From Realtor Mag
Forge Lasting Contractor Relationships
Here are eight key elements to keep in mind when you’re
compiling—or updating—your list of trusted home improvement pros. We’ve also
included helpful tips to share with homeowners who are vetting potential
contractors, to help improve the odds that their project runs smoothly.
1. Check credentials and skills. Many trades—such as
plumbing, electrical, and HVAC—require a license, insurance, and accreditation.
But there’s no national accreditation system for general contractors.
Furthermore, states have very different rules governing who’s allowed to work
where, according to the National Association of State Contractors Licensing
Agencies. Another important distinction is between being licensed and being
registered to work. While some states require licensing—which tends to involve
passing exams and proving reasonable competency in a trade—others only require
registration, which is simply a written record of who is performing the work
that doesn’t guarantee expertise.
More: Check out our customer handout, “How To Hire a
Remodeling Contractor” or the National Association of Home Builders’ “Checklist
for Finding and Hiring a Builder or Remodeler.”
2. Inquire about a contractor’s history and focus. Ask them
what past projects they really loved working on, what their specialties are,
and what type of work they tend to outsource. Also, find out what their
scheduling process is like and how many jobs they typically manage at a given
time. It’s far better to know that they’re too busy now but could start a new
project in a month, for example, then to be surprised by calendar conflicts
after the project has begun. See how they feel about taking on small
handyman-type jobs, or if they’ll only agree to do so if homeowners bundle
them. Finally, ask how long they’ve worked as a contractor and how long they’ve
operated their own business. The two require different skill sets, says Cohen, who’s
run her own firm for 22 years. While one doesn’t necessarily need to be an
expert businessperson to be a skilled craftsman, the organizational skills a
general contractor needs in order to get the job done on time are critical.
3. Find out how they stay in touch with clients. A lot of
relationships break down not because of dishonesty or subpar skills but a lack
of clear communication, says contractor Tom Sullivan, owner of T.M. Sullivan
Construction in Norwell, Mass. “By communicating well, we manage expectations
and help keep customers happy,” he says. Expectations need to be spelled
out—for example, tell your client to relay how often they want to hear about
progress and whether via email, text, or a phone call. And if you know a
contractor really only responds to texts and your client needs face-to-face
contact, don’t match them up as a team unless one side is willing to switch
preferences.
Teach your buyers and sellers to be good clients.
Most contractors will be more flexible with and sometimes go
the extra mile for homeowners who are cooperative, especially their repeat
customers. So what makes for a bad client from a contractor’s point of view?
Those who don’t offer flexibility when surprises occur—concealed pipes may have
a leak that wasn’t visible when an estimate was provided, but now need to be
repaired—can ratchet up the intensity of any given job. Homeowners who feel
they’re the contractor’s most important client often don’t understand why
delays should occur when emergencies require immediate attention at another
job. And sometimes it just comes down to assuming the best of intentions. After
all, contractors want to be treated respectfully as part of a partnership with
the same end goal of getting a job done well, on time, and for the expected
dollar amount. Kind words about a project’s progress often help, just as an
occasional cup of hot coffee or fresh donut does.
4. Visit completed jobs in person. Explain to clients that
word-of-mouth referrals are fine, as is seeing finished work on a website or in
photos. But a far better way to examine results is up front and in person. Most
contractors have prior clients who allow other homeowners to stop by and see
their workmanship. Use your unique position as a real estate professional who
spends a fair amount of time in other people’s homes as a way to get to know
the handiwork of local contractors firsthand. When you see good work, ask who
did it and how recently; ask about subcontractors, too. Some contractors have a
regular team that works with them; other times, they assemble the right workers
based on the specific project.
5. Be nosy about work ethic and attitude. It may be tempting
to emphasize the final product over the process, but both are important. These
workers will be inside your clients’ homes and neighborhoods, where respect is
important. If the contractor or subs start showing up late or ignoring house
rules—perhaps by smoking on the premises, trekking dirty shoes through an
interior, or using a house bathroom when clients specified having a portable
toilet set up outside—your recommendation could backfire. Ultimately, your
clients will decide what works—and doesn’t—for them, but occupational habits
are important elements to consider for everyone involved.
6. Bid out jobs to several contractors. Advise your client
not to rush into a deal. Even if the first bid has a reasonable price and
timeline and comes from a contractor with a good track record, it’s important
to get another point of view or two. This is especially important for involved,
costly projects where each contractor may suggest a slightly different
approach. “Know what you want and convey that same information to each so they
price the same job or scope,” says Sullivan. “You also may go with one, but use
parts of ideas from all.” And always be sure that the contractor breaks down
the estimate into fees for materials, parts, and labor, which makes it easier
to compare apples to apples. Finally, convey that the cheapest isn’t always
best. John Nations, chief residential real estate superintendent for T.D.
Desert Development in LaQuinta, Calif., suggests homeowners “go with the lowest
‘responsible’ bid.”
7. Get everything in writing. Some contractors and
homeowners are happy to start work on a verbal agreement or with a handshake.
Neither may hold up if disputes arise. A written contract covers a variety of
elements, from who secures the necessary permits to which manufacturer’s
windows and doors are to be installed. “You want a paper trail,” Cohen says,
recommending a contract even for minor jobs, such as fixing screens. Jose
Oritz, project manager at Cicero’s Development Corp., a renovation company in Plainfield,
Ill., says his firm’s contracts also cover assumptions such as a subfloor being
in good shape and not needing patching. “And then if it isn’t, additional work
needed would be billed at a time and materials charge, which is also
specified,” he says. Warranties listed in the contract for labor,
craftsmanship, appliances, and materials also will help if something goes awry
later, or at least during a specified period. And most detailed contracts offer
a way to resolve disputes.
8. Don’t pay until the punch list is fulfilled. It’s typical
for homeowners to withhold 10 percent of the total cost until the contractor
satisfies every point on their “punch list”—any work that wasn’t finished or
hasn’t yet met the home owner’s approval when the job is close to completed.
When all is finished, Cicero’s contractor in charge provides clients with a
close-out package combining all signed permits, drawings, product
specifications, maintenance instructions, and more. “They’re entitled to it in
the same way that car owners get an owner’s manual,” Ortiz says.
For your next title order or
if you have questions about what you see here, contact
Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.
Vested Land Services LLC
165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645
E-mail sflatow AT vested.com
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