Finding Qualified Contractors
Anxiety is a very common emotion felt by people who are about to begin a massive building or remodeling project. Huge sums of money are often in the balance. Fifteen or 20 year mortgages are signed. It is serious business. It is no wonder that people get nervous or anxious. Unfortunately, not everyone invests the proper amount of time in selecting the right contractor for the job. A homeowner may select a real bottom feeder. Believe me, there is one in every 'sea'.
Boilerplate Laundry List
Every year I see an article in the paper about how to choose a contractor. I see the same old checklist each time. You know, the one that says to call the Better Business Bureau, ask for references, visit completed jobs, etc. Only a small percentage of people ever do these things. Guess what? You can do those things, get good reports, and still end up with an unqualified contractor. The process of finding a good contractor is involved, takes effort on your part and sometimes is a function of pure luck.
The Root of the Problem
There are probably several basic reasons why you have such a hard time finding a reputable, reliable, trustworthy contractor. The one that I feel is foremost is the fact the industry, as a whole, does not require a formal education. In other words, you and your neighbor can go into business tomorrow hanging drywall or finishing concrete. Not only have you probably never read a technical manual on all the aspects of these tasks, there is a better than 50/50 chance the contractor you do intend to hire has not read anything. The industry is loaded to the gills with people who 'think' they know how to do things right. Very few contractors have a solid background based upon written facts developed by manufacturers, associations and the industry as a whole. This means you need to get educated about the work you plan to do. Armed with this education you will be able to ask pointed questions to contractors. By default you will find the one who has the best understanding of what to do.