When sitting on the toilet of my newly renovated bathroom, I came up with a few more renovation lessons:

1. Don't trust friends to recommend a contractor. Unless your friend has a good understanding of how homes are built, usually they only know how a renovation looks and how much it costs, but not if it's build to last.

2. Lay every tile down on the floor before the are installed. Otherwise, when sitting on your new toilet looking at the tile floor, you'll wonder why the contractor picked the worst looking piece of tile to put in the most looked-at position.

3. Assume the contractor will not look at instructions for anything, so read the instructions for them and let them know how a shower door should be installed, for example.

Be wary of contractors who offer these kinds of warranties.

All work guaranteed until your check clears.

Boy do you have that right.

Here's a couple others:

1. Make sure you know where the contractor/worker LIVES. Not a PO box, but where they actually live. Go by and see them there. That way, if something goes wrong you know where to go to get satisfaction (or your hands around their neck).

2. Don't rely on recommendations much. They only give you the references from the ones that turned out good or from their friends or relatives, not the ones that had problems.

3. Get at least 2 addresses where they are CURRENTLY doing jobs in progress, not finished. Go to these sites and look at how they are doing work, how they clean up, what the actual workers look like and the quality of the work. Talk to the owners of the places and see what they think about the whole thing. This is what your place will experience if they do your job.

4. Check with material suppliers that provide materials they use and see what the supplier thinks about them.

5. Maybe check with the local police and see if they have anything to say about them.

6. Check the sex offender registry and see if they are on it. You might be surprised as contracting and handyman type work attracts many people who can't get or hold a normal job.

7. Look at their tools, their truck and their whole setup. It will tell you a lot.

Boy do you have that right.

Here's a couple others:

1. Make sure you know where the contractor/worker LIVES. Not a PO box, but where they actually live. Go by and see them there. That way, if something goes wrong you know where to go to get satisfaction (or your hands around their neck).

2. Don't rely on recommendations much. They only give you the references from the ones that turned out good or from their friends or relatives, not the ones that had problems.

3. Get at least 2 addresses where they are CURRENTLY doing jobs in progress, not finished. Go to these sites and look at how they are doing work, how they clean up, what the actual workers look like and the quality of the work. Talk to the owners of the places and see what they think about the whole thing. This is what your place will experience if they do your job.

4. Check with material suppliers that provide materials they use and see what the supplier thinks about them.

5. Maybe check with the local police and see if they have anything to say about them.

6. Check the sex offender registry and see if they are on it. You might be surprised as contracting and handyman type work attracts many people who can't get or hold a normal job.

7. Look at their tools, their truck and their whole setup. It will tell you a lot.

Good stuff!

I'm saving these ideas.

We want his home address so we can service court notices if needed.

My Independent Contractor Agreement signed by the contractor grants permission to pull a credit report. Can be VERY telling.

We also search court and criminal records.

If your local TV has one of those HALL OF SHAME reporters give them a call so you are not the subject of their next story!

BIGGEST: NO MONEY UP FRONT and DRAWS LESS THAN THE WORK THAT"S DONE.

Visit and photo the job EVERY DAY, twice is better.

SimpliSafe tells when they log in and out. Continuous video is even better.

Check out their truck...Does it make sense for the type of work that they do?

Or, is it an $80,000, jacked up, extra loud, obnoxious POS?

I am a contractor, that started out when I was only 18 years of age. Since then, I'm 64 and most of my older partners are long dead and buried and their kids have taken over their part.

For around 40 years, the tenants send send me a message (Text or email) and I'd respond, letting the tenants know if I'd by by today or tomorrow. I have keys for everything since i own 20% to 50% of my partnership properties.

My younger newer partners think they can do a much better job. They say I'm horrible at responding to tenants needs and charge the partnership too much (Parts and Labor).

So on two larger properties and a bunch of smaller ones, I divorced myself of repairs, upgrade and maintenance.

So within no time at all, their discount router service punched holes in the bathtub trap, causing leaks thru the downstairs ceilings. Discount router services don't spend the money to carry a double drop cable to navigate a narrow tub trap. So with force, they cause $1000 in damage. If they only waited a day or used the filter tub drain covers, I only charge the partnership $100.

