Finding The Right Contractor - Part 1

The work I do every day is dependent on having a solid contractor to rely on. But it took years to find one who not only produces quality work, but is also consistent, dependable, with good subs, well organized, and a good value.

Over the years my encounters with different types of contractors have given me a stronger sense of which are likely to deliver, and which are more trouble than they’re worth. In this article I will break down 3 types and what I tend to expect from each.

This is an opinion piece, based only on my 15 years of professional experience.

TYPE 1:  Mr. Nice Guy

This one is the most dangerous in my opinion. He comes to your home and is very polite, very suave, and very agreeable. He is very optimistic about all your ideas that you share, before providing an estimate that is very competitive, and quoting a timeline that seems too good to be true (or to the inexperienced homeowner sounds perfect).

Mr. Nice Guy is not the actual contractor. He is the salesman. His job is to keep the positive energy flowing, collect the deposit quickly, and not to put up any barriers whatsoever. He will often quote you the bare minimum of labor only to win the project, put you on the schedule, and disappear. Then the boots on the ground take over. You find out after the fact that YOU are the project manager, the designer, and the courier. The Home Depot becomes your home away from home. The project cost inflates dramatically, as does the timeline, and the weak results of a project without legitimate designer guidance and oversight materialize several months later. Mr. Nice Guy does not educate you about what to do and what to expect, he simply charms you and takes your money before delivering the bare minimum in conjunction with hundreds of other bare minimum projects for hundreds of other disappointed homeowners. He is the volume producer, not the attentive craftsman.

Questions to ask before you commit:

1.        Do you include cost of all materials, fixtures, and finishes? (If “Yes”, assume that the allowances will be at best half the cost of your final selections. If “No” you should probably just move on, or look into hiring a designer)

2.        Who will be handling the design work and selections?

3.        Who will be handling product orders?

4.        When can you start demo? (If the answer is anything other than "After all materials are in hand" be very VERY cautious)

TYPE 2:  Mr. PITA

(Pain In The Ass)

Mr. Pita is often highly referred, highly in demand, and highly obnoxious. He walks in and before you have a chance to fully communicate your vision, he has destroyed your enthusiasm by pointing out seven different things that would go wrong. He anticipates problems and is highly cautious because he (unlike Mr. Nice Guy) IS the boots on the ground. He has seen it all. He has navigated all the perils of remodeling personally and so he has been trained to anticipate problems.

The issue with Mr. Pita is that you the client don’t want to hear about the fifty gazillion problems that ultimately will come up over the course of your project. You just want the job done, and done properly, with minimal hassle and interruption to your schedule. I have worked with several versions of Mr. Pita, and will say that they are usually reliable, usually competent, but offer little in the way of bedside manner.

They are hardened, unpolished warriors of their craft. They can deliver absolutely amazing results, but dealing with them over the course of a project (because they often don’t have a front man/woman) can be terribly stressful and time consuming. If you have not hired a designer/project manager, dealing with Mr. Pita may be more stressful than it’s worth. A designer will know when a “problem” is an actual problem (which they will usually help to resolve behind the scenes), and when it is a trivial issue that is resolved within seconds over a phone call. They help Mr. Pita problem solve along the way, alleviating stress for their client.

Questions to ask before you commit:

1.        Do you sub out ANY of the work? (“Yes” is the answer you want)

2.        If you sub out work, do you insure those workers with workers’ comp? (“Yes” is what you want, but not usually what you will get due to budget constraints)

3.        What is a realistic timeline for this project once materials are in hand? (The challenge with highly competent independent contractors is that they can be so focused on perfection in every aspect that the project drags on beyond what is reasonable)

If you're an OCD individual and need to be in control at all times, Mr. Pita is probably a good fit. However, perfection and control come at a price.

If time is your currency, Mr. Pita may not be the best fit.

TYPE 3:  Mr. Confidence

This one will be very obvious. He shows up in a branded vehicle (or a luxury vehicle), with branded attire and ready with a lovely business card and brochure. He has invested in his company and has a full staff—sometimes dozens in his employ. He is licensed, bonded, and insured, with workers’ comp for his team. He has a process. He will boast an “in-house designer” but take that with a grain of salt. With Mr. Confidence, you are going to pay a premium, and as long as you vet their references and their portfolio, you should be in good hands and enjoy the fruits of that investment.

My only warning about Mr. Confidence is the majority of these that I encounter that claim to have “in-house designers” are using their sister, or wife, or a friend who is a design enthusiast to assist with finish and fixture selections, but that is a tiny fraction of what a legit interior designer actually should be providing. In the end, YOU are still making every decision, signing off on each individual change order, and losing sleep over whether YOU made the right decisions. This approach is often what delays projects by several months, because the in-house designer is usually little more than an assistant that documents YOUR decisions, lets YOU lead, and will look the other way on questionable design decisions simply to keep the project moving forward.

Questions to ask before you commit:

1.        Who is the interior designer you use, and do they have a portfolio? (If they are vague that is a red flag)

2.        What grade of fixture are you allowing for? (If you hear the brand name Delta, know that you will likely spend more than they are quoting)

3.        What grade of cabinetry are you allowing for? (Research cabinetry before hiring a contractor; If you don’t ask for something specific, they will quote the bare minimum and let you find out on your own how much quality really costs after things are already underway; The art of the change order)

4.        What is a realistic timeline for my project once materials are in hand? (They will usually estimate the number of weeks/months for labor, so make sure to account for the time that is required for planning, design development, and material lead times)

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Interior designers are commonly misconstrued (thanks to HGTV) as pillow fluffers, paint selectors, and artwork installers. Those tasks consist of less than 1% of what we do in our daily business (I don’t install artwork btw, I source licensed professionals).

A legit interior designer will be an asset from the early planning phase and budget writing phase through the final staging. They are your advocate, your support network, and your financial advisor. Unfortunately most homeowners will skip the designer, tackle things themselves and wonder why, after months of stress and hundreds of hours and miles drained from their weekends, why does their space not reflect their investment?

If you reside in the East Bay Area, and want to maximize your investment in your home, and minimize your time dealing with contractors, check out our service offerings.  

Other helpful articles:

Why you want to call a designer BEFORE a contractor

3 Signs you need an interior designer