· Hire a NARI contractor. Visit our NARI link for more information.
· If your home is older than 1978 and your project affects any painted surface larger than 6 sq. feet, your contractor, must by law, be EPA Lead-Safe Certified. R & W as a business is certified and owner, Randy Franz is personally certified. Visit our EPA link for more information.
· All contractors are required by the State of Illinois to produce a Know Your Consumer Rights pamphlet to potential customers. That pamphlet must then be signed by both parties before the start of any project.
· Check to see if the contractor belongs to at least one professional organization and is active in that organization (such as their local Chamber of Commerce). R & W belongs to both the Cary-Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. They also are members in good standing of NARI of Greater Chicagoland and owners, Randy & Wendy Franz are both certified through NARI. A contractor who is involved in such organizations is not ashamed to show their face out and about in their community and care about the professionalism of their business and join such organization to be kept up-to-date on the latest business news/laws/products and also further their education through these organizations.
· Contact the contractor’s insurance yourself to get a copy of their insurance, making sure that they have at least the minimum required General Liability and Workmen’s Compensation Insurance. While some think the contractor themselves should provide this certificate to potential customers, by ordering it directly yourself, you are eliminating the possibility that an unscrupulous contractor is using methods to forge their certificate. R & W Construction is insured through Frisch & Barrett Insurance Company, phone number: (847) 639-2134.
· Make sure that your contracts are clear and that they outline every aspect of your job as you requested. If not, a decent contractor should welcome questions and concerns and be willing to make any adjustments you would like to see on the contract. R & W’s proposals are VERY comprehensive and inclusive and will gladly clarify the proposal for their customers.
· Make sure payments on the contract are broken out in a fair manner – with payments being dependent on progress of work done. Understand that an initial payment does need to be made before work can proceed so initial costs of the job (materials being purchased, initial labor, etc.) can be covered. If your contractor requires cash or payment in full before starting the job, that is a HUGE red flag.
· Make sure a current list of references is provided and be sure to call them.
· If a contractor vastly underbids the others, that should be a huge red flag. There are many reasons they are giving a cheap price such as: using sub-standard materials, using inexperienced employees and subcontractors, just want to get the job signed on and will then hit you up with change orders increasing the price of the job to the same or more than the higher bids, they don’t know how to run their business and may need more money to continue the job and/or they will not be in business long enough to honor their warrantee if problems arise (and they most likely will in this case).
· Make sure when comparing contracts that you are comparing apples to apples. Each contract should have the same exact elements spelled out on them. If a much cheaper contract is missing many of the points that a more costly one has, that could be the reason for the cheaper price.
· Make sure the contractor is easy to reach. They do not necessarily need to share their cell number with you, but it is a very good thing if there is often someone answering their office phone and if not, that they return your voicemail promptly. R & W has office staff answering their phones and when they are away from their desk, you can expect a call back within 24 hours. Their email is checked often day and night, all week long, so they can also be reached via email.
Doing your homework and using this checklist will help to ensure that you are using a professional, reliable contractor so your remodeling project goes well and as R & W Construction Custom Home Remodeling strives to deliver, is a stress-free, enjoyable experience.
