How To Find A Contractor

We've all heard the horror stories about contractors that come to the job site 3 hours late, hungover, or take your money and run. It is true that finding and managing a good contracting crew is the hardest part about real estate in Pittsburgh. Today we want to talk about some of the things to look for in a contractor and what to avoid to protect yourself.

When searching for a good crew, it's always a good idea to start but asking for referrals! Asking fellow investors, neighbors, your brother, whoever for a good crew to work with. Once doing so here are the next steps for vetting.

As you meet a few different people to work with we suggest taking these steps:

1. Ask for license and insurance- Ensure that they have the proper coverage and certification to be doing the things they promise they will do for you. If they don't this can turn into a liability on your end as the owner of the building, and people working on your property.

2. Reviews- Ask them to list 2 or 3 local investors or homeowners they have worked with in the past. While they may talk a good game, you need the unbiased opinion of others they have worked with. Make sure to ask about how quickly they completed the job, how clean they kept the work site, and how professional they were.

3. Multiple bids- When deciding between multiple contractors, it is important to see how their prices line up between each other. It is common practice to get 2 or 3 bids. Many investors say to go with the middle price. The cheapest bid is not always the best contractors to choose, in fact it can be the worst. You may have to redo what they messed up causing the budget to double real quick!

Staying on top of the crew is important. Ensure that your agreements are structured properly and incentivize them to complete the job on time. Remember that all contractors will make small mistakes no matter how hard they work. It is crucial to take a final walk through and mark down any touchups that may be needed on the project. Make sure to hold the final draw until they have completed those and you are satisfied. If all the money is paid out, they have no incentive to come back and finish the job. Luckily, there are some amazing contractors in Pittsburgh. Especially our sister company Pittsburgh Property Remodelers. They have a 100% customer satisfaction rating and refuse to leave the job site until it is absolutely perfect!