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Selecting a Home Improvement Contractor

By James Allen

Hey Jim! • Picking a contractor • The contract proposal --- • Jim's Q&A's • Ask a question

How do I select a good contractor to install ceramic tile?

Ahh! The eternal question ... how do I find someone who is good at something, when I don't know much about that "something?" One answer is balancing time against need -- the time to educate yourself about either the trade or the contractor, versus the need to get the job done.

Ideally, you will include in the planning process the time to learn about the trade or contractor. You must take the time to check out the contractor. Failure to do so allows you to be "gamed" by the contractor. Happens all the time, pal.

One of the admonitions we hear from writers on this subject is to go out and look at the contractor's work in progress. Well! If you're entertaining bids from several contractors for, say, a bathroom renovation, you're looking at a tremendous effort. It's unrealistic to expect, in our busy lives, that the average person has that much time.

Perhaps some folks can do this but one question, please -- do you know what you're looking at? Do you know enough to look beyond the finishes to the rough-ins? Will these "rough-ins" even be visible at the time of your visit? Just what, exactly, are you expecting to see?

Truth is, you may not be able to tell too much about a contractor from visiting a job in progress.

Review the Finished Product

If you're going to take the time to look at a contractor's work, check out a completed project that has been around a few years. To that end, the time spent making phone calls to a number of a former clients of a contractor is probably going to be more useful.

Talk to the clients about their experience. Was the contractor timely? Was the job site kept neat? Were problems addressed promptly? How has the work held up? After the phone calls, then you can consider visiting a project for a closer look, preferably one that has been around a while.

Often, the name of a contractor will come to you by referral from a friend or acquaintance. Your life may be so busy that your inclination is to just go with the referral (the "need"). That might be a mistake. After all, the person who made the referral to you isn't responsible for the results. You are the one who has to pay, and live, with the result. So, do take the time to check out your contractor referral by checking the contractor's references. Checking references is all the more important if you are "cold-calling" contractors, such as picking names from the phone book.

Checking references is important even if you are just looking for the lowest price. For instance, suppose you just want a low-cost upgrade to improve the marketability of a property you want to sell? You select the lowest cost proposal because

a) it's the lowest price;
b) you're impressed by the contractors' use of big words;
c) you like his/her smile;
d) you think you're smarter than some hick contractor;
e) the stars told you;
f) he/she's your "friend."

You're rolling the dice, my friend. If you end up with a junk job, where's the marketability? True, a lousy job may last long enough to move the property, but it's still a game of probabilities. I've seen projects that failed in a matter of days. And if you have to live with it? Whoa!

War story: I was called by the builder of a high-end townhome development to look into a leak in the shower stall of a new home under contract. The leak was noticed on one of the walkthroughs prior to settlement. It seems the "tile contractor" used drywall compound to grout the tiles! Well, it is white, after all. But, drywall compound is water soluble so, of course, it washed right out when the shower was turned on.

Point: tile installation is not a regulated trade, like plumbing, electrical or HVAC. So be advised, anybody can call themselves a tile setter.

References

References is an ugly word because it implies time.

What exactly should you look for in references, and what should you do about them? The contractor is, you would think, not going to refer projects that turned out to be disasters. So, how many customers does the contractor refer? Is there a time frame for each reference? If the contractor did not give the time frame, ask for them. You can always ask the referral, but it's easier if the contractor provides them. You can scan the dates and look for the obvious holes.

I would be suspicious of too few references, too many time blanks between references, and I would ask about them. A hole in the calendar doesn't necessarily mean trouble. But the openness of the contractor is one of those valuable tools of assessment. The contractor's openness and willingness to provide requested information is an immediate indicator of compatibility.

My reference sheet is actually four pages or so, lists names, addresses and phone numbers, and has the latest 10 projects at the top. The remainder are not in any particular order, and go back about 18 years (the acquisition date of my first computer). I don't list dates, but provide them on request.

Licensing

Is the contractor licensed? Just about every state is different in its requirements. Actually, many have none! Some states require that insurance be tied to obtaining a specific license. Then there are variances within a state between different jurisdictions and municipalities. The simple answer is to call the division that corresponds to a licensing division for your community, and ask about licensing requirements, and about the contractors themselves.

The bottom line is, though, that because unscrupulous contractors are constantly trying to "beat" the system, it's really up to you to do your homework ... and legwork.

I've made mistakes on jobs. All contractors do. The mark of a professional is how they deal with those issues. I, for one, am proud of how I handle the occasional problem. I am sure other contractors are, also. So take the time, at least, to call and talk with the contractors' customers about their projects.

If they had a good experience they will usually like to share that, and will be positive about the contractor even if there were problems. If the experience was not good, you will notice (at the very least) reticence. Since you don't know the mood or state of mind of the reference at the time when you call, do take the time to call at least 10; you might mistake someone being in a hurry for reticence to talk about the contractor. Try to call a few of the more recent projects, and select a bunch of older projects at random.

One of my sound-bite philosophies, and that of other contractors, is that a happy customer doesn't refer you ... but an enthusiastic one will.

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