Handymen: What You Need to Know

Contractors are more than what meets the eye

By Cole Brackna

Starting a project in the realm of home improvement is as daunting a task as any these days.

In addition to the financial implications of any project, homeowners must ask themselves whom they wish hire in order to complete their desired venture.

That question alone can be difficult to answer. According to the State of the County address for 2010, construction and trade occupations represented 30 percent of Frederick’s job base last year. However, that statistic omits the array of unlicensed and undocumented employees that may be working within the county at any given time.

With more than a third of all of the county’s employees and independent contractors to choose from, as well as workers that are not officially accounted for, it is no wonder that choosing a company to do a home project may be the hardest aspect of the entire process.

However, according to small business owner David Rosenberger, if paying customers go about choosing a handyman the correct way, they can expect nothing but smooth sailing from start to finish.

Rosenberger, 49, has independently owned and operated his own home improvement business, Design Vision, in Frederick County for 10 years.

“The first mistake that I see people make when they’re looking for someone to hire for home improvement is that they’re not assertive enough,” said Rosenberger.

“Some clients feel obligated to help blue collar laborers by giving them odd jobs because of the economic downturn, and the guy who you thought was going to fix your screen door ends up driving away after you’ve paid him. You hired him to do a job for you; he’s not around for you to feel sorry for him.”

Workers and contractors alike can take advantage of new clients by running scams and not completing projects for which they were hired, but there are several tips that any homeowner can put into practice to make the right choice:

Plan your project carefully – Know what you want to accomplish and when.
Shop around before hiring a contractor – You can never be sure if you have the best work for your money if you have only looked into one company to do the job.
Get an estimate – Many contractors will do this for free; they want your business.
Provide contractors with detailed plans – This will allow them to accurately determine the amount of time and money it will take to do the job.
Check out a portfolio – If you can see what your contractor has done previously, you will know whether or not your job will be done to your satisfaction.
Keep a file – Make sure to have all pertinent documents in order, as well as any receipts for building materials. This is a good reference should there be any discrepancies with your contractor.

However, even the most careful client can have home improvement-related mishaps. Carson Alexander, 36, considered every detail when hiring a hardscaping company to repair the walkway leading to his porch on his New Market home.

“I did my research and the company checked out,” Alexander said. “I saw their company portfolio, was happy with their work and hired them for the repair.”

Alexander was pleasantly surprised when his job was completed two days ahead of schedule.

“My sunken walkway was completely repaired, and it only took them about three day’s time to do it. Needless to say I was impressed, and I paid in full.”

But after two months, the walkway began to deteriorate once again. Pavers sank, the joints between them filled with weeds, and the border around the walkway cracked.

“The company that supplied the crew I hired wasn’t even licensed to sell the material for my job, so instead of the real deal, I got a knock-off brand. All of the materials used for my repair were not the materials that I had specifically chosen, and the sunken bricks were evidence of a very hasty job as well,” said Alexander. “When I attempted to contact the company responsible, I was told that the business had gone under due to the economy, so I was out of luck.”

Alexander has since taken legal action against the unlicensed material supplier, and has vowed to use even more scrutiny in the future.

Chris Wurster, a Home Owners Association member in New Market, always cautions members of his community when working with independent contractors.

“Flyers are distributed on our community boards in order to alert residents as to what a legitimately licensed contracting company should bring to the table,” Wurster said. “A few of our residents have had trouble with general contractors in the past, so these flyers let everyone know what they should look for in a legitimate home improvement business.”

Clients should always look for:

Up to date licenses – It is imperative that a contractor has a license. Otherwise, you are subject to scams and the company or individual doing the job can disappear.
Proof of Insurance – It is required that any contractor have liability insurance.
Business Cards – These provide clients with contact information, an MHIC (Insurance) Number, and usually the company’s website.
Contracts – These will spell out everything you need to know about the company you have hired, all the details of your job, and should include an accurate invoice.

“As long as you come into contact with all of these items during your time with your contractor, there shouldn’t be much you should have to worry about besides what the work will look like when it’s done,” said Wurster.

“Despite the warnings I give to my clients, I wouldn’t want to make it seem like every contractor is out to get you. That would be bad for business,” Rosenberger said.

“I’ve learned that Frederick is a good place to be a contractor. Most people put on a friendly face and are very trusting, so I feel that as a practitioner in this industry, it’s part of my duty to make it an honest one.”