Are you really getting a good deal on home repairs? The truth about contractor markup

[Keenan Fitzpatrick]

The best way to know is to shop around. A couple of things you can do to protect yourself from markups and hidden fees is to require subcontractor and vendor invoices. Sometimes you'll actually be paying less with your contractor's pricing. Another way to protect yourself is to have deadlines for work performed, payment, and drawing plans. Deadlines are important because sometimes you can negotiate a reward/penalty agreement based on the contractor finishing before or after their deadline. Asking the people that work for the permitting department is also a good idea to get good references as well as contractors in other trades that work with the person you're interviewing.