Choosing a Contractor

A kitchen under renovation

One of the most common questions we as designers receive, aside from the usual design questions, is how to choose a contractor for the client’s job. You’re getting excited about the newly designed bathroom/kitchen/bedroom/etc and are starting to plan who will make that vision come to life in the space, but where do you go if you don’t already “have a guy”?

What’s the Difference Between a Contractor and a Handyperson?

Generally speaking a handy person is specialized in one or more specific areas- like an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, etc. Contractors or General Contractors as they’re often formally referred to, generally are folx who function as a project manager for your renovation. They will come and evaluate your project, confer with their team of handypersons to discuss any potential problems, and give you a quote for the whole project. They’ll manage start dates, milestones in the work, work with your designers on fine details, check in on the quality of the renovation work, schedule things like cabinets or countertops, and generally manage the whole team of workers.

When Do You Need a Contractor?

When your project is larger in scope than one or two functional areas. For example: if you’re renovating your foyer and the scope of the work being done includes painting the walls and installing a tile floor, you probably don’t need a full contractor. You could call a house painter (or do it yourself if you lean DIY) for the walls and a flooring specialist to install your floor. However if you’re renovating a bathroom and need walls moved, plumbing done, electrical fixed, tiling on the floors and walls, painting and finishing, and new fixtures then you’re probably better off with a Contractor. They’ll manage all those moving parts for you, supervising the work and making sure things are done in the proper order and finished out professionally.

How to Find a Contractor?

Although these days we mostly think to “Google it” when we need something, we recommend first checking with friends, family, and neighbors you respect in your area. Like an Interior Designer, Contractors are often recommended based on a positive experience of someone you trust and respect. Word of mouth is really important to both of our fields because you’re letting someone into your home to manage a project as your proxy, and that’s both a vulnerable and important relationship.

If you have recently moved to a new area or if none of your local contacts have someone to recommend, then check the internet. I think sites like the Better Business Bureau are a great place to find potential Contractors with positive reviews. The BBB interviews and background checks anyone on their site before allowing them to have a profile on the site and holds them to high standards for any customer complaints. You could additionally check resource aggregators like Yelp or Google recommendations, or even sites like Houzz or Angi’s List. Our caution for those last two is that they will often aggressively contact anyone who submits an inquiry or performs a search if they have your email or phone number. We have decided not to join either based on this practice as we find it both unprofessional and intrusive.

How to Choose a Contractor?

Finally, as they say, the point. We recommend at minimum contacting 3 or 4 different contractors to evaluate your project. You may find wildly different quotes (remember: cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better!) and have wildly different experiences. Something to look out for is how you feel about their style- can you confidently work with them? Are they open to hearing your ideas? Do they have full confidence in your project? If you’re doing something major with potential pitfalls, does the Contractor seem flexible to work with you to get you the best solution?

You’ll be investing a fair amount of money in the project so it’s important you feel confident. If you’re working with a designer (like us!) feel free to schedule walkthroughs with contractors when your designers can join you, or if that’s not possible talk with your designers about your experiences to see if there are any red flags or really excellent signs. Additionally check out their reviews- some Contractors in smaller towns with not much web presence will even offer to give you references to check on their past projects. Don’t be afraid to check on them, it’s best for you as the client and them as the Contractor that all of your concerns are met so they can confidently work on your project knowing they’re on the same page as you.

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Once you’ve found someone you enjoy working with and whose work you trust you’ll build a strong relationship that you’re likely to revisit many times over. Having someone in your corner who you can trust in your home and with your creative visions is really empowering and gives you a lot of confidence to tackle future projects.

We hope this post helped you all with this common question! Keep them coming here, on our Instagram or our Facebook and that’ll help us come up with themes for future blogs!

Cheers,
James