When hiring a contractor, watch out for this red flag

You’ve watched a ton of HGTV and now you’re ready to renovate! Well more often than not, that means hiring a contractor. How do you make sure you’ve found the right one? And what should you look out for? As part of Knowable’s Buy Your First Home audio course, experts help you navigate the complicated homebuying process. One of those experts is Thomas Juon, general contractor and owner of Four Hammers Construction in Portland, Oregon. Here, he shares tips on dealing with contractors.

Meet with your contractor in person and do a gut check.

Your contractor will become a BIG part of your life, so it’s important you find one that you really connect with.

“[As a contractor], you become part life coach, part marriage counselor,” explains Juon. “That’s one of the reasons I say you really need to have that initial meeting to feel the gut check on, like, can I work with this person? Because things do get stressful on a kitchen remodel because you’re there, you’re in the way, you’re part of the family, whether you like it or not. Everyone’s got to get along and get it done.”

Do your homework and ask A LOT of questions.

A good contractor will happily answer them, and you’ll have peace of mind that you’ve communicated your priorities.

“What I like is clients that asked me a ton of questions in the beginning,” Juon says. “Let’s talk about every aspect of this bill. Ask for a schedule like, OK, how long’s the paint going to take? How long’s the demo? How long’s the drywall? How long is it going to take to get the countertops? Setting those expectations with the schedule really helps drive a project on what I need from the client and what they should expect out of me in a lot of the bigger projects.”

Don’t pay 50 percent upfront.

Juon, who has more than 30 years of experience as a contractor, says that this request throws up red flags.

“I don’t think anybody should ask for half upfront,” he says. “I think you should at least perform something before you get paid a decent sum of money. I’ve always thought that was a red flag.” Juon suggests paying 15 to 25 percent upfront, and then do progress payments. That way, you don’t run the risk of your contractor having half the money and not showing up again before any work is accomplished.

Make sure you budget for the important stuff, not just the pretty stuff.

Have the contractor take a look at things like the sewer lines, furnace and hot water heater before starting renovations, and be prepared in case a preventative measure is needed. “Everyone wants to prioritize doorknobs and pretty paint and whatnot, but that’s not going to help you any if your furnace goes out when it’s 40 degrees,” Juon cautions. “You wake up one morning and there’s a $10,000 bill because you need a new furnace or you need to replace your hot water heater. So you really need to look at the literal guts of your house and what needs fixing first.”

This is just a taste of what you need to know to be a smart homebuyer. Check out Knowable’s Buy Your First Home course and learn from experts in all aspects of the homebuying process.