THE LOW BID SCAM!

The remodeling business just seems to attract crooks. Even before the slow down, there were unscrupulous contractors who bid low just to get the job. Now, it’s even worse.

Even though you have a contract with one of these contractors, you will discover that there is extra after extra which often makes the final bill even more than the original estimates from reputable contractors that were considerably higher. It can be horrible.

Another thing that happens, is that after these “low bid” contractors have been awarded the job and collect their materials deposit, they put in just a few days of work before bailing out of the job. Some of these guys are clearly scam artists, while others are just poor businessmen who underestimated the job and quit when they were still ahead.

Whatever the reason, getting these contractors back to finish the job is nearly impossible. Even if you do get them back to work, you have no guarantee that the job will ever be finished. In some cases, the damage caused by a few days of sloppy workmanship may even cost you more money to undo than the cost of the original project itself.

If you are planning on having some remodeling work done on your home, this is a great time to have it done at an affordable price. However, to protect yourself from those low bid contractor scams, these tips will help.

Make sure he is a legitimate contractor, who has:

Identification or business cards

A real local address.

A working phone.

Referrals he is willing to share.

Is licensed to do the work. In Washington State, a licensed contractor automatically has a bond and insurance. It’s necessary to obtain and keep his license.

Checking with the Better Business Bureau is also a good idea.

We at AAA Remodelers do not believe in the “I’ll tack on plenty of extras” approach. We give you a written proposal, which clearly lays out what we are going to do, including the labor and materials. We try to cover everything in one price.

Naturally, we can’t see inside of walls, and sometimes we need to make an adjustment when unforseen difficulties arise. But, that probably only happens in about one out of ten jobs, and it’s not usually a large change.

We take pride in the fact that you can count on the price we quote as the price we charge. We don’t like surprises any more than our customers do. Most of the time, changes in prices on our projects result from additions and changes to the job by the customer.

I can’t tell you how many times a customer has said, “While you’re here, could you,,,,,,,,.”