Home - Garden
How To Know If A Contractor Is Taking Advantage Of You
By DANIEL FEININGER
High-Pressure Tactics
A contractor might tell you they are the only ones with the experience to complete a job or that their schedules are too tight and you need to sign now. However, these are pushy sales tactics that can't be justified, and there is little need for homeowners to sign immediately.
Pushy About Payments
It’s in your best interest to pay the team as slowly as possible to make sure you’re paying for the work that has actually been done. A pushy contractor that asks for more than 30% might indicate that they’re having cash flow trouble and plans to pocket your money.
No Contract
A contract clearly delineates a path from start to finish for the project, payout schedules, and a target end date that can protect you and the contractor from any disputes that may arise. If a contractor offers to work without one, they could be attempting to take advantage of the lack of clarity.
Dismissive Attitudes
Talk to many different contractors over the phone and then in person to get an idea of their pricing, background, team layout, and personality. Watch out for inexperienced contractors who fall back on a dismissive attitude and provide vague upfront details about how they’ll complete a job.
Trust Your Gut
Even though you may not have a coherent understanding of why you don’t like a contractor, a bad gut feeling shouldn’t be ignored. If you can’t trust them or your visions don’t align, then it might be best to simply walk away before they jump into any project in your home.