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Contractor Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them

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Some people don't like dealing with contractors, but at some point in time most homeowners need to deal with them for one problem or another. The sad truth is that a lot of horror stories exist. Even worse, a lot of them aren't exaggerated at all. From work not done to shoddy work being done, there are a lot of ways that hiring the wrong contractor can go wrong.

Contractor Horror Stories

Here's a short list of just a few situations with contractors that would be horrible to deal with for anyone.

All Upfront Scam - You get a knock on the door and someone in a hardhat is there with a smile. He was in the neighborhood and noticed your aluminum siding (or roof) was in disrepair and he wanted to offer his services. You give him money for a special deal they're having with the agreement that work will begin in a week. After two weeks pass and you check on him, you realize his long gone - and so if your money.
No Insurance - Let's say you hire a contractor to fix your leaky roof. Instead of isolating the problem and fixing it, they convince you that you need an entirely new roof. Luckily, they have a special on doing roofs and will cut you a deal. What you don't know is that they're not insured and when working on a rainy day, they do substantial damage to the roof. Without being insured, they claim they're not responsible and leave you to fix the roof on your own.

If you want to avoid the horror stories above, here's a look at three things you can do to increase your chances of not running into any problems when hiring a contractor.

Ask for References - One of the first things you can do is to ask for information about previous clients or some other type of reference that you can call or contact and check with before work begins.
Do Your Homework - From making sure the contractor is insured to knowing any complaints people have filed with the BBB against them, you should also do as much further research as you possibly can.
Downpayment Only - Instead of paying the contractor the full amount upfront, give them a small down payment instead. This can do a lot to keep them motivated and on schedule while they're working.

Following the three simple tips above can help you avoid having your own contractor horror story to tell. And if you have your own story of working with a bad contractor, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the experience!



Bio
Tammy bought a gutter guard online and has been very happy with the purchase. When she's not shopping online, she enjoys writing guest posts for a lot of different websites in her spare time.

10 comments:

  1. These are awesome tips. I learned long ago not to do business with a contractor with out doing research first. Especially those who come to your door. I always ask for their card and say I need to talk to my attorney about it. A few times I have gotten well this offer is only good now, I just said Okey then since I can't contact him then I can't give you a job. Thank you for your time and have a great day.

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  2. great tips i'll keep these in mind if i ever need a contractor

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  3. Fantastic tips thank you - it can be so scary handing your home over to someone you don't really know and of course trusting them to make it better. x

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  4. Anonymous8:38 PM

    I learned this the hard way, I was a single mom on a really tight budget and lost a lot because of who I hired. Great tips.

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  5. We are planning some remodeling work at our house and not looking forward to dealing with the contractors, but we are doing research and going for the best job, not the cheapest.

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  6. we use Angie's list which has been a huge safety net when hiring contractors.Plus
    I grew up in a small enough town you knew who not to use.

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  7. We have our share of story and that's why we do home improvement ourselves now.

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  8. Great tips! I've heard so many horror stories about contractors, and them doing shoddy work. Doing your research and asking for references is always the best way to go.

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  9. I hope, I will not experience dealing with a bad contractor. I do not think I can handle.

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  10. I have certainly heard a lot of horror stories and these are great tips to prevent a bad experience with a contractor.

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