Construction Contractors Community

Contractor Florida · Joined: 17 Aug 2009 Posts: 86 Location: Florida

A lot of people think that hiring laborers at the closets hardware store or 7-eleven is a great idea to save money but that is perhaps the worst thing you could do in construction. First of all, the work is being done at your home, where you and/or your family live and that should be enough reason to think about it twice. Second, when you hire workers from the street, those people have no insurance so anything that happens to them on your property like falling, hurting themselves or others and even braking things would be an expense you would have to cover.

It's very important that you not only hire a licensed contractor but also that you check his or her license with the Contractors License Board in your state to make sure the license is in good standing and active. I also recommend that the homeowners ask for and check work references from the contractors. If possible, ask them for addresses of current projects or the latest project they worked on so you can drive by to check them out. I know people who even ask for permission from the contractor's clients to go into the job sites and check out their work and craftsmanship. Of course, that is up to each individual but the truth is, it would not hurt.

A contractor's license or good references do not guarantee that the contractor is going to be good at what he does or honest when it comes to construction expenses but the odds are, you are in better hands if you do your homework before hiring anybody.

Florida General Contractor