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- This topic has 50 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by JACKQLYN.
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November 9, 2009 at 6:01 PM #480170November 9, 2009 at 8:43 PM #479864UCGalParticipant
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November 9, 2009 at 8:43 PM #479695UCGalParticipantdeleted
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November 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM #480372PiggyKelParticipantThanks everyone. I’ve been advised to not go the GC direction but to hire smaller contractors for flooring, installing kitchen cabinets,appliances and other small jobs.
Appreciate the recommendations!
November 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM #480451PiggyKelParticipantThanks everyone. I’ve been advised to not go the GC direction but to hire smaller contractors for flooring, installing kitchen cabinets,appliances and other small jobs.
Appreciate the recommendations!
November 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM #480672PiggyKelParticipantThanks everyone. I’ve been advised to not go the GC direction but to hire smaller contractors for flooring, installing kitchen cabinets,appliances and other small jobs.
Appreciate the recommendations!
November 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM #480013PiggyKelParticipantThanks everyone. I’ve been advised to not go the GC direction but to hire smaller contractors for flooring, installing kitchen cabinets,appliances and other small jobs.
Appreciate the recommendations!
November 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM #479843PiggyKelParticipantThanks everyone. I’ve been advised to not go the GC direction but to hire smaller contractors for flooring, installing kitchen cabinets,appliances and other small jobs.
Appreciate the recommendations!
November 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM #480553georgeParticipantThere are many good, honest contractors, but in my experience no other profession has as high of a proportion of incompetent and/or crooked practitioners.
In addition to the other posters advice, also make sure to:
– Have them put everything in writing with all important details included.
– Make sure that they are not going to hire sub-contractors to do the work unless you are totally comfortable with the sub-contractors. Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the sub-contractors being paid, even though you did not have a contract with them, or even knew that they were sub-contractors when they were doing the work. The sub-contractors can put a lien on your house if the contractor doesn’t pay them (even if you can prove you paid the contractor in full).
– Verify that owner (or main man) will be onsite for the duration of the project rather than sending out his semi-skilled, non-english speaking employees.
– Pay with a credit card if you can. It’s very easy to freeze/pull back the funds after the fact. This gives you huge leverage.
– It’s illegal for a California contractor to ask for more than 10% or $1000 up front. It doesn’t matter if they have to order materials that exceed this amount. If they don’t agree to this they are probably broke.
November 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM #480777georgeParticipantThere are many good, honest contractors, but in my experience no other profession has as high of a proportion of incompetent and/or crooked practitioners.
In addition to the other posters advice, also make sure to:
– Have them put everything in writing with all important details included.
– Make sure that they are not going to hire sub-contractors to do the work unless you are totally comfortable with the sub-contractors. Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the sub-contractors being paid, even though you did not have a contract with them, or even knew that they were sub-contractors when they were doing the work. The sub-contractors can put a lien on your house if the contractor doesn’t pay them (even if you can prove you paid the contractor in full).
– Verify that owner (or main man) will be onsite for the duration of the project rather than sending out his semi-skilled, non-english speaking employees.
– Pay with a credit card if you can. It’s very easy to freeze/pull back the funds after the fact. This gives you huge leverage.
– It’s illegal for a California contractor to ask for more than 10% or $1000 up front. It doesn’t matter if they have to order materials that exceed this amount. If they don’t agree to this they are probably broke.
November 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM #480473georgeParticipantThere are many good, honest contractors, but in my experience no other profession has as high of a proportion of incompetent and/or crooked practitioners.
In addition to the other posters advice, also make sure to:
– Have them put everything in writing with all important details included.
– Make sure that they are not going to hire sub-contractors to do the work unless you are totally comfortable with the sub-contractors. Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the sub-contractors being paid, even though you did not have a contract with them, or even knew that they were sub-contractors when they were doing the work. The sub-contractors can put a lien on your house if the contractor doesn’t pay them (even if you can prove you paid the contractor in full).
– Verify that owner (or main man) will be onsite for the duration of the project rather than sending out his semi-skilled, non-english speaking employees.
– Pay with a credit card if you can. It’s very easy to freeze/pull back the funds after the fact. This gives you huge leverage.
– It’s illegal for a California contractor to ask for more than 10% or $1000 up front. It doesn’t matter if they have to order materials that exceed this amount. If they don’t agree to this they are probably broke.
November 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM #479948georgeParticipantThere are many good, honest contractors, but in my experience no other profession has as high of a proportion of incompetent and/or crooked practitioners.
In addition to the other posters advice, also make sure to:
– Have them put everything in writing with all important details included.
– Make sure that they are not going to hire sub-contractors to do the work unless you are totally comfortable with the sub-contractors. Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the sub-contractors being paid, even though you did not have a contract with them, or even knew that they were sub-contractors when they were doing the work. The sub-contractors can put a lien on your house if the contractor doesn’t pay them (even if you can prove you paid the contractor in full).
– Verify that owner (or main man) will be onsite for the duration of the project rather than sending out his semi-skilled, non-english speaking employees.
– Pay with a credit card if you can. It’s very easy to freeze/pull back the funds after the fact. This gives you huge leverage.
– It’s illegal for a California contractor to ask for more than 10% or $1000 up front. It doesn’t matter if they have to order materials that exceed this amount. If they don’t agree to this they are probably broke.
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