Fraudulent Consumers Are In Every City and Town Fraudulent consumers and homeowners take advantage of businesses each and every day. They target builders and remodelers because the average building or remodeling job can run in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. The swindling homeowners can keep tons of money in their accounts and Read More »
Paying a Contractor in Advance Yesterday I received an email from Marie who lives in Massachusetts. She asked the following question: "I have been getting quotes to clean and stain my decks. In the quotes, they have all been saying that they want money up front (1/3 or 1/2). I don't like this idea. Is Read More »
Do you live where hurricanes come ashore? How about tornados or flooding? What happens if your house burns down? Do you have insurance to cover yourself in case your home is damaged? Are you SURE you have enough coverage and what exactly is covered? Do you think it's possible to be out of your home Read More »
An older woman who lives in Greenville, SC emailed me about a problem with a kitchen contractor in Greenville, SC. We went back and forth as I tried to offer some advice. I asked her permission if I could reprint the emails and she said, "You can use my location, might get people to check Read More »
Payments to contractors causes anxiety for a lot of homeowners. How much to pay, when to pay, who to pay? These are some of the questions to consider when working out a contractor payment plan. Residential construction cost breakdowns will help you determine the answers.
Contractors should be asked for an itemized bid. Obtain an affidavit from each party at time of payment. Do not pay for unfinished work. Compare bills with work performed by the contractor to assure they match. You will avoid many headaches with your construction bids if you follow these simple procedures.
An affidavit and materialman's certificate are important to avoid a mechanic's lien against your property from contractors or subcontractors. A professional contractor will not hesitate to provide these forms.
Affidavits and liens protect homeowner and contractor. Consult a good real estate attorney concerning laws in your state before a problem ensues.
Obtaining a bid stresses homeowners. Arm yourself with information by reading about the work you want to do, draw a plan outlining your needs as precisely as you can, or develop a good description of your desired job to give to all contractors. This will obtain bids on the same work so that you can make comparisons.
A bid for time and material pricing may not be in your best interest. Fixed price bids lend more cost control than payment by the hour. Before signing a time and material contract, read this.
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