Hiring a home improvement contractor: the do’s and dont’s

AUGUST 30, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2015, 6:51 AM
BY MELANIE ANZIDEI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Beth Blum of Paramus thought renovating her kitchen in the spring of 2014 would be a simple way to keep her mind off things.

“I had just become widowed and I wanted to do something for myself,” said Blum. “I didn’t look into it.”

Blum took the word of an old friend, who recommended ABC Construction for the job. She didn’t do any research on the contractor, and didn’t hesitate when the contractor asked for $6,000 before work began.

What she got was a kitchen that did not pass municipal inspections, cabinets that were left in boxes, water lines that were disconnected and a contractor who wouldn’t answer the phone. She later found other dissatisfied customers through a simple online search.

“I didn’t check anything, but once I did, then I got scared,” she said.

https://www.northjersey.com/towns/renovate-without-the-headaches-1.1400844

 

Top tips : Before hiring a home improvement contractor:

Get written estimates from at least three contractors.
Investigate financing options for your project.
Do not pay for the entire project upfront and do not pay with cash.
Obtain a written contract.
Ask for a lien waiver.

Source: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.

For more tips on hiring a contractor, visit:njconsumeraffairs.gov/News/Consumer%20Briefs/hiring-home-improvement-contractors.pdf

To check the registration status of a HIC, visit:newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/

Warning signs

Beware if a contractor:

Asks for more than a third of the total payment before work begins.
Demands cash.
Tells you there is no need for a written contract.
Only has a PO Box as business address.
Does not have a Division of Consumer Affairs registration number.
Approaches you first.

Source: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs