Shady Contractors

In my industry there are a lot of people who want the title and want the money but don't want to play by the rules. Unlicensed “contractors” aren't contractors, but they'll pass themselves off as one and will try, with every strategy and technique, to play the part. Recently I provided a bid to a potential customer. He made it clear from the beginning that he was going to hire either me or another guy. While my work looked great and my reputation was clearly positive the other contractor was one thing – cheaper. And in the world of remodeling cost savings can go a long way. After a few back and forth conversations with the potential customer he let me know a couple of things that I, thanks to the experience, know to be red flags. The first thing he told me was that the other “contractor” wanted to see my price. Not only was this degenerate willing to just “price match” he was also trying to tell the customer that he would include additional work for the same price. I sat back and thought about this for a day or two and one question kept popping up in my head. “How is it possible that he can offer that price with the required materials costing so much?” And then I realized – he can't. The other person, who I then became convinced was NOT a licensed, bonded and insured contractor, was not only trying to take potential business from me but he was attempting to scam a potential customer of mine. So I thought it was best to be honest with the potential customer. I let him know how to search for a license number to make sure this individual was properly certified. I also provided a price breakdown that included the actual costs of all necessary materials. And when I did so I provided the cheapest prices I could find. About a week went by and the potential customer contacted me to let me know he was ready to sign a contract. The morning of our appointment I explained all aspect of the contract with him and broke down the information included on the required notices (In oregon we have requirements for information that we MUST provide to the customer). At that point my customer chuckled a little and let me know that he took my advice – he searched for the guy on the CCB website. And what he found confirmed my initial thoughts about his license. He didn't have one. He used to, but it had long since expired. Now I do recognize that not all jobs require a license and some work, based on the project and it's cost, falls under a category that requires no insurance, bond or license. But at $4k+ this was not one of those jobs. Now that I had explained what the CCB does for contractors and consumers he felt much better about his decision of who to hire. I cost more and my schedule being booked out requires patience on his part but at the end of the day he knows that I'm held accountable and his hard earned dollar is protected. That brings me to my last point -

Everyone out here is fighting for a job. Some of us have what it takes and some of us don't. And at every turn there is someone out there trying to take what they haven't earned. A lot of companies will fight by being better; genuinely better. A better quality, a quicker job completion, competitive pricing – those are the ways that legitimate companies become better than the competition. But others try to undercut us. In this situation, as I explained to my customer, I honestly believe this “competitor” was going to end up doing one of three things. 1 - Asking for more money later, 2 – doing work that wasn't of a quality standard or 3- taking the money and never showing up later.

We've all heard the horror stories of customers being ripped off. The best way to protect yourself is to do the research. Even if a contractor is licensed, bonded and insured, what is their history? Do they have positive reviews? Have there been any complaints to the CCB? And at the end of it all, are they the type of person you would trust not only giving thousands of dollars to, but giving access to your home?

Take the time and do your homework. The cheapest is almost never the best. And while you might save money up front I guarantee that you will spend more money and time in the longrun when hiring a shady “contractor”.