When hiring out any job, I always get at least 3 bids for the job in writing to properly compare. Then for the one or two that I might consider hiring, I check their licenses on the State Contractors License Board to make sure they are legitimate, have the proper insurance, etc. Every state has this, a call to your City Hall Building Dept. can help you find them if you are having trouble locating them on line yourself. Then I call each one and ask any questions I might have, like pulling permits, if the job requires them, and then decide. Once you choose, the formal contract must be signed before work commences. Typically a down payment of 10% of the projected cost is required along with the signed contract. NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO YOU PAY FULL PRICE BEFORE WORK IS COMPLETE. About halfway through they will get another 10 - 15% and balance due when job is complete to your satisfaction. A good conteactor will walk you through and make sure everything works, lights, fans, sinks, etc., if that was part of the job. Test everything before writing the last check. Mind you this is a sweeping generalization, but the basic principals apply to any hired professional. Hope this helps! Enjoy your project.
When we finished our basement we did the following to pick our contractor...
Ask your friends who they used and are they happy?
Look them up on line and look at their reviews.
Pick at least 3 to come out and give you a quote. You'll meet them , get a feel for how professional they are, and see their work.
We had 3 come to our house. All 3 were very different. One was the cookie cutter basement - they threw out our ideas and told use what we should do instead. Our basement would have been fast and well done but not the way we wanted it. The second guy was very low key and I was worried that it would take forever to get our work done. The third guy was the right fit. He worked with us to create what we wanted, asked us lots of questions, showed us his work, and we were really pleased with the end result.
I have three window wells for my basement windows. (Small standard windows with sliders to open for fresh air. I don't open them much at all. Maybe once a year if tha...
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We bought a house and the walls in the basement were stuccoed by what I would believe was a five year old. It is very thick and its not level. Its so "pointy I have a...
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When hiring out any job, I always get at least 3 bids for the job in writing to properly compare. Then for the one or two that I might consider hiring, I check their licenses on the State Contractors License Board to make sure they are legitimate, have the proper insurance, etc. Every state has this, a call to your City Hall Building Dept. can help you find them if you are having trouble locating them on line yourself. Then I call each one and ask any questions I might have, like pulling permits, if the job requires them, and then decide. Once you choose, the formal contract must be signed before work commences. Typically a down payment of 10% of the projected cost is required along with the signed contract. NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO YOU PAY FULL PRICE BEFORE WORK IS COMPLETE. About halfway through they will get another 10 - 15% and balance due when job is complete to your satisfaction. A good conteactor will walk you through and make sure everything works, lights, fans, sinks, etc., if that was part of the job. Test everything before writing the last check. Mind you this is a sweeping generalization, but the basic principals apply to any hired professional. Hope this helps! Enjoy your project.
When we finished our basement we did the following to pick our contractor...
Ask your friends who they used and are they happy?
Look them up on line and look at their reviews.
Pick at least 3 to come out and give you a quote. You'll meet them , get a feel for how professional they are, and see their work.
We had 3 come to our house. All 3 were very different. One was the cookie cutter basement - they threw out our ideas and told use what we should do instead. Our basement would have been fast and well done but not the way we wanted it. The second guy was very low key and I was worried that it would take forever to get our work done. The third guy was the right fit. He worked with us to create what we wanted, asked us lots of questions, showed us his work, and we were really pleased with the end result.