The Five Biggest Problems That People Have With
Remodeling Contractors…And How You Can Avoid Them
Every year more complaints are filed against home remodeling contractors than almost any other industry. According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, last year alone 2,895 complaints were filed against Florida contractors. Complaints vary from faulty workmanship and poor customer service to outright contractor fraud. So to help protect homeowners about to embark on a remodeling project, here is my list of the five biggest problems people have with remodeling contractors…and how to avoid them.
Problem #1: Faulty Workmanship
Many people who call themselves remodeling contractors simply don’t have the knowledge or experience to do the job right. They have no systems to prevent poor installations and poor construction, and no subcontractor compliance agreements to guarantee that all the work will be done properly. The truth is that 96% of all contractors are “Mom & Pop” type operations and almost 50% of them go out of business within the first year.
Problem #2: Project Not Completed On Time
Many homeowners are shocked to learn that 82% of all remodeling jobs are not completed on time. When this happens it usually means that workers and subcontractors are arriving late, leaving early or just not showing up at all. Still other remodeling projects will fail to meet scheduling deadlines because no project manager has been assigned to oversee the work. It’s no wonder that almost 33% of all homeowners will need to have their remodeling jobs completed by someone other than the original contractor.
Problem #3: Hidden Charges
An astounding 74% of all remodeling jobs result in the homeowner paying more than the original bid. In fact, most of these homeowners will pay 20% - 30% more than they had expected to pay. The reasons for these “extra charges” are varied. Although some contractors make legitimate change orders once the project has begun, many will deliberately write estimates that are incomplete or inaccurate to leave “wiggle room” for add on charges. Still other contractors will underbid jobs simply because they lack the experience to accurately estimate how much the project will cost.
Problem #4: Dust From Demolition and Project Mess
Remodeling can be messy work, but most contractors add to the mess by not working clean. They have no system to remove dust during the demolition phase of the remodeling project, no system to ensure that non-work areas remain clean and no daily cleanup schedule to reduce clutter and mess at the end of each workday.
Problem #5: Poor Customer Service
Poor customer service in remodeling and construction is usually the result of poor communication. Often the contractor is not available, does not return phone call and does not inform the customer of important schedule changes.
How To Avoid The Five Biggest Problems
People Have With Remodeling Contractors
Now you can avoid the five biggest problems people have with remodeling contractors. Our 15 Point Evaluation Checklist will let you evaluate any contractor you many be considering. This checklist helps you rate contractors in a number of key areas, including licenses, insurance, credit history, references, warranties and more! Before you sign a contract and fork over your hard earned money, make sure your contractor complies with this checklist, found on the inside portion of our guide.
John Fries is a Certified Class A remodeling contractor. He is also the President and Owner of Accutech Restoration & Remodeling in Sarasota, Florida.