How to Handle a Project with a Contractor

When the decision is made to work with a contractor, you have to be able to apply a little bit of business savvy in order to effectively manage him. In order to get the most out of any person who works for you, certain precautions and motivational tactics must be taken into account. Following these suggestions is a good way to keep your control over the work that is done at your home.

In order to ensure the sanctity of the job at hand, you should always be sure to hire a contractor who is licensed and insured. This way, you know that you are working with a person who knows what they are doing. You will also be protected against any sort of liability.

Before you begin working with this person, make sure that the expectations are laid out for both parties to see. Come to an accord on the big details of the job, such as price and time, but also keep in mind the smaller things. You will want to iron out the details and stick to them as the job goes forward. This way, neither side will have any valid complaints.

Though it would be nice if verbal agreements still worked in today’s business world, it isn’t always so. With that in mind, get a signed contract for both yourself and the contractor. Be sure to have all of the major concerns outlined within the contract so that if there is ever a question about expectations, you can refer to that official piece of paper.

There are other things which you should sit down and discuss with a contractor before he is hired. Make sure that you both understand the payment terms of the job and that you both have the same idea of the work that is required. If you aren’t on the same page as far as job preparation and cleanup time, then you might run into problems somewhere down the road when the job is underway. This is the quickest way for a good job to go sour.

Contractors are interesting workers in that they have some sort of access to your home and personal property. You should only hire someone who you trust, but even with that, there must be some sort of plan for home access. Let the contractor know when and how much they are allowed to access the home. This way, you won’t have any confusion over the little details.

All in all, the best way to handle a contractor is to have total communication about every aspect of the job. Communication will do wonders in eliminating the questions that you both have. This will help build trust between both parties, which will hopefully lead to a good working relationship.