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Contact Nancy Comenitz Real Estate

If you have any questions or need more detailed information, please feel free to contact me via phone at 617.232.4186 or fill out the form to let us know how we can help with your real estate needs.

Office Location 77 Pond Avenue,
Brookline, MA
Phone: (617) 232-4186
Fax: (617) 232-7954

            How To Hire  a Contractor


Finding the right professional for your home improvement project can be tricky. Trickier is getting a great job at a fair price.

When possible, choose a contractor through personal recommendations. Try to get referrals from friends or neighbors who have had similar work done. It is wise to solicit more than three bids.

The key facts to find out are:

        Do they have experience with jobs such as yours, and can they provide you with a list of                references? 

        Do they have their own crew for some of the work, or do they rely solely on a stable of               sub-contractors?

        How many other jobs will they be working on simultaneously with yours,and how available              will their contractors be?

        Will they be working or supervising? If supervising, how much time will they be on-site                    each day? 

        When are they available to start your project, and how long do they estimate it will                      take?       

        Are they licensed and insured, and what amount of liability insurance do they carry?
            Get a copy of the insurance policy. 


Be sure to give all of your contractor candidates identical sets of plans. View the plans with them, and be honest about your expectations. They, in turn, should be honest with you about the realities about the budget, time, and potential disruption to your home. Encourage  each candidate to suggest cost-saving ideas and point out the plans high-cost elements, such as custom doors or windows or cabinetry.  Request a bid broken our by task or technical expertise- such as plumbing, framing, and electrical- and agree on a date for the bid's submission. Find out how long the bid will be valid. The period should be at least 30 days.

When the bids come in, don't make price your only criterion for selection.  Reliability, quality of work, and on-time performance are very valuable. These factors are best determined by interviews with the contractor's references, so do not shortchange this process. Ask to see photographs of some projects. Request names and phone numbers of past customers. Call these references and ask to see the contractors work.  Ask questions about the contractor's work practices, punctuality, and cleanliness. These seem minor before the project begins, but they can quickly become major issues when you are in the throes of construction.

Chemistry with your contractor is critical - this person may be in your mist for several months, and there may be times when have to haggle about difficult issues. Find out whether the contractor will be on the job or hand it over to a foreman, Check whether the subcontractors working on your project are licensed, bonded, and insured properly. Contact the subcontractors and suppliers to verify that he has a good credit history. You don't want to be liable for unpaid work done on your home when you have already paid the contractor in full.

When you have made your selection, ask to see the contractor's license and double-check insurance coverage, worker's compensation,property damage, and personal liability.

At this point, you and your contractor should agree upon a written contract and both of you should sign it. The contract should include:

Both of your names and address and details of the work to be performed.Carefully read the
description of the remodeling job. It should thoroughly detail all the materials to be used, right down to quantity, quality, weight, color, size and brand name. You want to include everything the contractor will and will not do- the inclusions and the exclusions.

Don't forget to specify who is responsible for demolition, cleanup, and trash collections. Be sure your plans are thought through completely. Its fair for a contractor to charge you for changes that will require more work or more expensive materials. Charges for changes and extras can send your budget through the roof.

Materials. When specifying materials, avoid the term 'or equal' unless it is clear that substitutions can't be made without your approval. If you agree to a separate budget for items you haven't selected yet, such as plumbing fixtures or floor coverings, be sure the budget figure is high enough to cover their costs.  Do your homework: go to a home improvement center to price the fixtures and finishes you want.

Payments and dates. Be sure to include a completion date and details of when and how payments will be made.  Never pay more money than to cover work completed and materials delivered to the job-it's okay to request copies of invoices for the latter.  If the contractor requests a deposit before starting work, do not pay more than ten percent or $1000, whichever is lower. Make additional payments as the work progresses. This gives the contractor continual incentives and protects you from the possibility of a contractor disappearing after you've made early payments. Remember: money is your only leverage for getting things done.

Don't sign a completion statement or make the final payment until the job has passed final inspection. Be aware that materials suppliers or subcontractors who are owed money by your contractor can place a lien against your property.  You can protect yourself from this by adding  a release-of-lien clause to your contract or asking for proof of payment by your contractor.  Another somewhat expensive option is to issue a portion of your payments to an escrow account to be held until the work is completed.

Any product warranties and workmanship guarantees need to be clearly spelled out.  Most reputable contractors offer either a full or limited warranty on materials and workmanship for one year.

Understand your cancellation rights.  Federal law requires contractors to give you written notice of your right to cancel the contract within three business days. If you decide to cancel, its a good idea to send the cancellation form by certified mail.

Never sign an incomplete contract. Keep a copy of the signed contract on file.


Excerpts taken from articles written by:
Don Vandervort  in Hometips.com

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