And the last plumber who replace a faucet because it was splashing water, didn't check the regulator so all toilets were running, costing and extra $1,700 in water and sewer charges.

One suggestion is checking yelp reviews, if the contractor has them. Look at both their recommended and “not recommended” reviews and especially good if the contractor has a bad review and to see their response to that.

Yeah Steve, those warranties make laugh, but I guess that’s reality for many. My contractor lives next door so I can always see his taillights. I’m trying to decide whether to ask him to come back and center the vanity under the medicine cabinet. It’s about 2” off.

Good stuff Richard. Thank you. Should have asked you before I got the job done :-) Yeah, my experience too that the references they give you, seem like there from their mother. And great to look at their job sites and trucks. I hadn’t thought of that, but man, makes great sense. On the sex registry, makes me think, could I ask them to complete my tenant application, then check their background and credit score? I just re-read BRAD’s post and he does just that.

And BRAD, yes, that was one of the unexpected benefits of the Ring cameras at the rentals, to be able to see when workers show up and leave. Especially, when you’re paying by the hour.

Yes Tim, Richard is seconding that on looking at the truck.

That’s a good, easy suggestion, MC, do a google search!

I believe that ken. It makes sense.

RentsDue, I’m embarrassed to admit I never checked the state data base for any contractor I’ve ever used. I just looked and found the NJ database. It’s easy to look up a contractor and I saw that: “To register with the state as a general contractor, you must have NJ general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence.” Thank you for that!

6x6, you know, that is a good reminder, that many times I can do the work as good, or better than someone I hire. I get psyched out sometimes and think I need to hire some wizard contractor, only to find out they are not wizards, but major hacks. I wonder how could hire a helper(s), for a big job like a bathroom gut renovation?

Tryan, that sounds like an effective strategy. Thanks for that.

tryan,

YIKES!! You gave someone $9,000 CASH, BEFORE any work was done?? Knowing his address is worthless once he spends it. He could even have it in a safe in his house and we can't touch it.

If a contractor wants money up front I will agree to pay him each day for the work he completed. I will pay for materials so his labor is the only variable.

When you search the licensed database, look for their BOND. This saved SON20,000 on a ($20.000??) cheater contractor.

BillW - NEVER pay by the hour. Guarantees you will pay more. Trust me on this. Contractors actually prefer this AND it saves you money. Stop paying for cigarette breaks and girlfriend texting.

MY DL is connected to an empty building in town that the LLC owns.

Last two bigger type jobs the contractors wanted half up front. I agreed to it because I couldn't find others to do the job.

BRAD, as zero points out, it’s not easy to find contractors to do the work. Ideally, like I wrote in my original post, I will write up my own contract, detailing all the work to be done, the cost, payment schedule, who pays for what material, etc., but it doesn’t always work out that way. But thank you for the wisdom on that and I'll strive for no pay-by-the-hour work :-)

And good reminder zero on the W9. I don’t always remember to do that at the start of a job.

Well thank for the reminder, and good advice on telling the contractor I can't pay them until I get the W9. I didn't think the penalty was much, but looked it up and see that:

Wow, I'd never get any jobs if everyone followed all these ideas lol. Ok, so that comment was tongue in cheek, and I agree with most of these things...but...

I'm a handyman now part-time. I used to carry bonding, but not a soul asked to see it in over 2 years, so I cancelled it. I do carry insurance and personal umbrella. I only work on small items, no foundations/roofs/etc. Yes I know even a small job, if done wrong, can have big consequences. My total revenues are less than $20k/year, so spending $2k on a bond policy just didn't make sense anymore.

But there is a tradeoff between all these things and cost. If you want someone with a big truck, huge website, marketing campaign, bonded, insured, etc...it will cost more. I have no website, no advertising other than a FB page I rarely update, no bonding, I have to load the tools I need for each job to my truck...I don't have a truck/trailer big enough to store everything, and I answer my own phones and set up my own appointments.

