How To Find The Contractor Who's Right For You

With spring right around the corner, you may be starting to think about doing some remodeling to your home or fixing a few problems that have cropped up over the winter. You may have your eye on a new deck or want to remodel your bathroom or you may need to fix that leak in your roof—but you quickly realize that such a project is too much for you to do yourself. So the question is: How do you find a good reputable contractor for your project?

Rather than just flipping through the yellow pages and taking your chances, you’ll be much better off if you tap into other resources as well: business associations, your local government, and—most importantly—personal and professional referrals.

Business associations: If you type “find contractor” into Google, you’ll end up with literally millions of sites that can help you find a contractor. As a starting point, you may want to browse a few of these sites and jot down the names of a few local contractors. However, to narrow down your search, look for contractors who are affiliated with reputable trade organizations or associations and have professional designations (for example, contractors may become Certified Remodelers by taking certain classes). Also, the one website you should definitely browse through is the Better Business Bureau’s site (www.bbb.org). Here, you can find reports and complaints about local contractors.

Local government: Your local government is an excellent source for information about contractors or remodelers as well. Whether it’s your city or county administration, almost all local governments have a chamber of commerce, business directory, business association, or all of the above. If your local government doesn’t have a website, call them or visit them in person and ask about local contractors. More than likely, they’ll have plenty of information for you—including references—to help you narrow down your choice of a particular contractor.

Personal and professional referrals: The most important and valuable source for finding a contractor is through personal and professional contacts. Despite the popularity of the internet and the many dollars spent on advertising, word-of-mouth is still extremely vital and many contractors and remodelers depend on good references for the majority of their business. Besides checking with your friends, family, and neighbors for leads on quality contractors, you should also consult with people you know in the real estate profession, namely your Realtor® and mortgage banker. Home inspectors, real estate attorneys, property managers, and similar professionals are great contacts as well.

In the end, your best bet is to use a combination of these resources. If you pick out a few contractors and then cross-reference them with business associations, your local government, and personal and professional contacts, you’ll be sure to find your perfect contractor to complete your project.  ∆