happy you are at the end of the process.

Good Luck!

When using granite it must be templated (measured and a template created) onsite.  In order to make this process go smoothly, you should have the following:

Cabinets installed in place

Sink to be installed onsite, if using an undermount sink they may ask to take the sink with them to the shop.

Appliances

Faucets – make sure you know where you want this located as well as other items (soap dispenser, insta-hot, disposal button) so that holes can be drilled correctly.

By having products onsite you can prevent unknowns, re-dos and delays in the schedule.

Ask them how long the fabrication will take, you should expect 1 – 2 weeks.

Good Luck!