How do i know if a contractor is legit?

Question

I tried reading reviews and checking the BBB website(he is listed although not accredited) I asked for pictures of work done. everything checks out. Is there anything else i should be checking before signing the contract, he seems too good to be true.

Richard F. · Answer

Aloha,

Not only check for proper license with your State, but also confirm they have adequate liability and worker's comp insurance. Request from the Vendor, a current Certificate of Insurance and W-9. All of these docs and the license info should have the identical business address.

Matthew Paul · Answer

If they say they can start right away , .........RUN .    No good , reliable , and honest contractor  can start right away , they generally have a backlog .

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

It appears that in DC there is  a requirement for General Contractors to be licensed: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/...(b) A General Contractor/Construction Manager License shall be required for individuals or businesses engaged in general contracting or construction management.So  go online (or call) and check that 1) the license is current, 2) the listed holder of the license is the person you are dealing with, 3) the business has no complaints or suspensions, 4) the license has a current bond and insurance in force

Then ask to see a former or sample Proposal and Scope of Work. It should be very detailed and leave nothing to the imagination.

Finally, ask to speak with former customers and see pictures (they should have a website) of former work.

Take the time to do all of this, and if any of it is not in order then just move on. As @Matthew Paul said, there are NO GCs available to start work immediately. None.

Patricia Steiner · Answer

Look to see if the contractor holds a license and if there are any complaints filed against it.  You can find this on your state's department of business and professional regulation.  Online reviews can be helpful but beware of those who have all 5 ratings as it probably indicates they have a lot of cousins.  Pull up court filings on the county's clerk of the court online site; it will show you if there were any outstanding lawsuits, criminal charges, more.

All this is important and not just because you're giving someone access to your property and turning over your hard-earned money. It's also to make sure that you are affiliating yourself - your reputation - with someone who is deserving of that affiliation.  Warren Buffett has shared many times that the best thing you can do is get rid of all the toxic people in your life.  It's killer to get rid of those folks once their in.  Hope this helps...(and I'm proud of you for doing this vetting).

Alazar W. · Answer

That is something i just recently learned

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

Using the BBB and looking at pictures is absolutely worthless...

Jon Kelly · Answer

@Alazar Wubet depending on the size of the job I would call references.

Ideally, you have a referral to this contractor. If you don't have a referral then make sure you speak to a human about their work.

Size of the project matters. If it's a ~$3k job then you can't spend too much time on due diligence. If it's a $10k job then I'd want to be more certain.

Eliott Elias · Answer

Call references, walk existing projects, get the contractor started on smaller jobs for you.

Alazar W. · Answer

Three

Nicholas L. · Answer

@Alazar Wubet

how many bids did you get?

How do i know if a contractor is legit?

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