Follow up on Avoiding Bad Contractors

Following up on our previous blog post Seven Ways to Avoid a Bad Contractor, here are two other warning signs you should look out for:

1. Hiring someone who shows up at your front door
   This one is simple. Never hire someone who comes to your front door. This is a basic move of scam artists. It doesn’t matter what they say, whether they claim to have leftover materials from a nearby project, offer a free roof inspection, or any number of promotions, gimmicks, or pitches. This doesn’t mean that everyone who comes to your front door is trying to pull a “fast one”, but there is a good chance. Depending on what your “gut” tells you, respectfully ask for a business card and look the Company up or call your neighbors and the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau to report suspicious behavior.
2. Being Enticed by Low/High Bids
   You should be always wary of bids that are substantially higher or lower than the competition. There may be an explanation and you should certainly ask, but more than not lower bids reflect lower standards of service. On the other hand, higher bids rarely reflect higher standards of service. It may be as simple as price gouging. Another explanation might be a contractor whose schedule is backed up and isn’t looking for more work unless the profit margin is high enough. Just as with a suspiciously low bid, ask both the individual contractor and the rest of the bidding contractors why the single bid is so much higher or lower than the others.