With me, you get someone who has a good reputation in the community, experience OWNING rentals, was a licensed home inspector for 7 years and inspected about 1,400 homes, I return calls same day, I show up on time, I don't smoke in your house, I'm respectful of your property, I lock up when I leave (I'm used to caring for houses due to my inspector experience), I don't have a criminal record, I NEVER go over an estimate without advance approval, and I will take care of everything including trash removal, sweeping up when I'm done, invoicing promptly, etc.

For those of you that won't give any money up front, I would not do a job for you that involves materials. I had one customer hire me for a job, I bought a bunch of materials, and then he called me the night before the job was to start and he changed his mind...so I had to return all the materials. I require a deposit IN ADVANCE equal to the cost of materials +5% for any trouble should I have to return all items.

Yes, I'm a small handyman. I do things like flooring, paint, minor drywall repairs, ceiling fan installations, minor electrical, minor plumbing like faucet and sink replacements, trim carpentry, garage door opener installs, door hardware changes, and so on. I usually work alone. I'm old and can't work 8 hours a day...so I take a little longer. At this point I have a select group of customers (about 12) that use me over and over again, and I don't really want or need new customers.

I know it's hard to trust someone until you know them. That's why references are important. I do a lot of extra things for my customers. For example, when doing flooring..I meet the customer at the big box store to select flooring so I can explain to them why they don't want that $2/sqft LVP with the 6 mil wear layer or that "no name" faucet at Lowes that saves them $20. I offer to pull permits and arrange all that if they are willing to pay for the permits. I had a customer recently that needed other work done and I was able to give them references to granite counter pros, custom cabinet makers, and others...they are grateful for this. My customers usually tell me to set the thermostat on whatever I want while I work so I'm comfortable, use their fridge to keep my drinks cold, give me a key to their house or a code if they won't be home, and tell me to feel free to lock their dog in the bedroom if it's in my way. My customers treat me very well, and in return I am there for them when they need me.

I suppose if I was hiring a new contractor, I'd start with a small job to gain trust with them, and if they needed money up front for materials, I'd ask for a copy of the receipt and for the materials to stay on my site. But be careful being SOOOO restrictive that you weed out some potentially very good contractors.

To me it's like renting to family. Lots of people will say "no problem" but when *I* have trouble it's 100% my problem. The common denominator in being ripped off is PAYING HALF UP FRONT. Sure some might be OK but when you get ripped off, you lose ALL the money.

In those HALL OF SHAME news reports, most gave money up front, MAYBE got a few hours of work then ghosted.

Why does a contractor need HALF? How about $500 EARNEST MONEY to show good intent.

The quality, upscale contractors I have used do not need money up front. They have credit at major suppliers and savings to pay their bills. I'll bet the contractors paid here became trouble.

I realize they run the risk of not being paid by a homeowner, but HALF? $20K remodel job and the guy needs $10k just to get on his schedule?

Unless he's buying the materials he's paying his overdue mortgage or rent.

Back when I had a job selling school equipment, my company had to post a PERFORANCE BOND to get the school equipment order. If we did not deliver on time or to their satisfaction they could cash the bond. The contractor (my employer) had to put the money up front, the OPPOSITE of what contractors want.

Hoosier, do you charge by the hour or the job? I’d imagine doing so many different types of jobs it’s difficult to know how much labor a particular job will take.

Paying for materials and 5% up front sound reasonable.

I’ve wondered, do you as a handyman, prefer to install fixtures that you’re familiar with? I got Ove Decors shower doors and shower base, and the contractor did a not-so-great job installing them. I guess it’s because contractor was not familiar with Ove Decors product and they don’t like reading instruction.

Sounds like your customers are lucky folks to have found you. I wish the people I’d work with would give their input on materials and share their contacts for other trades people. Thanks!

I charge by the job. It’s not difficult to estimate time, as I only accept jobs I’ve done in the past. I do put on every estimate that any hidden issues may cause increased costs…for example I replaced bath flooring and there was rotted subfloor under…so I provided info to customer and what the increase would be. I think about how long the work will take, add time for overhead (shopping for materials, returning parts, putting all my tools away at end of job, invoicing, taking old trash to the dump, etc.), and multiply by an hourly rate that I don’t disclose.

