Tips can help in finding the right contractor

A couple of weeks after an early June hailstorm hit Naperville and the surrounding communities, my wife Karri and I visited a friends house in North Aurora.

Our friend, who we affectionately call a know-it-all, asked me the following question: Why doesnt the city of Naperville require permits and inspections of all roofing replacement projects in the city? I explained that we work hard to right-size our government, and I dont believe it adds value to the inspection process unless the sheathing of the roof is being replaced. Although adding shingles to existing sheathing needs to be done correctly, it does not impact the structural integrity of the building.

The know-it-alls inquiry stemmed from a pile of mail he had received from many out-of-state roofing companies in the wake of the hailstorm. All promised to come out, inspect his roof, work with his insurance company and perform great work. I am sure some of those companies would do just that, but I also believed that many in that pile were true storm chasers, or contractors only interested in getting work from nave homeowners with the promise their insurance company would pay for it and who would be out of Illinois before any of their work could be tested by the next storm.

Yes, there are some bad contractors out there, but there are also really good ones, too. How do you find the good ones and avoid the bad ones? Below are a few strategies for finding a good contractor:

Use a local contractor. You know the home-field advantage discussed in sports? The same can apply to contracting. If a contractor has three crews (an A team, a B team and a C team listed in order of skill) and three jobs, one of which is local, where do you think he will send the A team? The majority of the time, the contractor will send the A team to the local job, because it has the least amount of travel, and it is the job that could hurt his reputation the most if it has problems. No contractor wants to have problems in his hometown. Fortunately for us, Naperville is a large city with many qualified contractors. There is no shortage of good talent here, so be sure to use your home-field advantage.

Get multiple written quotes. Asking for multiple written quotes allows you to see the range and magnitude of the cost of the project. As much as you want to avoid the highest bid, you should also be wary of the lowest bid, especially if it is significantly lower than the rest. A super-low bid always raises red flags for me and often is an indicator of a bid that has something missing. Ask the contractor to provide you with a detailed quote that lists all services to be performed.

Check insurance. Request a copy of the contractors insurance certificate. If the contractor is doing any dangerous work, like replacing your roof, confirm that the individuals performing the work are actual employees of the company. They are not covered by the companys insurance if they are independent contractors and not employees.

Ask the contractor what percentage of the job needs to be paid up front. At most, you should pay the contractor for only a portion of the job up-front and never more than 50 percent. A good contractor should only ask for full payment when all work has been completed per the contract.

Check references, check references, check references. Did I mention how important it is to check references and for the contractor to know that you will be checking references? Tell the contractor that you will be checking his references before he gives you his quote. This informs him that you are an educated buyer and it increases the chances of receiving an honest quote. Ask for references from work performed in the last year, not the last two to five years. Make sure the list is comprehensive and lists all of the jobs from the last year.

My father replaced his driveway a few years ago. After he obtained a list of references, my dad drove to the homes, looked at the work and knocked on doors to ask some questions of the homeowners. He asked about their satisfaction with the work, the contractors timeliness and other details. After a few of these discussions, my dad knew who he was going to use, and more importantly, who he would never use.

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Tips can help in finding the right contractor