If it’s not on paper, assume it’s not happening. Learned that the hard way after a kitchen reno where “haul away” meant “leave it in your driveway.”
This made me laugh—been there, except mine was a bathroom demo and the old tub sat in my front yard for a week. Neighbors loved that.
I totally agree about the 50% up front thing. I get that contractors need to cover materials, but if they’re asking for half before even showing up, I start getting nervous. I usually recommend clients do 10-20% to book, then tie payments to actual milestones—like after demo, after tile, etc. Keeps everyone honest.
One thing I’d add: I always ask for photos of their recent work, and not just the pretty “after” shots. If they can show you progress pics or even how they protect the rest of your house during messy jobs, that’s a good sign they care about details.
And yeah, communication is everything. If someone can’t answer a simple text or keeps ghosting you, imagine what happens when you need them to fix something later. Learned that one the hard way too...
Totally get what you mean about the milestone payments. I’ve had a few folks try to push for that big upfront chunk, and it always gives me pause. I actually had one guy vanish after the deposit—never again. The progress pics thing is smart too. I like seeing how they handle the not-so-glamorous stuff, like dust barriers or cleanup.
Curious—has anyone ever actually called references before hiring? I’ve gotten a list but sometimes wonder if those are just friends or family. Wondering if it’s worth the effort or just another checkbox...
I’ve actually called references a couple times, but honestly, I’m not sure it made much difference. One guy gave me three numbers and they all sounded a little too glowing, you know? I’ve started looking for online reviews instead—at least there’s a mix of opinions and some real detail. References always feel a bit staged to me.
Honestly, I get what you mean about references sounding too perfect, but I’ve had the opposite happen too. One time, a reference straight up warned me about a contractor’s “creative” approach to deadlines. Online reviews are handy, but sometimes they’re just as staged—or weirdly dramatic. I still like chatting with actual people who’ve had work done, even if it’s just neighbors or folks at the hardware store. You can pick up on stuff you’d never find in a review.
- I hear you on the “too perfect” references—sometimes it feels like they’re reading from a script.
- When I’m vetting someone, I’ll ask for specifics: what materials did they use, did they actually recycle waste, how did they handle surprises?
- I’ve had folks rave about a contractor’s “green” methods, but then I find out they just used low-VOC paint and called it a day.
- Hardware store chats are gold. You can tell a lot by how someone talks about their experience—if they mention dust everywhere for weeks, or if the crew left stuff behind, that’s a red flag for me.
- Online reviews are a mixed bag... I’ll skim them, but I trust in-person stories more, even if they’re a bit gossipy.
- At the end of the day, I want to see real before/after pics and hear about how problems got solved, not just that everything was “great.”