Yes, I recommend fixtures I know and trust. For example I like Delta or Moen plumbing fixtures. If people want others I’ll do it…but I put comments right in the estimate such as “extra labor charged for Project Source faucet due to increased time to install. Will not guarantee performance past 30 days even though product warranty may be longer.” I like Kwikset or Schlage door hardware…the lower line at Lowe’s just doesn’t cut it…the bend when you tighten them and then bind up when you turn to open the door.

I know my limits and sub out things I’m not capable of or don’t have the tools for…or I refer them to someone else. Drywall is a good example…I’m great at making repairs such as holes from doorknobs and so on, but if someone wants a full ceiling drywalled, I don’t have the tools or strength to do it so I give them a company’s name. Or if they have a repair needed on a textured ceiling and want the repair so good you can’t tell it was done…I’ll refer them because texture matching is a difficult skill.

I also have a woodshop in my basement and I can do custom things if needed. I often make my own transition strips between floorings such as from carpet to tile….i can make them perfectly fit in a doorway for any size gap, any height difference, out of any wood, and I can stain or paint as requested (stained is better lol…paint rubsnoff due to foot traffic over time). I’ve custom made wainscoting, mounting blocks for exterior lights on porches, a pool tarp cover, and even custom candle holders for a high-end customer.

I’m mostly retired and don’t want or need to work much, so I limit myself to about 250 hours/year. Since I usually work 5-6 hours a day, that’s about 40-50 days a year…plenty for me.

I charge by the job. It’s not difficult to estimate time, as I only accept jobs I’ve done in the past. I do put on every estimate that any hidden issues may cause increased costs…for example I replaced bath flooring and there was rotted subfloor under…so I provided info to customer and what the increase would be. I think about how long the work will take, add time for overhead (shopping for materials, returning parts, putting all my tools away at end of job, invoicing, taking old trash to the dump, etc.), and multiply by an hourly rate that I don’t disclose.

Yes, I recommend fixtures I know and trust. For example I like Delta or Moen plumbing fixtures. If people want others I’ll do it…but I put comments right in the estimate such as “extra labor charged for Project Source faucet due to increased time to install. Will not guarantee performance past 30 days even though product warranty may be longer.” I like Kwikset or Schlage door hardware…the lower line at Lowe’s just doesn’t cut it…the bend when you tighten them and then bind up when you turn to open the door.

I know my limits and sub out things I’m not capable of or don’t have the tools for…or I refer them to someone else. Drywall is a good example…I’m great at making repairs such as holes from doorknobs and so on, but if someone wants a full ceiling drywalled, I don’t have the tools or strength to do it so I give them a company’s name. Or if they have a repair needed on a textured ceiling and want the repair so good you can’t tell it was done…I’ll refer them because texture matching is a difficult skill.

I also have a woodshop in my basement and I can do custom things if needed. I often make my own transition strips between floorings such as from carpet to tile….i can make them perfectly fit in a doorway for any size gap, any height difference, out of any wood, and I can stain or paint as requested (stained is better lol…paint rubsnoff due to foot traffic over time). I’ve custom made wainscoting, mounting blocks for exterior lights on porches, a pool tarp cover, and even custom candle holders for a high-end customer.

I’m mostly retired and don’t want or need to work much, so I limit myself to about 250 hours/year. Since I usually work 5-6 hours a day, that’s about 40-50 days a year…plenty for me.

Hoosier, when making your own thresholds, what wood do you normally use?

If I have to make it thin, or at least on one side, I have found oak to be a good option.

Thank you, Hoosier.

Thanks, Hoosier, for explaining all that!

I like you have preferred fixtures. Makes sense to install what you believe in and are familiar with. I’d imagine having the rental properties gives you good feedback on what holds up.

And speaking of door hardware and binding, fwiw, I use removable locktite on the screws, don’t make everything super tight and door handles seem to open smoother that way.

Making your own transitions makes a lot of sense. They get a lot of wear, can be a tripping hazard if not done well and are visible. On my renovation the transition was tricky, as the tile floor was ¾ higher than the wood floor on one side and 1-1/4 on the other. They did ok, except on one side there’s a 1/8 gap between the bottom of the transition and the wood floor, so I wonder if the wood will crack there at some point.

Thanks again. -Bill