Home contractor scams and poor-quality work cost Americans billions of dollars every year. Most of it is preventable. The problem isn't that good contractors don't exist -- it's that homeowners don't know how to tell them apart from the bad ones until after the job. This guide gives you a concrete process for finding someone you can trust.
Start with licensing and insurance -- not reviews
Reviews can be gamed. Licenses and insurance cannot. Before anything else, verify that the contractor holds the required license for your state and trade (plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and general contractors are typically licensed at the state level). Ask for the license number and verify it on your state's contractor licensing database -- this takes two minutes and most homeowners never do it. Also ask for a certificate of insurance for both general liability and workers' compensation. If a worker gets hurt on your property and they're not covered, you may be liable.
Get three written quotes
Not three verbal estimates -- three written quotes with itemized scope of work. A quote that just says 'kitchen remodel -- $15,000' tells you nothing. A useful quote breaks out materials, labor, permit fees, and any exclusions. Three quotes also gives you a price floor and ceiling so you can identify when a bid is suspiciously low (usually means something important is being excluded) or unjustifiably high.
Red flags to walk away from
These behaviors are consistent with contractors who are either incompetent or dishonest:
- ✓Asks for more than 30--50% upfront before work starts (10--15% is normal for materials; 50% before a nail is driven is a red flag)
- ✓Can't provide a written quote or contract
- ✓Doesn't pull permits when the job requires them
- ✓Pressures you to decide immediately
- ✓Only accepts cash
- ✓Has no physical business address or no verifiable track record
- ✓Can't name their license or insurance provider off the top of their head
What a good contract includes
Don't let a single dollar of work start without a signed contract that includes: full scope of work and materials, project start and estimated completion date, payment schedule tied to milestones, what happens if the project scope changes (change order process), warranty terms on both labor and materials, and how disputes are resolved.
Bottom line
The best contractor for the job is usually not the cheapest or the most expensive -- it's the one with verifiable credentials, a written scope, and a track record you can check. At Novum, every tech is vetted and background-checked, and every job starts with a written flat-rate quote.
Need handyman work done?
Novum sends its own licensed crew. Flat upfront quote before we touch anything.